As part of a modern education that incorporates technology into classrooms, students are required to bring a laptop to school. The laptop can be sourced independently or through our recommended reseller following the eCommerce link below.

Due to the many advantages outlined in 2022 BYOD - Parent Information it is recommended that parents purchase laptops through our reseller, DELL for our popular device options, and CompNow for Apple Mac devices. We have put together a Procuring and Setup Guide for how to prepare your child's device for the beginning of the school year. In Term 4 we will notify our community of appointments available with our school technicians to assist in device setup.

St Mary's & DELL - BYOD Portal

Potential wait times for delivery of devices made through the DELL BYOD Portal has resulted in advising our community to order prior to August 31st, 2021. This to ensure arrival of the device for the beginning of the 2022 School Year.

‘Parts availability continues to push out end user device delivery dates across a large and growing number of device manufacturers. According to parts supply analysts, device order deliveries will be particularly challenging during second half of 2021. On balance, if you are in a position to do so ordering prior to August 31st 2021 would advisable.’ - DELL

St. Mary's & CompNOW - BYOD Portal - for Apple Mac products

CompNow has current stock, so you could consider deferring your purchase of the device to later in the year for Apple products, however this advice is given with caution as stocks may not last.

‘Apple’s current position in terms of stock availability is good. Our St Mary’s portal has been updated with our new low pricing for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models with AppleCare +.' - CompNow

Looking elsewhere?

To support you in your negotiations with individual businesses we have provided the minimum specifications for our Student Computer Devices, as well as a brief infographic that can assist you in engaging with the finer details of device specifications.

Click here to download the flyer

For details regarding how to enroll your device into the College Device Management Platform, please follow this link: Device Management Platform

To install the printers on your Windows device, please follow this link: Mobility Print (Windows)

Please direct any technical questions to Nick Purvis or Nathan Elsum .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Should we purchase a Dell or Apple device?

Feedback from students is that they appreciate the touch accessibility of the Dell devices. It's important to remember that both brands have the same device specifications, and similar purchasing costs. The main difference (apart from the touch screen option with Dell) is around the Accidental Damage Protection and repair costs and servicing. Please refer to the section titled Accidental Damage Protection (Online Portal Purchases Only) in the BYOD - Parent Information Guide for a clear breakdown of this service.

Should we spend more for the higher spec device?

This is entirely your families decision. We have identified the minimum specifications required for students to successfully and consistently access resources required within all Curriculum areas as well as NAPLAN online.
Recommended Minimum Device Specifications: i5/16Gb/256SSD - i5 (IntelCore5 Processor)/ 16Gb (Memory, how many apps and windows we can run at the same time) / 256SSD (amount of local storage on the device)

Can I purchase elsewhere?

Yes. However, we have identified significant benefits through our Dell and CompNow partnerships that are not available through retailers, the quality of service and turnaround time on repairs is far superior than that of retail outlets. In addition the devices that are offered are robust and durable, the school is resourced to offer support with these devices. If you decide to purchase elsewhere we do ask that you ensure the device meets our minimum device specifications i5/16Gb/256SSD. Be sure to inquire about warranty claim turn around times as the device is often sent interstate for repair.

If purchasing elsewhere do I need to buy any software?

Particularly towards the end of the year we start to see retail outlets bundle educational device deals commonly known as "Back To School" specials. With this it is common for families to be 'upsold' certain software additions such as anti-virus and/or the Microsoft Office Suite. St Mary's in accordance with Catholic Education Services have secure network filters to protect devices while at school. Windows defender comes pre-installed on Windows based devices (at no extra cost) and is a good screen for malware concerns. We would recommend investing in your home wireless management as opposed to individual anti-virus device software.

We provide all students with the Microsoft Office Suite free of charge. Even better, every student can access 5 copies of the whole suite, meaning they can install the Microsoft Office Suite on a desktop computer at home, their school laptop and an additional 3 devices. Any subject specific software will be provided by the College at no extra to the family.