Laptop Program & Leasing

Each freshman will be provided with a laptop computer for his exclusive use for a 2-year lease. At the end of sophomore year, the student will receive a new laptop to use for the next 2 years. All Upper School students are assessed a laptop fee of $750 per year. We have found that a lease program makes it easier all around – for parents, students, teachers, and tech support. Parents make smaller annual payments, students and teachers are all working with the same model computer, and we in the tech department can more effectively support the school model. We have found that “out-of-program” laptops require an inordinate amount of time and effort to support, and result in the student being without his laptop longer if repair is required. No exceptions will be made to this policy.

The annual laptop fee is charged to your son’s bookstore account, and covers the cost of the computer, plus annual software license fees, extended factory warranty, and a comprehensive insurance policy from Safeware that covers loss or damage not covered by the factory warranty. This coverage includes replacing a broken screen, or replacing the computer in the event of theft or accidental destruction, with a $300 deductible charged to the bookstore account for the first Safeware occurrence and $350 charged for each subsequent occurrence, up to a maximum of three claims in any 2-year lease cycle.

Rising freshmen and new students will receive their MacBooks, as well as hands-on training, on student orientation day, usually held during the last week of August. Exact timing and venue will be communicated via email.

Please note: Laptop power adaptors are not covered by this lease, Apple’s warranty or Safeware insurance. In case of damage, they will need to be replaced at the user’s expense. Spare adaptors are available for purchase in the Bookstore.

2023-2024 Academic Year
Apple 13″ MacBook Air M1 Detailed Specification Sheet

Laptop Model 13″ Retina MacBook Air (MGN73LL/A)
Processor Apple M1 8 Core CPU, with a 7 Core GPU 3.2 GHz (high-performance) and 2.1 GHz (high-efficiency) modes
Architecture 64 Bit, with Secure Enclave coprocessor in Apple M1
Battery Built-in lithium-polymer battery. Up to 16 hours of use.
Memory (DDR SDRAM) 8  GB 4266 MT/s LPDDR4X
Hard drive 256 GB SSD storage NVMe PCIe
Optical drive None
Display 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology
Graphics support Apple GPU 7 Core
Ports 2 - Thunderbolt / USB 4 (Thunderbolt 3 up to 40 Gbps)
Audio Built-in stereo speakers, built-in omni-directional microphones. 3.5-mm headphone jack
Ethernet Optional Apple USB-C Ethernet Adapter or Thunderbolt 3 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
Video Camera Built-in iSight Camera
Wireless support 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0
System Software macOS Monterey 12.x
Preloaded Software Besides the standard applications bundled with macOS, all laptops will be pre-configured with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Apple's Productivity Suite (Numbers, KeyNote, Pages), Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat), Logger Pro, DiLL Language Lab, VLC media Player, Zoom, and other useful utilities. Additional curriculum-specific software is available on request.
Service and Support 2 year limited warranty (AppleCare Protection Plan). Safeware Insurance Cover. $300 deductible charged to student’s account for first breakage, $350 for subsequent occurrences.

Frequently Asked Questions

List of 20 frequently asked questions.

  • Why does my son need a laptop for school?

    Laptops are used throughout the school day, when appropriate, depending on curricular activities for each subject. Examples include: researching and writing reports; organizing and analyzing scientific data with graphs and charts; composing and revising essays; collaboratively working on multimedia presentations; and much more. All students in grades 9-12 are required to have a working, wireless-equipped laptop in school.
  • How often will my son use his laptop at school?

    Laptop use is driven by the curriculum and the extent to which technology can enhance your son’s learning. Some days they may be used daily while at other times students may not use them at all. Appropriate use of technology is the key and it is the quality of laptop use that is important, not merely how often they are used.
  • Why should my son use a Mac instead of a PC at school?

    Everything is easier on a Mac. The software is more intuitive. The hardware is more reliable and that’s why Mac users enjoy using their computers more. In addition to integrating seamlessly with PCs, the Mac also lets you enjoy the same productivity applications like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel as you do on a PC. With a Mac you find flawless integration of hardware and software, with an operating system built by the same people who built the computer. It’s nearly crash proof so bid farewell to the notorious “blue screen of death.” With macOS, you’ll become accustomed instead to industry-leading stability built on Unix where memory is fully protected and applications can’t conflict with the OS or one another. With higher productivity, and a more enjoyable computing experience, your son will have a competitive edge.
  • How much does it cost to lease a laptop from Brunswick?

    All laptops are leased for 2 years, beginning in the fall of Freshman and Junior year. Parents will be billed an annual laptop fee of $750 per year, charged to your bookstore account, and will cover the cost of the laptop, plus annual software license fees, extended factory warranty, and a comprehensive insurance policy from SafeWare that covers loss or damage not covered by the factory warranty. This coverage includes replacing a broken screen or replacing the computer in the event of theft or accidental destruction, with a $300 deductible (paid by parents) for each SafeWare occurrence. Please note that power adaptors are not covered by this warranty and broken or damaged adaptors will have to be replaced at user’s expense.
  • Can I purchase the laptop outright for my son instead of leasing it?

