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Why do the laptops ship with Microsoft Window XP Professional and Microsoft Office 2003?

Schools use a variety of software and ICT equipment, not all are supported by Windows Vista.
To ensure compatibility, stability and speed, base model TELA laptops are provided with Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003.
Schools that wish to can install Vista and Office 2007 through Microsoft’s Schools Agreement.
The software installed on TELA laptops is reviewed annually by the Ministry. Edit

Why does the scheme not opt for cheaper laptops, for example $799 sale models available at local retailers?

The performance provided by even the most basic TELA laptop is considerably greater than such machines. The Laptops for Teachers Scheme has opted for laptops designed for use in large organisations rather than those in the consumer range to ensure better build quality, reliability and longevity. These do have a higher cost than retail models but are substantially discounted through the Ministry’s contracts. All models are tested and evaluated against set build criteria to assess their suitability for the scheme. Edit

Can we get a three year battery warranty?

Suppliers currently only provide a one year warranty with batteries as they are regarded as consumable items with a variable life.
The scheme has investigated the cost of covering batteries for three years however indications are it would provide no real savings and would be complex to administer. Edit

Can the scheme hold the models for longer and standardise the images?

The scheme requests suppliers propose only models that are expected to be available for at least 12 months. During this time these models may undergo changes such as processor and hard drive but remain in the majority the same.
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Can the laptops images be loaded on to a web site for download?

This would require a large amount of bandwidth so in the short term is unlikely to happen (each school would need to pay for around 8GB of traffic for a single image).
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Can Apple laptops be provided with a re-image disk?

Renaissance is unable to provide re-image disks due to licensing restrictions. However there are other options available:
In the latest version of OSX 10.5 (Leopard) Apple provides the Time Machine recovery tool – this allows the user to back up data to a variety of locations: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1427.
For all versions of OSX, Apple provides the following advice for backing up data and settings on Apple laptops: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1553.