For the 2023-24 school year, students need to bring a Windows or Mac laptop daily, charged and ready to use.
Suggested models include:
Mac: 13-inch MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, with MacOS 12 (“Monterey”) or newer. We recommend a minimum of 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
Remember to take advantage of educational discounts at retailers including the Apple Store, Best Buy, and others.
Windows: Dell XPS 13, or Asus ZenBook UX330UA. Be sure it has a minimum of 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. Windows 10 or higher is strongly recommended.
Financial assistance is available. Contact Rose Garza in the Financial Aid Office at rose.garza@menloschool.org for details.
Recommended
Headphones. While any headphone will work, we’ve had positive experiences with Sony WH-1000XM4, Bose 700, and Apple Airpods Pro. Students will use these in study spaces around campus, when working at home, or on Zoom calls. The noise cancellation feature is helpful, but not required.
Insurance. When you buy a new laptop, Apple offers an “AppleCare+” extended 3-year warranty; there are other options such as SquareTrade as well.
Backup. On the Mac, Time Machine is an inexpensive and convenient way to back up. On Windows, we recommend Backblaze.
TAKING CARE OF YOUR DEVICE
Laptops are very portable and fairly sturdy if they are cared for. We recommend you
Keep it in its case for protection.
Avoid carrying it in a backpack in such a way that objects press against the glass screen, even through the case.
Keep the laptop with you. Do not leave the laptop unattended outside, in a classroom or in a backpack; you should keep it in your locker when it’s not in use.
Your device’s battery should last all day long. It is your responsibility to charge it overnight so that you have access to it in class.
TECH SUPPORT
The Tech Department provides basic software and hardware support for students’ laptops during normal school hours. We cannot perform hardware repairs, but we can help diagnose issues and offer advice about where and how to solve them.
We cannot provide data recovery services, so be sure to back up your work!
BEHAVIOR AND ACCEPTABLE USES
Use of your laptop is subject to the terms of the Computer and Network Use Agreement in the Menlo School Student and Parent Handbook. Please respect the rights of other users.
You may use your device in class as long as the use is not disruptive and is related to the class. Your teacher has the right to ask you not to use it for any reason.
