The School has standardized on specific software because of the software's features and wide availability. While it might be convenient for students to own personal copies of standard school software it is not necessary. Students who come to School with a different software product are responsible for learning how to convert files back and forth from the School's standard software. This usually takes a few steps, but once a student is comfortable with the conversion process it becomes routine. Members of the School computing community are available to advise students on converting files.
Viruses are a fact of life.
Most computers are now sold with anti-virus programs built in. If the student ensures that all disks inserted into the computer are checked for viruses then there is no chance of the computer becoming infected. The School does not insure students' personal possessions, including computers. Parents should consult their own insurance policies to ensure that their son's or daughter's belongings are covered. Information on Latest Computer Models With the above ideas in mind, any Power Macintosh will be satisfactory for running all of the software listed above, with the caveat that the older the computer, the slower it will run the software.