BYOD vs School Laptop Program for High School

mrvaluepack on 21/09/2023 - 12:31

My eldest child will be starting year 7 next year. The high school sent an email about their laptop program and an option to BYOD. The email stated that it was highly encouraged to participate in their laptop program. They are asking for $1500 but I'm feeling that its a bit much and I could get a similar and better device for cheaper.

School Laptop program: Lenovo Thinkpad L13 Gen4 Yoga

BYOD I'm thinking of getting: Lenovo Thinkbook L14 Yoga Gen 3 w/ Cashrewards cashback

Questions to parents whose child have BYOD:

  • How much support will the school provide my child in terms of setting any up any necessary programs?
  • Will my child be excluded from certain classes/applications because of BYOD?
  • If there are any issues connecting to the school network when at school, will the school provide any support to assist my child?
  • Did your child feel and complain to you like they were the odd one out at school for not participating in the school's laptop program?

Any advice much appreciated. Thanks.

Education & Work

Comments

  • AngoraFish on 21/09/2023 - 12:38
    +5
    • How much support will the school provide my child in terms of setting any up any necessary programs?

    If you don't buy the recommended laptop, none, however they are old enough to sort it out. About half the kids at our school have bought their own. There should be plenty of kids to compare notes with workshopping tech issues.

    • Will my child be excluded from certain classes/applications because of BYOD?

    No, that would be illegal.

    • If there are any issues connecting to the school network when at school, will the school provide any support to assist my child?

    No, but kids sort it out.

    • Did your child feel and complain to you like they were the odd one out at school for not participating in the school's laptop program?

    No. There's been no pressure to buy the recommended device and our child hasn't really processed that it's a thing they should worry about. We did BYOD as it was easier and the price was competitive, but our recommendation was a lot cheaper than yours as well. Your school's recommendation seems over spec for that age.

    Our minimum spec recommended device is currently Lenovo 100w Gen 4 - 11.6" Non Touch Intel N100 8GB 128GB (currently $578), the three year older equivalent of which has proven to be more than adequate over the last 3 years.

    edit: about to update to school recommended device Lenovo 13w Yoga Gen 2 - 13.3", Ryzen 5, 16GB ($1,152.00) for year 10 as they have started doing a bit of Photoshop and similar so the creaks are starting to appear. The Sims and Roblox still play just fine on their recommended minimum spec device though.

    • mrvaluepack on 21/09/2023 - 12:57

      So at year 10 all students at your school need to upgrade their devices? Do you know if this normal? I would have thought that the one device would hopefully last the entire life at the school.

      • AngoraFish on 21/09/2023 - 13:07
        +2

        Our school recommends a better specced laptop from Grade 10 but it's just a recommendation. Nobody has to do anything, you can wait until the creaks start to appear, and the actual requirements will depend a bit on subject selection. 6 years, however, can be a long time in technology.

        We can also buy a recommended higher-spec device at year 7, however the school doesn't guarantee in-school support for recommended devices that people have had for more than three years and all warranties expire at that point as well, so they would just be BYOD devices from year four.

        Bear in mind that the laptop has been traveling to school for three years by the start of Year 10, and they can get a bit of knocking around. Personally, we were happy to spend $600 on the basis that it would get three years of hard knocks and then we would assess what we needed at the start of year 10.

        Strictly speaking I haven't even definitively decided to replace the lower spec device yet. I did a clean out and patch of it over the weekend and it's now running pretty sweet again, so I might decide to hold out a bit longer before replacing.

    • brendanm on 21/09/2023 - 17:35
      +2

      In my experience, the school will still help with software/network issues etc if you byod, so this may be a YMMV situation.

      Buying your own device let's you get something that you are happy with, and likely at a better price.

  • scrimshaw on 21/09/2023 - 12:41
    +2

    You should get the Thinkpad as opposed to the Thinkbook. those are mainstream / casual use laptops made to look like their more robust business-grade product lines.

    • How much support will the school provide my child in terms of setting any up any necessary programs?

    They should support your laptop as long as it's running the right operating system (i.e. you should not expect software support for older Microsoft OS's like Windows 10, or S editions of Windows. So make sure you have Win11 pre-loaded).

    Hardware support: you're on your own. They will not touch your laptop if you didn't go with the school's option: if your laptop breaks you'll have to RMA it through Lenovo. note that you can also extend your laptop's warranty, though you should check if you can get cashback for service addons before purchasing.

    • mrvaluepack on 21/09/2023 - 12:51

      Are you saying that the thinkpad is more rugged and able to withstand more physical use vs the thinkbook? Because tech specs wise on paper the thinkbook seems better and cheaper.

      Another concern of mine was that the school's one comes with Win 11 Education vs BYOD Win 11 Pro. Can Win 11 Education be used for personal use after a student leaves the school?

