Laptop Hardware and Software

What type of laptop will students be issued with?

The College has chosen to use the Apple Macintosh platform throughout the school. The chosen laptop is the white MacBook. The laptop uses the powerful Intel processor, 2 Gb of memory, large hard drive and DVD/CD drive.

The MacBook comes with a range of built-in teaching and learning tools designed to make teaching and learning easier and more engaging. Each MacBook comes with a built in video camera, microphone and the latest N standard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networking. The MacBook works effortlessly with most printers, cameras and other peripherals.

The MacBook was designed for education and has some features, not readily available from other manufacturers, that make them durable and suited for the rough and tumble of school life. Some of the features that make the MacBook extremely durable include: no delicate trays in its slot-loading DVD drives, no mechanical latches to break, just a magnet, MagSafe power adapter that quickly releases from the computer if tripped on and a Sudden Motion Sensor that works to protect the hard drive should a Mac notebook ever be dropped.

What Software applications will be installed ?

The MacBook uses the powerful and secure Unix operating system. This protects the laptop from the bugs and viruses that commonly affect other laptops. The MacBook comes pre-loaded with a system image developed by the College which includes a range of powerful software applications including Mail, the Safari Web Browser, iTunes and the iLife and iWork software suites. The iLife suite includes popular iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb and Garageband applications. The iWork suite include the Pages word processing and desk-top publishing program, Keynote presentation application and Numbers spreadsheet software. Industry standard applications such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Powerpoint are included.

The College will also license and install powerful productivity and design software for students to use, including the popular Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver, Acrobat Pro and In Design), FileMaker Pro, Inspiration and a typing tutor. Other specialist software applications will be able to be loaded onto laptops as required. Normal educational pricing for the Adobe application alone is over $500.