Browns Plains State High School provides both minimum and recommended hardware requirements for BYOD in the Device Specifications (PDF, 132 KB) document. Do not purchase Chromebook or Android devices as they are not supported on Schools BYOD network.
We recommend students have a device for about a three-year life cycle:
- Years 7-9 – reliable, general device in junior school
- Year 10-12 – more powerful device in senior school (check subject specific requirements)
The following devices are not supported:
- Phones (any type)
- Chromebook
- Android
Note for Apple Mac computers
Apple Mac Computers are NOT the best purchasing choice for our BYOD program as sometimes there are compatibility issues with our network and our technicians do not have the background knowledge to support them. The majority of our teachers also only use Windows based machines and therefore, their problem solving capability with a Mac device is limited. However, if you have recently purchased a MacBook and the student is a competent Mac user – we'll do our best to connect the device to our Microsoft Network.
Device battery life
One of the best features to look out for in a device is all-day battery life. Device manufacturers use unrealistic settings to determine battery life (e.g. Video playback, no WiFi, lowest screen brightness). Real world use will drain your device’s battery much faster. For further information about this please read the following article https://computercures.com.au/laptop-battery-life/
Batteries also lose their capacity over time so a device with less than 10 hours advertised battery may not last a full day after a year or two of daily use.
Students need to charge their laptop at home daily, and use it appropriately, to last the full school day. Students can bring a device charger with them to school and use the charging stations in the iCentre to charge their device, if necessary.
We highly recommend choosing a device with 10+ hours of battery life.
Accidental Damage Protection (ADP)
During a student’s high school career, their device is almost certainly going to receive damage in some form.
It happens commonly and is inevitable as students set up and pack down their devices several times each day, travel to and from school (sometimes while raining), play at break time, and generally use their belongings with a little more force / less consideration than an adult otherwise would.
Even the most cautious student can experience a device accidentally knocked off a desk or a bag stepped on in haste, and there is not always someone to blame, or to pay, for any repairs.
For this reason, the school always recommends ADP is added to your purchase of a new device, or taking out insurance if the device is pre-owned.