Device Information Guidance

What device could we get?

Life Cycle:

Tablet are generally design with a 2 year life cycle. so if your learner is starting GCSE you can expect to need to make a second purchase at A level (or count yourself lucky if the same device is still in high working order). Having a lower end value device, can be an advantage due to the risks associated with loss and damage.

Investing in a Laptop may see an increase in longevity, Most laptops are a good investment for 3 to 4 years but really the driving factor should be the functionality that the student is going to need from the device.

Below is a table that details some more advantages and disadvantages to different devices:

ChromeBook (Recommended for General Purpose BYOD)

Pros

• Cost (£200 approx.)
• 3 year expected life cycle
• Fits with the google Classroom and other apps used in college
• Turns on instantly
• Long battery life
• Works like a laptop (keyboard and touchpad)
• Cloud based storage comes with device. Docs always accessible
• Chrome app store available

Cons

• Limited to Google Chrome environment, in particular Apps - the list is growing but at present Video editing is limited
• Cloud based. needs connectivity for full function - not normally an issue in collage

Android Tablet

Pros

• Cost (£200 approx.)
• Works with the google Classroom and other apps used in college
• Always on
• Long battery life
• Apps available that are not on Laptops or computers (more tools)
• Camera and filming available by default

Cons

• Apps can be a little less stable
• Need to check it is possible to get work from App to teacher prior to work
• No keyboard or screen protection without extra purchase
• Computing power can be limited
• 2 year expected life cycle
• Google apps has some limited functionality on device

Apple iPad

Pros

• Works with the google Classroom and other apps used in college
• Always on
• Long battery life
• Apps available that are not on Laptops or computers (more tools)
• Camera and filming available
• A strong app store including good graphic image manipulation, drawing and sound editing

Cons

• Cost (£280+ approx)
• 2-3 year expected life cycle
• Google apps has some limited functionality on device
• No keyboard or screen protection without extra purchase
• Computing power can be limited
• Screen replacement is expensive
• No keyboard or screen protection without extra purchase

Laptop (Windows OS) for Media & Creative Production

Pros

• Fits with the google Classroom and other apps used in college
• Chrome app store available
• Can install specialist software, great for technical courses
• Keyboard and closing lid as standard
• Higher computing power

Cons

• Cost £400-600
• 3 year expected life cycle
• Battery life varies
• Not instant on (in most cases)
• Larger size and weight

Apple Macbook for Media & Creative Production

Pros

• 4 year expected life cycle
• Fits with the google Classroom and other apps used in college.
• Chrome appstore available.
• Can install specialist software, great for technical courses.
• Keyboard and closing lid as standard.
• Higher computing power

Cons

• Starting from £800
• Mac software is expensive
• Can be expensive to fix if damaged
• If cared for properly should last the full term of college life

Appropriate Devices

Locker size:

Depth: 15.5” (39.5cm)

Height: 17” (43.0cm)

Width: 11” (28.0cm)

Diagonal 17.5” (45.0cm) (remember if you device is 2 cm deep this will reduce this measurement)

Written on the 30/4/2017 - Note: always do a search for a good price, the link is for product details.

Acer Chromebook 15 - Under £200 - large screen, good for work, bad for portability (wouldn’t fit in a locker)

Dell Chromebook 11 - £230 - smaller screen and rugged construction.

Apple Macbook air 11 - (or other MAC books) - £1200 + Macbook air is again smaller but reduced power. If you are really keen on media, film and graphics remember that you will want processing power. Don’t forget the cost of software on to of the device. Most students in yr10 and 11 will not need this level of device.

HP Stream 11 - (or other PC latops) - £250 - £1200 (gaming/media laptops) the model linked here is a smaller PC but again has reduced power. It is very reasonable in terms of price. If you are really keen on media, film and graphics remember that you will want processing power. Don’t forget the cost of software on to of the device.

This site has some good information should you want to know a little more.

Android Tablets - Most android tablets are appropriate and you can pick up something cheap, you may even have an older model at home that you don’t need, this would be appropriate with an added bluetooth keyboard. You can get more expensive models, but we think that once you get to the £200 mark a laptop style device would be better for the college work you are likely to do.

One key advantage is that you will be able to use previously purchased apps.

Amazon tablets are NOT appropriate due to incompatibility with the google suite. Sorry.

A Media or Graphics BYOD - If you are looking for a media creation device rather than a simple BYOD you will want to consider the following as key performance effectors (remember software costs more on top):

Hard drive:

SSD - Solid state Drive - this is what gives devices the instant on feel, very useful but in PC laptops a little more expensive.

Processor:

Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/best-intel-processor-core-i3-i5-i7#rsvlohFllGWmZ3Sr.99

Laptop processors can be confusing. To make media/graphics you want a fast processor with a large cache memory.

The key thing to look out for is the Y in the processor model name. For example, the Intel Core i7-7Y75 is a dual-core chip with a base clock speed of 1.3GHz. If the laptop you’re looking at has one of these chips, it won’t be quick, but its 4.5W power rating means it will certainly stay cool and last a long time on battery power.

RAM (random access memory): 8GB or more is advisable

RAM (random access memory) is the place in a computing device where the operating system (OS), application programs and data in current use are kept so they can be quickly reached by the device's processor. RAM is much faster to read from and write to than other kinds of storage in a computer, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD) or optical drive. Data remains in RAM as long as the computer is running. When the computer is turned off, RAM loses its data. When the computer is turned on again, the OS and other files are once again loaded into RAM, usually from an HDD or SSD.

http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/RAM-random-access-memory

It’s also where programs like Photoshop and aftereffects hold live edit information. This is what makes it vital for a graphic device.

If you know of other strong devices, please do let us know, we may add it to the list. Thank you.