My son's school (private school) is introducing a laptop program, where every year 5 MUST purchase an Apple iBook, costing $1300!!

Now while I think all the kids having their own laptop is a great idea, I do think that $1300 is some what extortionate!!! They do give the option of paying it up over 3 years, but you will be charged interest on this!

So does anyone have any experience of this being implemented in their child's school? How have you found it? I'm seriously worried about my son breaking it!

What Id freak. My eldest finished Year 12 last year at fee paying school, and they didnt have anything like that.

However I know the local state middle school has an all apple policy. But the kids dont buy them.

J

Apple seems to be the new thing, have friends with their kids starting year 7 and they need an apple, my daughters go to a school, where they have the use of the school lap tops and desk tops.........all schools have their own policy, but I think it is wrong, as not all parents can afford the laptop, there are also very strict rules for it's home use, and hey...........what happened to handwriting and learning how to research using a BOOK!!!!

(what happens if you have twins!!)

The twins thing is what occured to me!! When I first heard about it, I thought the school was providing them, or at least renting then out - not expecting us to buy them!!

Personally I think a wee $400 netbook would have done the trick!

Just want to add that my son is in year 7, the school he is going to for highschool introduced it last year. He will have to purchase that laptop for going into year 9!

My youngest is going in to year 8.His apple is going to cost 1500.Based on the fact that he is on his second mobile phone and his second smartrider we are checking the insurance carefully.My eldest is getting hers from the govt.

I'm pretty sure that you can claim part of the cost back for laptops at tax time through the education tax refund. Its not very much though.

I believe you can.Every little helps.

Yeah, you'd get the full $750!!

We are onto our 3rd smartrider card!!