At ACS, our digital device program is designed to prepare students for living, learning and working in a digital world and help them develop into competent, creative, positive and responsible users of technology.
All students in Grades 4-12 are required to provide their own Apple MacBook Pro or MacBook Air laptop through our 1:1 Digital Device Program.
How Does the 1:1 Program Work?
- Parents purchase laptops for their students that meet basic hardware/software requirements through ACS or their own sources. Families may use Apple laptops they already have that meet the requirements.
- The school will have management rights to the computer to allow installation of all necessary educational software. Families will retain administrative rights over their computers.
- ACS will provide information each year with the minimum specifications required for laptops used at the school. This information will include the acceptable hard drive size, memory and age of the computer.
- After three years, laptops will need to have a yearly review to make sure they can meet school-sanctioned software and hardware requirements.
- When the student leaves ACS, they are expected to remove school software.
Laptop Expectations
Students may purchase a new Apple laptop or bring a family-owned Apple laptop to school. In order to ensure that laptops can use the most recent operating system and have optimal battery life, laptops must meet a minimum criteria. We recommend that students do not purchase a 15" machine. This size is quite heavy and makes transport difficult throughout the day.
Device and Hardware Requirements
Please see the ACS laptop requirements for more guidance. Minimum required specifications for laptops used at ACS:
- New MacBook Laptop
- MacBook Pro – 13” screen – minimum 8GB of RAM
- MacBook Air – 13” screen – minimum 8GB of RAM
The ACS tech team recommends the MacBook Air models for their long battery life and lighter weight.
- Family-Owned Machine
- Models 2018 or newer, minimum 8GB of RAM
- Must be able to run one of the two most recent Operating Systems from Mac, and not have battery issues.
Mandatory: All students must have a plastic cover and neoprene sleeve to protect their computer from damage during transport and use.
Optional: A silicone keyboard cover helps keep out dust and water, and can be purchased in many languages to change the appearance of the keyboard.
If your child is taking Arabic: The keyboard must have an Arabic/English keyboard. If you buy your computer outside of the UAE, you will need to buy an Arabic keyboard cover.
Additional Purchasing Information
We recommend researching prices in your home country and the UAE before making your purchase. You may find a greater selection in your home country, but sales tax or VAT may add to the overall cost. The best prices for purchasing a MacBook in Abu Dhabi is through the Apple site: http://store.apple.com/ae
The laptop can be delivered to your home, usually within four days. Ordering online allows customization such as adding more RAM or hard drive capacity. The Virgin MegaStore, iStyle Stores and Plugins also sell Apple Laptops, but at slightly higher costs than the Apple store.
Taking Care of your Device
Insurance: Purchasing Homeowners insurance helps protect against theft or loss. AXA provides a reasonably priced policy in the UAE.
Apple Care Warranty: An Apple care warranty gives your computer three years of worldwide coverage for repairs. It is available through purchase online at the Apple Store on the US, Canadian and European sites.
Device Requirements by Division
High School
All High School students are required to provide their own approved Apple MacBook Pro or MacBook Air laptop. ACS High School has maintained a family-owned, school-managed digital device program since 2012.
Middle School
All students in Grades 6-8 are required to provide their own Apple MacBook Pro or MacBook Air laptop.
Different grades have different privileges
All Middle School students are provided training on digital citizenship, computer management and responsible use. The goal of our Middle School 1:1 program is to instill good habits that prepare students for the greater freedoms in High School.
- Grade 6 & 7 students must demonstrate responsibility in caring for a laptop, but with limits on software and how the computer is organized.
- In Grade 8, our goal is to instill personal responsibility where students manage their own computer and have greater freedoms using their computers inside and outside of the classroom.
Elementary School
All students in Grades 4 and 5 are required to provide their own Apple MacBook Pro or MacBook Air laptop. Grades 2 and 3 have access to school-owned laptops. Grade 1 has 1:1 iPads. Students in KG1 and KG2 have a 1:2 ratio of iPads for classroom use. These devices allow students grade-appropriate access to technology.
The ACS Elementary School is a technology-rich environment. Teachers use a variety of hardware and software technology to engage students including projectors, music, document cameras, video cameras, iPads, MacBook Pros, account-based learning websites and the Google Suite for Education.
