Brains and Style: A Computer That has it All

Walsworth Publishing of Marceline, Missouri is a long-time publisher of yearbooks, as well as a variety of other books, magazines, catalogues, etc. 

The Walsworth publishing process depends on a unique software application called Prism, which captures important data from press machinery. For a number of years, the powerful application had been used in conjunction with a 12” touch-screen PC.  As time passed, however, the relatively small monitor proved an increasing inconvenience to the Walsworth publishing team. In addition, Prism’s high-end potential was consistently compromised by what was clearly an underpowered computer. The computer’s relatively steep price further lessened its popularity. Obviously, this technological dinosaur had to go. Determined to remedy the situation, Scott Berger, IT Systems Support Specialist for Walsworth publishing resolved to find a replacement computing system that was economical, user-friendly, and powerful.

After conducting a thorough on-line search, Scott zeroed in on the ideal solution that fulfilled all of his criteria – the Cybernet i-One™. In fact, the i-One made such a favorable first impression that a volume purchase was made for the company’s initial installation.

Clearly, the major jump in screen size was a welcome bonus, allowing easier access to and control of publishing data. But improved screen dimensions were only one of many i-One™ advantages. Equally important was the unit’s configurability. Scott was delighted that he could tailor the versatile PC to his company’s specific needs. Since hard drive space wasn’t an issue, the company opted for an i-One configured with a Pentium 4 processor, 1 GB of RAM, and a minimal-size hard drive. The system proved perfect for unleashing the full power of Prism, the only software that would be running.

Walsworth garnered another distinct advantage from the i-One’s convenient serial port connections, which unfortunately are no longer standard with many new computers. This feature is vital since the unit must connect directly to a printing press via serial ports. Of course, the i-One has USB ports as well.

Getting started was a breeze. “The i-One was wonderful,” praised Scott. “It was very easy to set up.”  The team simply mounted the computer with the appropriate VESA mount, and loaded the Prism software. Once the system was up and running, the larger touch screen made a significant difference in the performance of all publishing operations, which includes auto log-in and auto launch of Prism.

Scott and his staff unanimously feel that the i-One helped Walsworth achieve its productivity goals. Of course, aside from being a powerhouse performer, the formidable computer brings an abundance of aesthetic appeal to the table. Scott acknowledges that in the looks department, the Cybernet system definitely holds a sizeable edge over the company’s previous computers. There’s a clear boost to morale when a sleek and stylish i-One is mounted next to each printing press.

Brains and style – it’s definitely a combination that’s hard to beat.