      • scrimshaw on 21/09/2023 - 13:11
        +4

        Windows 11 Education will continue to work perpetually even after graduation

        However, any software that was obtained via schools volume licensing programme (such as MS 365, Dropbox cloud storage, OneDrive, Adobe) will cease to work once your son graduates from school and the licenses are revoked.

        Lenovo Thinkpads have several product line. You'll see that there is an E-series (entry level business, cheap but heavy and thick), L series (mid-range with an emphasis on being "green" and made of recycled materials) and a T and X series (top-of-the line, made of more premium materials and lightweight).

        You should be able to grab a clearance ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 2 for about $1200 although it can be cheaper if you got Education Portal access, however you'll receive no cashback on Education portal purchases. Note that this has a 3 year warranty (instead of the usual 1 year) and it's also more compact (smaller) than the Yoga L14, and it's cheaper to boot. ($1210 versus $1483)

  • battler on 21/09/2023 - 12:41
    +1

    I suggest that a lesser spec laptop would be adequate at a public school versus what is necessary for a private school. Having said that, a decent spec will cover both paths.

    • ESEMCE on 21/09/2023 - 13:28
      +1

      Why?

      • battler on 21/09/2023 - 13:34

        first hand experience. usage of laptop in private school exceeded that in public. YMMV.

        • ESEMCE on 21/09/2023 - 13:43

          Frequency of use?
          or
          Use of software requiring greater performance?

          I can somewhat understand the former, but not the latter and only the latter would require a higher spec.

          Here to learn, not to doubt.

          • battler on 21/09/2023 - 14:13
            +2

            @ESEMCE: I'm not too techie, so I won't get the wording right, but I will wrap it with the word 'intensity'.
            Public student required less up-time (particularly where it required battery), uses Google apps, and generally less tabs are open in browser.
            Private needed longer battery, uses MS365 (cloud+client), and generally more tabs open for additional learning tools.

            • Tardvark on 22/10/2023 - 00:02

              @battler:

              Public student required less up-time (particularly where it required battery), uses Google apps, and generally less tabs are open in browser.

              Doesn't seem accurate, all of the public schools I know of in Queensland use M365, no Google apps.

    • DiscountForThee on 21/09/2023 - 13:55
      +3

      Don't torture your kid with a low spec laptop regardless of what school they go to - that is just cruel :(

      • battler on 21/09/2023 - 13:57
        +1

        agree. hence my word lesser, not low.

      • reactor-au on 22/09/2023 - 08:37
        +1

        This reminds me of my first corporate job almost 2 decades ago, I inherited a POS desktop with 3gb RAM. I had to close visual studio to open SQL etc, worked like that for 6 months before someone left and I got an upgrade.

  • jv on 21/09/2023 - 13:37
    -1

    Just get them a gaming laptop…

    • mrvaluepack on 21/09/2023 - 14:21
      +2

      With external GPU case for extra performance?

      • jv on 21/09/2023 - 14:22
        +2

        dual GPU's

        Can be used for Naplan tests…

        • mrvaluepack on 21/09/2023 - 15:06
          +2

          to mine for answers?

  • birnie on 21/09/2023 - 13:48
    +3

    We got a cheaper 14inch laptop begining last year for yr 7 and it's totally fine…still got it now through yr 8
    I think it $550
    My requirements were,
    14inch so its smaller for luggin around.
    i3 or above, or Ryzen equivelant. (none of the Pentiums or Nxxxx chips
    SSD

    What are they going to do?
    Write a word doco?
    Open a webpage?

    $1500 is really up there!

    • mrvaluepack on 21/09/2023 - 14:05

      Thats what i thought when i saw the requirements and price. Some of the min spec listed:
      i5 or ryzen 5 or apple M1 (no more than 3 years old gen)
      touch screen
      stylus
      8gb ram
      256gb ssd

  • Brianqpr on 21/09/2023 - 13:51
    +1

    I just got refurb macbook airs for around $400-$500 (Renewd was the website, have used them a few times) for my kids. Perfectly fine for all they needed at high school and durable for being carried around every day. My daughter's one lasted 5 years and even survived her being caught in a big rain storm which left it with watermarks on the screen. Someone still came and paid $150 for it recently in spite of that.

    When my daughter started high school they had HP laptops on offer that were not cheap. Before too long it had issues with durability, a lesson learned.

    Just replaced my son's one where the keyboard was finally starting to have issues after a few year's use. Got a 2017 model macbook air in pristine condition with new battery for $379.

    • peteru on 23/09/2023 - 15:53

      Many high schools in our area explicitly tell parents not to send kids to school with a Mac laptop as they won't be able to install some of the software that they need. The odds are that the Mac would probably do 80-90% of what is required, but for the rest, the kid will be out of luck and get no sympathy from anyone.

