HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
Greater Houlton Christian Academy has decided not to require a specific brand, make or model of laptop to be purchased for use as part of our Laptop Initiative. We recongize that many students already own laptops, and since the requirement of purchasing and maintain the laptop falls upon the family, we want to be as flexible as possible in what hardware and software we'll allow at GHCA. However, there are some minimum requirements that will need to be met in order for your laptop to function properly with our wireless network. These requirements include:
- A modern operating system - Linux, Mac OS X, or Windows XP (or higher). We cannot support older operating systems such as Windows 98.
- A good battery - one of the most important requirements is that your laptop have a decent battery capable of supplying power for 2 or more hours before recharging. The battery can also wear out over time, so see "shopping tips" below for some advice on how to get the best battery.
- WiFi (wireless) networking - your laptop must have wireless Internet capabilities. Most new laptops have this built in, and external USB and PCMCIA adapters exist for those that do not. Specifically, the laptop must have either 802.11b or 802.11g wireless mode. It must also support WPA encryption. See "shopping tips" below regarding wireless.
- Internet Explorer 7+ or Mozilla Firefox web browser - older browsers such as IE 6 have security flaws and thus will not be allowed on our network. Both of these browsers are available for free.
- Antivirus / Antispyware - for the protection of the GHCA network and other laptops on the WLAN (wireless local area network), Windows-based computers must have this security software installed and running. If you do not own such software, GHCA can install this software for you for a small fee.
- Auto Updates - Most operating systems have an auto update feature that allows the OS to be patched with the latest security fixes. This software must be enabled and the latest patches installed. GHCA can do this for you as part of your initial setup (see below).
- Microsoft Office, Openoffice.org, or equiv. - you will need a modern office suite to write papers, create spreadsheets, and make presentations. Openoffice.org is FREE! Our system administrator can install this for you for a small fee if you are unable to do so yourself.
- A GMail account - GHCA currently uses Google Apps for our staff, so we are requesting all students to sign up for a free Google Mail (GMail) account at http://www.gmail.com. This will also give you access to Google Docs, a free online word processor, calendar, and other tools. You may keep your other email addresses, but GHCA will use your GMail account to exchange important information with you.
SHOPPING TIPS FROM MR. SURRAN
When shopping for a laptop, there are some specific things you should be looking for. First, if you think you have found a laptop you like, go read a review about it. In fact, read two! I recommend searching for the laptop on Amazon.com. Even if you do not buy it from Amazon, you can still read the user reviews. Most are written by real people, and if a laptop only has 2 stars out of 5, then you best keep on shopping.
Once you find a laptop that has a good review, look specifically at two of the specs - wireless distance and battery life. These two things are more important than speed, memory, or even screen size. If a laptop has lousy wireless range, it may have a hard time sending a signal through the walls at GHCA. If the battery life is poor, then your child risks having his / her laptop die in the middle of class!
Also consider weight. Carrying a laptop around all day can become burdensome if it has much weight. That's why I like the Asus Eee PC - it's light and the size of a small Bible! Very portable and comfortable to hold. Also consider how sturdy the laptop is. Nobody wants to see a student drop their laptop, but if they do, a lighter, smaller laptop has a better chance of surviving than a large, heavy laptop (inertia).
Not everyone will agree with me, but you may want to stay away from Windows Vista. At the very least, do some research on Vista, especially running on laptops. Google it! I know a few who love Vista, but the experts in my industry are very down on it. You can still get laptops with Windows XP on them if you shop around. Of course, you can always get Linux on a laptop and save money! UPDATE - with service packs, Vista is improving. However, you'll still need "heavy duty" hardware for a smooth experience with this large OS.
Invest in a good carrying case. Lots of padding. Laptops usually do not survive being dropped, but if in a cushy case, the odds are much, much better. You'll obviously want to stress the important of care to your child. GHCA will also offer some lectures regarding this in the Fall.
Did I mention that you should read the reviews? The best way to know if you are getting gold or garbage is to read the review! Also, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE LAPTOP PROMOTION THROUGH THIS YEAR'S BIKE-A-THON !!! You can help the school, keep tuition down, and get a free laptop that has already been tested on GHCA's network! HOW CAN YOU GO WRONG? - this event has passed.
INITIAL SETUP
About half-way though the first quarter*, students will make an appointment with the System Administrator to have their laptops configured to work with our network. This includes entering the secret WPA key, configuring the OS and browser to use our servers, and checking the laptop's security measures. There is a $20 fee associated with setup (this fee may vary slightly based on the condition of the laptop). However, once the laptop is configured, it should be set for the student's lifetime at GHCA. Any further setup required due to changes on the GHCA network will be done free-of-charge.
QUESTIONS?
There are bound to be questions about a project as ambitious as our Laptop Initiative. Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page to see if your question has already been answered. If not, email me at laptops@ghca.com and I'll add your question to the list!
* because of the phase-in deployment this year, the first quarter will be used to setup our wireless network and connect students to our WLAN. We hope to have all students with laptops online by the beginning of the 2nd quarter, 2008.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN LAPTOP INITIATIVE PAGE