    No. Since leasing has significant ramifications on ownership, customization, and personalization, we have found that a lease program makes it easier for parents, students, teachers, and tech support. Parents make smaller annual payments, students and teachers are all working with the same model computer, and the tech department can more effectively support the school approved model. We have found that “out-of-program” laptops require an inordinate amount of time and effort to support, and subject the student to undue anxiety.
    Earlier, laptops were usually bought by parents without purchasing additional insurance cover, extended warranties and required software licenses, making their overall support a laborious, costly, and sometimes acrimonious proposition.
  • What laptop model is available for leasing to students?

    For the 2023-2024 school year, Apple’s 13" M1 MacBook Air laptop has been selected. We negotiated a very competitive price on the MacBook, and it includes all the hardware and software required to work seamlessly on the Brunswick Network.
  • What happens if the laptop is lost or stolen?

    The School carries SafeWare insurance on all laptops leased to students. As specified in the Lease Contract, if a laptop is lost or stolen, it will be replaced by us with another comparable unit after receipt of a police report (for insurance records). Parents are responsible for paying the insurance deductible (currently $300).
  • What will happen after the laptops are outdated?

    These laptops are leased. Typically, when the lease expires after 2 years, a new lease will be initiated for your son in his Junior year. This is how we keep our equipment up to date. For graduating Seniors, as their laptop lease expires, Brunswick will offer parents the option of purchasing the laptop at a nominal fair market value.
  • What happens if my son’s laptop is not working properly?

    If your son’s laptop is not working properly, he should take it to the technology office. Our staff will attempt to diagnose and fix the problem. If we cannot fix it in a timely fashion, it will be sent to Apple for repair and your son will be issued a loaner laptop to use until his laptop is repaired.
  • Can my son access the Internet and email from the laptop at home?

    Yes. Students have permission to install their home ISP software on the laptop, and we are available to help with the initial installation. Technical support for your specific ISP must be obtained from your provider.
  • Do I need to provide my son with an email account from our home service provider?

    No. All our students are provided with a Brunswick e-mail account. The school uses Google Apps for Education for email.
  • Is my son’s access to the Internet filtered at school?

    Yes. Brunswick uses a three-tiered filtering mechanism comprising of blacklists, category filters and keyword filters to prevent students from accessing online content prohibited by CIPA (Children's Internet Protection Act). These filters also protect our network and devices from installation of malware, ransomware and other web-borne threats. Blocked categories include pornographic, gambling, dating, social networking, and hate-speech sites. It is important to note that filtering software is not foolproof and is no substitute for responsible behavior on the part of your son. At the beginning of the school year, all students must sign Brunswick’s Acceptable Use Policy. You may download a copy here.
  • Is my son’s Internet access from home filtered?

    No. Since your son uses your family’s service provider from home, it is the responsibility of the family to monitor Internet use from home. Brunswick strongly recommends that parents use parental controls or filtering software. Brunswick strongly recommends that in addition to filtering Internet access on the laptop, parents filter Internet access on all home computers as well. Take this opportunity to teach your children about Internet safety. For more information on Internet safety or installing a filter on your laptop, please contact the technology office.
  • Do parents need to do anything before students receive their laptops?

    No. Brunswick will host a Laptop Rollout Session for freshmen and new students during orientation day. During this session, laptops will be distributed; students will review the School’s Acceptable Use Policy and we will discuss Internet filtering and appropriate computer use.
  • When will my son receive his laptop?

    All eligible students will receive their laptops at the beginning of the school year. The technology department will hold a laptop roll-out session where we will distribute and train the students how to use the laptop. The exact date will be determined over the summer and this information will be posted here and also communicated via email to parents.
  • What training will my son receive?

    Technology instruction is fully integrated into the curriculum; separate technology classes are offered from time to time, but most instruction takes place during regular class time.
  • Can my son install additional software on a leased laptop?

    Yes. Your son will have local administrator privileges on his laptop, enabling him to easily configure a home printer or install additional software (or for you to install Internet filtering software). Limited assistance is also available from the technology office for such installations.
  • Will my son have his laptop all year?

    Mostly. However, Brunswick may collect all school leased and loaned laptops over the summer for implementing software upgrades or maintenance. At that time, any necessary hardware repairs will be made and the operating system and all software will be upgraded for the upcoming school year. If your son needs his laptop over the summer for school-related work, please email the Director of Technology with your request, well ahead of time.
  • Can my son use a different type of laptop?

    No. Only laptops leased through Brunswick may be used at school. The School does not have the resources to provide technical support for any other laptop models. There are NO exceptions to this policy.
  • What if I have additional questions?

    If you have any additional questions, please contact Sunil Gupta, Director of Technology at (203) 625-5890 or e-mail him at sgupta@brunswickschool.org.

Brunswick School Greenwich, CT

  • Upper School
    100 Maher Avenue
    Office: 203.625.5856

    Lower School
    1252 King Street
    Office: 203.485.3670
  • Middle School
    1275 King Street
    Office: 203.242.1202

    Pre School
    1252 King Street
    Office: 203.485.3652

Main Phone: 203.625.5800
Business: 203.242.1220 
Alumni: 203.242.1223