      Then there are private schools (for parents made of $s) that insist students only use MacBook Pros with M1s or better. Intel based Macs won't cut it there.

      • ultracheapweeabookun on 25/09/2023 - 19:04

        nonono, not only MacBook Pros. Anything with an m1 chip will do. Most Intel-based Macs won't cut it as they are being sunsetted in the near future.

      • Brianqpr on 03/10/2023 - 18:33

        My son goes to a catholic school and they were told that some apps may have issues with macs, but from memory it was only if you were doing graphic design type stuff. He's never had any issues.

        Most laptops schools recommend cost over $1k anyway so an M1 mac is not that much of a stretch from there. Recently got one for my wife brand new for $1,240 I think (10% off deal plus 5% off JB hifi vouchers).

  • scotty on 21/09/2023 - 13:53
    +4

    Both my kids have ThinkPad L-series Yoga when they entered into yr10. Their school had Surface Pro from yr7-9, and BYOD from yr10-12. My kids much prefer the ThinkPad (than Surface Pro). And for $1,500 for L13 Yoga Gen 4, assuming it also comes with 3 year on-site service, is actually not too bad.

    With BYOD, the school should hopefully provide a list of recommended specification. You also don't want to get something that's too heavy (i.e. a 15" laptop), doesn't have enough battery to last the whole day (i.e. a gaming laptop with dGPU) or too fragile for teenage students to carry around (i.e. budget consumer grade laptops). Since ThinkPad Yoga is recommended, touch screen / pen-support might be useful as well. Some people at my kids' school got MacBook Air for BYOD but ended up having to do all the maths with pen & paper because their laptops do not have pen support for their specific maths program.

    If you want to spend less, you might want to check out refurbished ThinkPad L13 Yoga, HP EliteBook X360 or Dell Latitude 2-in-1. You can find cheap 3 year old refurbished ones on eBay — those business laptops are usually fast enough and sturdy enough for school works. You can also find genuine or OEM batteries for those business laptops sometime down the track if their existing batteries are too old and can't hold enough charge.

    • mrvaluepack on 21/09/2023 - 14:10
      +1

      Yes, the school program does come with 3 year warranty but i thought i might save ~$350 and get the slightly better spec thinkbook with the current cashrewards offer. The thinkbook seems to meet or exceed all the specs on paper but only comes with 1 year warranty and no school hardware support.

      Some people at my kids' school got MacBook Air for BYOD but ended up having to do all the maths with pen & paper because their laptops do not have pen support for their specific maths program.

      This is exactly the type of situation I want to try and avoid hence the post to see what the experiences with BYOD are compared to going on the school laptop program :D

      • scotty on 21/09/2023 - 14:24
        +1

        If you are thinking of ThinkBook 14s Gen 3 — yes it would be suitable for high school BYOD but it's not a ThinkPad so might not be as sturdy as a ThinkPad L13. Just have to warn your kids regarding to how they handle the device.

        There's also an option to upgrade to 3 year on-site support. However just like getting an extended warranty — peace of mind but otherwise totally waste of money when nothing goes wrong.

        • mrvaluepack on 21/09/2023 - 15:10

          Yes its that one. Would you happen to know how much sturdier the thinkpad is compared to the thinkbook? It doesnt seem to say if its either waterproof or dustproof or has some sort of protection rating that the other doesn't have.

          • rumblytangara on 22/09/2023 - 13:50
            +1

            @mrvaluepack: I don't think that IP ratings are ever applied to laptops outside things outside industrial/military machines like https://oc.connect.panasonic.com/au/en/toughbook

            You pour Coke on any consumer laptop, and it's toast.

            The Thinkpad is a decades-old sub-brand started by IBM and has a reputation for reliability. Everything else made by Lenovo (Yoga, IdeaPad, Thinkbook) is a more recently invented sub-brand that has less to live up to. I've never come across "Thinkbooks" used in a corporate setting- not saying they're bad, but there just isn't much of a track record out there for them.

            Look at the warranties available for both- if they are comparable then perhaps the build qualities are also comparable.

    • rumblytangara on 21/09/2023 - 20:07

      Some people at my kids' school got MacBook Air for BYOD but ended up having to do all the maths with pen & paper because their laptops do not have pen support for their specific maths program.

      Hadn't thought about this- any idea if just adding a Wacom tablet would work?

      • scotty on 21/09/2023 - 20:12
        +1

        The worksheet is in digital format and the students write/draw solutions on top of the worksheet. Just a Wacom tablet won't be much help. I know some students ended up bringing BOTH a MacBook & an iPad.

