When purchasing a device, it's important to consider the 'total cost of ownership,' which includes warranty, technical support, and hardware quality that will impact the laptop's lifespan. The least expensive option may not always be the best choice in the long run. Please note that the school is not responsible for any laptop purchases or financing arrangements. Any issues related to laptop purchases or technical support should be addressed directly with the vendor or supplier.
Device Specifications Guide
| Minimum |
Highly Recommended |
Premium Options |
Processor:
(Models not allowed: Snapdragon, Celeron, N100,N200, Athlon, MTK, Pentium) | AMD Ryzen (5000 series, 7000 series or 8000 series) Intel i3 or i5 or i7 (12th gen or higher) Intel N305 | AMD Ryzen (5000 series, 7000 series or 8000 series) Intel i3 or i5 or i7 (12th gen or higher) | AMD Ryzen 5 (5000 series, 7000 series or 8000 series) AMD Ryzen 7 (5000 series, 7000 series or 8000 series) Intel i5 (12th gen or higher) Intel i7 (12th gen or higher) |
Memory: | 8GB | 16GB |
|
Battery Life: | 6 Hours advertised | 7 Hours advertised or higher | 10 Hours advertised |
Storage
(Not Allowed: eMMC, Mechanical) | 128GB | 256GB | 512GB |
Resolution: | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
|
Screen Size: | 12" | 13"-15" (Pick a size that suits your child)
|
|
Operating System: | Windows 11
| Windows 11
|
|
Wireless: | Wi-Fi 5 (5Ghz 802.11ac) or WIFI 6 (5Ghz 802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 5 (5Ghz 802.11ac) or WIFI 6 (5Ghz 802.11ax) |
|
Other: | Webcam | Webcam | Touch Screen, Stylus, 1-1.5KG weight.
|
Accessories: | Headset with microphone Protective Sleeve/Case
| Headset with microphone Protective Sleeve/Case |
|
The school system is not compatible with:
Chromebook | iPads | Apple Macs |
Mobile Phones | Linux | SnapDragon Processors (Any Arm Processors) |
Where to buy
There are two ways to purchase your Windows 11 laptop
Option 1: A physical or online retailer
Option 2: A BYOD Portal
BYOD Portal
JB Hi-Fi are currently offering a selection of laptops that meet the schools recommended requirements.
These devices are premium priced devices for those who want a fancier device, specailised BYOD support from your place of purchase as well as offering extended warranty and accidental damage protection, all from one place.
If you are on a budget or would like to buy a device on sale, we don't recommend the BYOD portal.
The BYOD Portal link is https://byod.jbhifi.education/
School Code: MITCHELTONBYOD2025
Safety Warning:
There are some online shops that import special low cost brands directly from overseas where these brand name are not sold in retail stores. Its highly recommended that you do not buy these imported unknown brands as other schools have reported potential fire hazards with their devices. All your typical brands found in physical retail stores should be fine to purchase as well as from their online stores as these devices are approved for use in Australia. If you are unsure about your brand, please contact BYODSupport@mitcheltonss.eq.edu.au
Buying tips:
- Gaming Laptops often have separate/discrete graphics cards which often cause the battery life to be under the 6 hour minimum as well as increasing weight unnecessarily. If you want to buy a laptop with a graphics card, please email BYODSupport@mitcheltonss.eq.edu.au first to ensure it has necessary battery life and to make sure this purchase is required. One way to identify Gaming Laptops is that they will be branded with Nvidia or RTX.
- The 128GB minimum requirement for storage is based on the laptop only being used for school purposes. If you plan to use it for personal gaming, high school, install additional software or store any non school files on the device please ensure you have additional storage.
- If you are planning to use an existing laptop or buying a second hand or refurbished laptop, its recommended you contact BYODSupport@mitcheltonss.eq.edu.au first as it can be hard to identify which older devices meet the minimum requirements.
- The weight of the laptop should be calculated without the packaging or the charger as the student will only be transporting the laptop itself.
- Do not buy antivirus with your computer as many are not compatible with the department and you will may be required to uninstall it and revert to the recommended antivirus which is the built in Windows antivirus prior to your BYOD setup.
- Do not purchase Microsoft Office, its included free with your students Microsoft account.
The school is not able tell you which device to buy, however we can tell you if a particular device meets our minimum requirements or recommended requirements.
Insurance/Warranty/Accidental Damage Protection:
Parents should consider the following:
- A warranty that covers device faults for the 3 years the device will be used at school.
- Accidental damage protection to cover incidents like screen damage, which can be very costly without insurance.
- Coverage for theft at home , during transit to school and at school.
We encourage parents to discuss these options with their retailers and home insurance companies to find the best solution.
For all questions about buying a device, please contact the School Technical Officer at BYODSupport@mitcheltonss.eq.edu.au