BYOD hardware and software requirements

Devices

Acceptable:

• Netbooks and Chromebooks
• Laptops (Windows or Mac)

Not acceptable

• 6” screens and less i.e. smartphones, iPod
• PSP or other gaming devices
• Kindle
• iPad & Android Tablets

Our recommended supplier for devices is Learning with Technologies.

We have a school portal set up for shopping through LWT.

Link to LWT store

You are welcome to purchase a device from any seller you are comfortable purchasing from.



Recommended Specs:

Operating System: Windows 10 or 11 or macOS
Processor: Intel: i5 recommended or higher / AMD: Ryzen 5 recommended or higher
Memory: 8 GB Ram Recommended (16GB is great)
Screen Size: 12.5" or larger
Hard Drive: Min. 256 GB SSD (Solid State Drive)
Keyboard: Must have a tactile (physical) keyboard
Weight: Required - light and easy to carry. Slim enough to be carried in a school bag.
Ports:

• Minimum 2x USB (3.0) Ports, Headphone/Audio Jack
• Battery: Min. 6 Hours Battery Life

Other Notes:

• A solid and robust business grade model to withstand daily student grind
• Hard and/or well-padded protective case (shell)
• Student’s user account must be an administrator
• Laptop's must be fully charged before arriving to school

Required software

Approved operating systems

• Windows 11 or 10
• OSX 10.6 or later (Apple)
• Android Jelly Bean (4.1) or later – all versions (Android tablets)

Applications

Web browser

• Google Chrome is the default and supported browser at school. It is a free download and should be installed. However, keep the browser that came with your device as a back up.
• From 2017 the school is moving toward the use of Google products which work in a web browser and are free.
• DO NOT purchase Microsoft Office or subscribe to Microsoft 365. However, keep any productivity software that came with your device.

VCE Visual Communication and Design

Students are provided with a licenced copy of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to use while they are students at this school, but require a suitable laptop computer with 5GB RAM, i5 processor chip and 20GB free space. A large screen is recommended.

Important notes

• WiFi Internet access provided at school
• All laptops should be capable of eight hours use after a full charge
• Consider insuring against theft and damage
• DEECD does not hold insurance for personal property brought to school and has no capacity to pay for such a loss
• Rochester Secondary College accepts no responsibility for damage, loss or repair of these devices
• If you are unsure if the device you are considering meets the guidelines, please ask for advice before purchasing

CHOOSING A BYOD COMPUTER

The device is primarily for your school work, so in deciding which is best for you consider

• How you will use your computer. If it will be used mainly as a content access device (i.e. surfing the Internet and typing up short notes) a tablet computer or netbook may be suitable. If you think you will be using it as a content creation device (making movies, graphic design with Adobe suite products) then a computer with more processing power and a larger screen would be more suitable.
• How much your family can afford.

What you choose will possibly be a compromise between the two above factors.

You own the device, so you can also use it for games, listening to music and watching movies at home.

Students studying VCE Visual Communication and Design are provided with a licenced copy of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to use while they are students at the school, but will need a suitable laptop computer to run it.