        • rumblytangara on 21/09/2023 - 20:19

          Gah, I hate tablets as supposed educational devices. Far as I can tell, they invariably become media and web-browsing machines.

          My kid's getting an old Thinkpad, and once actual usage patterns get established, I'll figure it out from there. Can never have too many old Thinkpads kicking around.

  • Bignudge on 21/09/2023 - 14:15

    What ever it is, make sure it has an SSD opposed to a HDD. At least 8GB of RAM if not more. Decent battery life. Preferably a matte screen so it's less affected by sunlight when using outdoors.

    Most of the time work will be done on the cloud nowadays. Google Docs, Sheets, etc.

    • bargaino on 21/09/2023 - 20:30
      +1

      Preferably a matte screen

      The Yoga are convertible touch-screen devices, so glossy. Matt and touch do not go together, same as walls.

  • jv on 21/09/2023 - 14:24
    +4

    I got my kids refurbs for around $300…

  • racer1234 on 21/09/2023 - 14:47
    +3

    I signed up for the school scheme against all my bargain chasing morals. The benefit is that if something goes wrong they can get a hot swap laptop in a break and have no downtime while theirs is fixed. Also upgrade device in grade 10 is standard in my experience.

    • sam-1966 on 21/09/2023 - 15:33
      +3

      This is exactly what I was coming to say - being able to hot swap when something goes wrong is very helpful.

  • CrispyChrispy on 21/09/2023 - 14:57
    +1

    How much support will the school provide my child in terms of setting any up any necessary programs?

    Shouldn't really need too much aid with setting up programs as most stuff is just done online (ie. Google Classroom, Docs, etc.). More intensive applications like those in the Adobe Suite were done on the school PCs which were powerful enough. YMMV.

    Will my child be excluded from certain classes/applications because of BYOD?

    No.

    If there are any issues connecting to the school network when at school, will the school provide any support to assist my child?

    School internet isn't the most reliable or stable, so yes generally the school's tech guys will help students sign into the WiFi network, diagnose connection issues etc. YMMV.

    Did your child feel and complain to you like they were the odd one out at school for not participating in the school's laptop program?

    No.

  • sumyungguy on 21/09/2023 - 15:07
    +3

    My offspring didn't have a BYOD option. I was initially outraged by the fee for the school-issue notebook, but then greatly valued the on-site support and the included software licences. Whenever there were issues I didn't have to do anything and the school always provided contingencies for breakages and any other device outages (per @racer1234). So you have the luxury of choice. Only if you're a techy person who enjoys wrangling computer hardware & software, go BYOD.

  • CantonasKungFuKick on 21/09/2023 - 15:11

    At least you have a choice, ours has now moved to no BYOD. It's a rip off.

  • sam-1966 on 21/09/2023 - 15:36
    +1

    My daughter was in an i-learn program where they used iPads - the disadvantage was that the rest of the school environment was PC, so they had to get a specific print server (or something) for the iPads.

    If you consider going with Mac, make sure the school environment supports it.

    When she was going into 11 and needed a laptop, I remember a salesman strongly recommending one with a full keyboard because she was doing higher maths.

    • scrimshaw on 21/09/2023 - 16:02
      +2

      A full numerical pad is useful for entering numbers but a stylus (active pen) works just as well, if not better. Microsoft Inking or Pen input allows the user to simply write in math equations straight into a OneNote notebook and the handwriting recognition is very accurate. Pen is also useful for drawing chemistry structures in science subjects.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Ly2ol9seo

      • sam-1966 on 21/09/2023 - 16:59

        Good point - I haven't used one of these, and I must admit, I am talking about a few years ago.

  • WreckTangle on 21/09/2023 - 18:22
    +1

    School devices will include onsite technical support and access to of those expensive software licences. For BYOD devices they will just say to take any problems to a laptop repair business at your cost. Well worth the schools laptop program I reckon.

  • Kelalako on 21/09/2023 - 19:17

    Schools often provide a list of minimum requirements. This list facilitates a straightforward shopping experience for people who want to go with a BYOD device.

    Year 7 and Software Considerations
    For students in Year 7, it's unlikely they'll engage in electives requiring specialized applications incompatible with modern operating systems. Additionally, contemporary web applications, such as Google Docs and Microsoft 365 online, deliver nearly the same functionality as their desktop counterparts. Reading other comments on this post though. Touch screen, and Stylus capabilities do seem more important in class these days.

    Don't have a kid but general opinions on IT:

    How much support will the school provide my child in terms of setting up any necessary programs?
    - Private/Public School differs. Larger the Public School, more likely they have Full-time IT Staff to assist with the random queries that Teachers can't resolve.

    Will my child be excluded from certain classes/applications because of BYOD?
    - Unless your Device doesn't meet the requirements listed, they shouldn't be excluded. The only time I see this would be with an Apple Laptop, which requires a touchscreen to write on Whiteboard Collaboration-like Applications. (They can still use the app, write with a mouse, or contribute to the whiteboard via type, again reading comments on this post. Looks like maths class use this functionality!)

    If there are any issues connecting to the school network when at school, will the school provide any support to assist my child?
    - School networks are enterprise-level networks that cater to modern network chipsets and operating systems. If turning it off and on again doesn't fix it, there are bigger issues at play. However, School IT is there to help, and it's easier for them to troubleshoot similar devices.

    Did your child feel and complain to you like they were the odd one out at school for not participating in the school's laptop program?
    Unless OZb are the rest of the parents making this decision, we can say. Safe bet is just to go with the school option because they offer standardized repair options…

    Post personal Recommendations
    I was originally going to recommend a used M1 Macbook Air 2020 that go for around 500-800 used, 1200 brand new because of battery life, and just general usability for a kid. BUT After reading touchscreen comments, and doing abit more research. The education game has really changed!

    ThinkPad: Hybrid Tablet laptop 360 screen rotation, and stylus improved screen (look closely at the pictures, there is a slot on the right corner that fits the stylus pen, really nice design :)).
    ThinkBook: Laptop with a touch screen. 90 degree screen, cant really use a stylus, drawing with your finger is funny, but doable

    What the school is offering is the latest mid tier yoga thinkpad device which they are future readying for 3 years of use, where in grade 11 and 12 you can still use or upgrade…(think of these devices as the latest Iphone 15, you can technically use a Iphone 12 in today environment no issues.. but are you going to want you kid using a iphone 12 tech, in 3 years time when the iPhone 18 is out when theyre in year 10?)

    Here are some older models with the same functionality were you can upgrade in the future if they dont suffice. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G4 2019/20 $1099 or a X13 Yoga $1295 Ive used both x1 yoga 15" to the x13 yoga which is a 13". 2 inches of screen difference makes a huge difference. but the extra size in form factor might not be the best for lugging around that year 7 school bag. I was actually using that x1 15 yoga a 2016 version up until the battery died in 2021. so You can also buy ex business used for cheap half the price, but the wear and tear might be embarrassing to a year 7 kid whos peers have got the shiniest version :P. Might be worth it in the long run for you and your kid just to go with the Schools Program.

  • AustriaBargain on 21/09/2023 - 19:33
    +1

    Just get the school one. Kids don't really care about laptops these days anyway. Bump into so many kids who don't even have a computer and just use their phone and iPads for everything. So the school one with the free support should be the best bet. If they want a gaming computer or something capable of Pro Tools or whatever else, well Year 7 is old enough to work at Maccas isn't it?

    • mrvaluepack on 21/09/2023 - 21:34

      My kid doesnt care. Its me the parent that cares on whether to save on warranty and insurance or not lol.

      • AustriaBargain on 21/09/2023 - 23:07
        +1

        If you're unemployed and have the time to be the 24/7 tech support for the laptop, then it might make sense to buy your own instead of using the school recommended/supported one.

  • rumblytangara on 21/09/2023 - 19:47
    +1

    School Laptop program: Lenovo Thinkpad L13 Gen4 Yoga

    I Googled that and came up with:

    AMD Ryzen™ 5 PRO 7530U Processor (2.00 GHz up to 4.50 GHz)
    16 GB DDR4-3200MHz (Soldered)
    512 GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe Gen4 TLC Opal
    6 core / 12 threads

    $1500 laptop for a Year 7 student, this is simply… idiotic. Especially as it is one of those flip-tablet designs and great for totally destroying by accident.

    My kid is going to be facing the same. He's getting a cheap secondhand laptop for the first couple years and I am wondering how long it is before he shatters the screen or forgets it and leaves it on the bus.

    When he hits a year where he can make use of a high spec machine then I'll look at something else. But not for the first couple years high school, when as far as I can tell, most kids don't even know how to type properly.

    One upside of Thinkpad is that you can buy additional breakage insurance over the 3 year onsite warranty. That would be worth checking out if it's available in Oz.

    Edit: What kind of school suggests a 1.5K laptop for year 7 students- is this a private school?

    [I'm in tech… I am just astounded by how stupid this recommendation is, unless it's in an environment where nobody gives a toss about the money, which might be the case with a 30K per year private school]

    • mrvaluepack on 21/09/2023 - 20:08

      Spec list from the email is a bit different to the lenovo website:

      13.3" Touch Screen (1920x1200)
       Intel Core i5-1335U
       16GB DDR5
       256GB SSD
       Intel Iris Xe Graphics
       Up to 10 Hours battery life
       1.32KG
       Garaged Active Pen
       Front and Rear Facing Camera
       3 Year onsite warranty (1 year on battery)
       Lenovo 3 Year Accidental Damage Protection - $100 excess

    • sumyungguy on 21/09/2023 - 20:21

      In my experience the $1,500 covered notebook, carry case, insurance, software licenses, on-site support and generational hardware replacement/upgrade. If you have any issues they'll give you a loaner while they re-image your notebook. Imagine a BYOD student during a hectic period having their notebook fail and parents having to source a replacement like yesterday.

      • mrvaluepack on 21/09/2023 - 20:28

        i have spare decent laptops sitting around my house. is the loan laptop they provide going to be anything special/different? all student files are now on cloud system arent they

        • sumyungguy on 21/09/2023 - 20:34

          Sorry, my response was to the post above asserting that going with the school's programme is a stupid recommendation. You seem like a computer savvy person so I can see that you'd prefer BYOD as I would had the option been available. But in my case it meant school tech was a school thing and I was able to allocate my time to home computers. I did acquire docking stations with displays and keyboards to optimise the ergonomics of the school notebooks when being used at home.

          • rumblytangara on 21/09/2023 - 20:38

            @sumyungguy: It's not a stupid recommendation not for reasons of support/warranty. It's a stupid recommendation because they are vastly overspeccing hardware for kids who are 12 years old and likely to destroy them anyway before they can start pushing the limits of that hardware.

            I can get where the school is coming from, they just want to keep things simple and choose one model applicable across the entire student body, not cater to 12 year olds vs 17 year olds.

            But keep in mind the name of this forum. It's just baffling to me that handing a $1.5K laptop to a 12 year old as he waddles off to the bus stop is considered a reasonable idea. There's no 'bargain' here.

            I'm going into this on the assumption that my kid will have a basic machine for the first 3 or so years. Once he hits a stage where he is doing complex 3D modelling or video editing, that's simply time for a new machine (or more likely, he will be doing this on a desktop at home).

            • sumyungguy on 21/09/2023 - 20:45

              @rumblytangara: I know of (private) schools that are doing 1-1 notebooks from as early as year 3. They upgrade the devices along the way to adapt to the needs of the students. They don't all get the same device. My offspring had heavy tablet/hybrids for a few years but then got ultralight notebooks for years 11 & 12. Also, as an IT guy you'll know why corporates don't allow employees to BYOD computer hardware. Some well-resourced schools take the same view.

              • rumblytangara on 21/09/2023 - 21:39

                @sumyungguy: I'd be dead set against the idea of a primary school trying to mandate laptops for kids in year 3.

                I'm old and cynical, and would view such an exercise as a PR activity aimed at the parents more than a serious and research backed pedagogical strategy. I did a private school tour overseas when looking for my kids, and their lab of gleaming Macs was an actual turn off for me.

                Kids in year 3 here (in the NSW system at least) don't even tackle order of arithmetic operations, they certainly don't need laptops.

                Also, as an IT guy you'll know why corporates don't allow employees to BYOD computer hardware. Some well-resourced schools take the same view.

                Yeah, DLP would be the big one, and because businesses are for-profit enterprises where the cost of computing equipment is depreciated over there years and offset against taxes. Schools are quite different, and I would hope that high tech gadgets are not the primary tools required for effective learning.

        • bargaino on 21/09/2023 - 20:38
          +1

          all student files are now on cloud system arent they

          Yes. If my kids forget their laptop, or other problem, they just borrow one from the school and sign in to their school microsoft account. It's all cloud, so easy.

          When my son broke his school-sanctioned Lenovo 2-in-1, he just borrowed my old laptop (good enough) while we waited for a refurb Dell Latitude 7390. Much tougher, and no tears from me if it breaks.

      • rumblytangara on 21/09/2023 - 20:29
        +1

        What software licenses do they need for high school? Serious question here as this is I'll be facing shortly.

        If I was going to buy a school one, I'd get the extra $100 for accidental breakage, that's the big risk for a high school machine. I think my kid's school options don't have a bundled computer though, so it's not an issue.

        What I'm probably going to do is just buy a secondhand Thinkpad as his primary. We already have spares at home in case it breaks. And frankly I don't want anyone except me laying down an OS on a machine that comes into my house.

        • scotty on 21/09/2023 - 20:37
          +2

          What software licenses do they need for high school?

          When my daughter finished high school last year she really missed her "free" Adobe suite that the school tech installed on her BYOD — she mainly used Photoshop & Illustrator.

          I showed her how much the licence subscription cost, and told her she to better get used to Gimp & Inkscape…

          • peteru on 23/09/2023 - 16:09

            @scotty: Add DaVinci Resolve, Blender and Krita to that list and you never have to give another $ to Adobe.

        • sumyungguy on 21/09/2023 - 20:39
          +1

          Depends on the school. In my case they used a school/curriculum management package that delivered the entire classroom experience online. I'm not sure what the BYOD schools are doing.

  • Ashless on 22/09/2023 - 09:14
    +1

    I bought a 13 inch dell latitude (with 4 year extended Wty) for my daughter when she started Year 7. Was around $1100 as was a "last gen" model. The next year her bag (with said laptop inside) was runover by a car. (don't ask…).
    Replaced the broken latitude with a refurbished latitude (same model + touch screen) for $350 with 3mths wty. No issues and going strong. Less anxiety now if it breaks, gets lost etc etc.

    • birnie on 22/09/2023 - 09:53

      Absolutley !
      That was my concern too, if something was to happen.
      Kids dont care about anything. I'm surprised 1 laptop made a complete yr, and now nearly 2!

      I know peope bring up "Onsite Support" a fair bit.
      I wonder what that really gets you.
      I cant see anyone coming onsite that quickly, if they do at all.
      Maybe an online chat, maybe even with a human.

      Anyone had experience with this ?

      • Ashless on 22/09/2023 - 10:06
        +1

        Onsite support = Teacher
        Offsite support = You!

      • rumblytangara on 22/09/2023 - 10:07

        Onsite means they come to you for repairs instead of you having to go to their repair centre.

        I've used it, I have friends who've used it. All overseas. They'll come within a week and replace parts. If they can't repair onsite, they'll take it back to base and repair, then return it to you.

        Basically, it saves you the hassle of travelling. But there are no time guarantees. I imagine that with a school, they'll just have spares that they can hand over immediately as the students would be churning through machines.

    • rumblytangara on 22/09/2023 - 09:57
      +1

      This is exactly the reason why I think that 1.5K laptops are a bad idea for Year 7 students.

      I remember high school- we literally threw our bags across hallways.

  • jacross on 22/09/2023 - 10:32

    Well now I've learned that kids need to buy a computer for school.

    Dont you just…get given one? Wouldn't it be core part of funding if it's mandatory?

    What do poor kids do?

    Edit - oh it's different in the ACT. Everyone gets a Chrome book. Whatever that is…

    • rumblytangara on 22/09/2023 - 10:51

      Edit - oh it's different in the ACT. Everyone gets a Chrome book. Whatever that is…

      A chromebook is usually a PoS excuse for a computer for poor kids. Maybe that's why everyone gets one free. No storage space, needs constant internet connectivity, usually made of extra-cheap parts for screen, keyboard and touchpad.

      I don't know a single person in tech who has a Chromebook as a regular-use laptop. Everyone in my circle has tried one or more, and then just ditched them.

      You can get high end Chromebooks, by which time you may as well just by a proper laptop.

      As a comparison, I gave my kid a Raspberry Pi taped to the back of a monitor, as his first machine rather than saddle him with a Chromebook.

      If the entire ACT has rolled out Chromebooks across all schools, someone in their department of education is getting a sweet, sweet kickback.

    • scrimshaw on 22/09/2023 - 10:59
      +1

      Some schools will provide students with laptops (Not for free though: the cost of the laptop is factored into the school fees). They'll employ a handful of staff on campus to help provide tech support as well as some basic repair services. The school I used to work at however has fired all the IT support staff and transitioned to a BYOD model — mostly because they don't want to pay the $200~300k yearly salaries to keep all the staff employed.

      For BYOD the school provides you the software you need but not the laptop, so the onus is on the parent to find a suitable device that meets the software requirements.

      For ones living in poverty they'll have to rely on charity programs like https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/digital-learning-essential… or resort to using loan laptops provided by their school.

  • peteru on 23/09/2023 - 16:51
    +1

    For NSW public school year 7 and 8 students, the criteria can be simplified to:

    • At least 1920x1080 screen resolution. Students have to use software that will not behave well on 1024x768 screens. This includes the locked down browser used for NAPLAN tests.

    • Decent battery life. Charge overnight and then operate the laptop continuously for the next 8+ hours, without charge. Make sure that's actual real-world usage - not one of those "battery life tests" where they just play a YouTube video clip on a dimmed screen.

    • Compact & light weight, but sturdy. If your kid catches public transport or has to walk a reasonable distance, every 200g will feel like a couple of kg at the end of a long day. They'll also need to fit it into a bag, together with books, pencil case, lunch box, water bottle, jumper and maybe even a change of clothes for sports. We have a laptop that has a machined aluminium case, rather than plastic. That was a great choice!

    • Have enough grunt to run Minecraft Education edition. As long as you can get 15+fps with all the quality settings turned to low, it will be fine. A recent quad core Celeron with integrated graphics can do that with fairly low power consumption.

    Spec wise, it is a good idea to go low end for the first few years of high school and to regularly talk to your kid about what kind of work they do on the computer and how well it works. Our kid wants a school laptop upgrade for Christmas, but other than a few dodgy keys on the keyboard, there is no evidence of a good reason to replace the system. I'd much rather fix the keyboard so the cheap laptop can continue going to school AND get an additional video editing/gaming system for home use.

    • furyou on 20/10/2023 - 23:51

      Compact & light weight, but sturdy

      How can this exist? Small laptops are more fragile. And more expensive.

      And how do you deal with kids Stealing each other's laptops or hiding them for fun? Is very worrying

  • ultracheapweeabookun on 25/09/2023 - 20:39
    +1

    As someone who's been forced into the school laptop program and works in IT support in a school environment, here's my take:

    Annoying situation: You've set up an admin account on Windows/Mac and have given your child a standard account, and the child doesn't know the password to the admin account. (I'll be referring to this a lot.)

    • How much support will the school provide my child in terms of setting up any necessary programs?

    IT staff will assist or do it for you unless you pull an Annoying situation; thus, they cannot install necessary programs when asked.

    • Will my child be excluded from certain classes/applications because of BYOD?

    No, they won't unless you pull an Annoying situation; thus, IT staff cannot install the programs necessary for certain classes if asked.

    • If there are any issues connecting to the school network when at school, will the school provide any support to assist my child?

    Yes, they will unless you pull an Annoying situation. Depending on the school's network (as some need to be enrolled or need to install certificates), they may be able to assist without admin perms, but in my school, I can't, as devices need to be enrolled with an application to install a certificate before having access to the network.

    • Did your child feel and complain to you like they were the odd one out at school for not participating in the school's laptop program?

    I was forced and didn't want to, as they gave us a 2015 Mac Air 11' i5 8gb 128gb SSD. 3 years later, the battery was dying quickly, so I got a Chromebook and used it for about 9 months before swiftly going back to my Mac because it was overheating. Then I got mad because of the Mac's battery life and bought a gaming laptop.

    No one cared when I got a Chromebook, and no one cared when I got a gaming laptop. So the only reason your child would complain is Annoying situation happened and they're annoyed, or you gave them an inferior device (because it's one gen older) to their peers and is now jealous.

  • hubs1982 on 25/09/2023 - 21:52

    I am in the exact same situation (have a funny feeling that kids may be going to the same school…).

    Leaning towards the school's laptop program to have one less thing to worry about.

    Got given 2 options

    a. $1503 for one with Intel Core i5-1335U - 10 Cores, 2 up to 4.6GHz; or

    b. $1978 for one with Intel Core i7-1355U - 10 Cores, 2 up to 5GHz

    All other specs are identical.

    In terms of warranty, "3 Year Onsite Warranty - 1 Year on Battery" is included, whilst "3 Year Onsite Warranty - 3 Year on Battery" would be $36 extra.

    Would a 12 year old need the i7 (extra $475), or would the i5 be sufficient? And is it normal for batteries to die during the 2nd and 3rd year?

    Any advice would be much appreciated.

    • scotty on 26/09/2023 - 09:34

      i7 definitely gives them an edge in Fortnite or Minecraft sessions during recess. Seriously most computers are "fast enough" these days. My daughter had a ThinkPad L390 Yoga with i5-8250U when she was in year 10, and she is still using it now while studying computer engineering at uni.

      • hubs1982 on 26/09/2023 - 12:59

        Cheers, will go for the i5.

    • birnie on 26/09/2023 - 09:54

      IMO

      No to the i7.
      Yes for the $36 battery.

      Maybe it'll hold a few hours at the end of 3 years, but that wont be good enough.
      Is there fine print around that battery warranty ?

      • hubs1982 on 26/09/2023 - 13:01

        Cheers, will for the the i5. Can't find the T&Cs for the battery warranty from the ordering page, probably something that be sent after payment…

  • Sunny10 on 03/01/2024 - 21:47

    Hi just curious, which one u end up buying with? Thanks

    • mrvaluepack on 03/01/2024 - 22:30

      Lenovo Thinkbook L14 Yoga Gen 3 w/ Cashrewards, Saved ~$350+ and got rewarded enough lenovo points to get some free stuff from their online store but only 1 year warranty.

      When compared to my previous business work laptops that I've used in the past, it seems pretty well built.

      But I'm honestly still wondering why the hell did the school specify touchscreen and stylus as a requirement. I'll be pretty pissed off if I find out that the most demanding task is to run minecraft education.

      • Sunny10 on 05/01/2024 - 22:31

        Lenovo website saying product not available.

        • mrvaluepack on 06/01/2024 - 00:10

          Maybe Gen 4 coming out soon lol…

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