Saint Bonaventure High School and Cybernet:
Deploying Tough All-in-One PCs to Keep Pace with Students
Saint Bonaventure High School in Ventura, California, purchased Cybernet ZPC-GX31 keyboard PCs for their library and computer classroom. They needed keyboard PCs that would fit into constrained spaces where there was no room for a PC tower or rack, and they needed PCs that were reliable enough to stand up to constant use by high school students. The
ZPC-GX31s proved to be the ideal solution; they are extremely reliable and virtually indestructible.
The Customer
Saint Bonaventure High School is an accredited Catholic school located in Ventura, California. It serves the diverse population of Ventura County, with an average annual enrollment of 550 students, in four grades. The school has more than 125 computers on its campus, 76 of them for student use. All of them run Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010. Saint Bonaventure uses Cybernet’s ZPC-GX31 all-in-one PCs in the library and in their computer lab classroom.
The Business Challenge
In 2004 when Connan McElvogue joined Saint Bonaventure’s IT department, his predecessor Marsha Dedrick began purchasing Cybernet’s Elite 4 all-in-one keyboard
computers for use in some areas of the school. The ZPCs were initially purchased to fit in areas where there wasn’t room for a rack-mounted computer or PC tower, such as in the library or along the back wall of a classroom. Over the years, as the Windows operating system evolved from Windows XP to Vista to Windows 7, the IT department had to make some changes with the PC hardware.
The Cybernet Solution
Marsha had initially purchased four ZPC Elite 4 models loaded with Windows XP for the library. They ran so well, she ordered fourteen more for the faculty and staff to use. Then when the school adopted the Vista operating system, it bogged down on the few PCs (
all-in-ones and conventional PCs) on which it was installed. They had to make a decision about whether to revert back to Windows XP, have more memory added to their PCs to run Vista, and/or buy new PCs. They decided to downgrade back to Windows XP school-wide.
Even though the ZPC Elite 4s were still running and Connan could have had Cybernet add memory to them, he took that opportunity to order the newer models of the ZPC line, the
ZPC-GX31, for student use in the library and computer classroom. Connan ordered more ZPC-GX31s in 2010, when the school converted over to the Windows 7 operating system. All of the ZPC-GX31s now run Windows 7, and all are still performing beautifully.
Key Results
Constant student use is hard on computers and keyboards, but the Cybernet ZPC-GX31s withstood the pressure and they continue to perform exceptionally well. Although the ZPC-GX31s aren’t necessarily classified as “ruggedized” PCs, they certainly seem to be.
They fit perfectly into the constrained space the school had to work with, and deployment was easy. Connan was impressed with the reliability of the
ZPC-GX31, which he attributes to the great quality of the components and hard drives used in producing the PC. He said he has never had to use Cybernet’s warranty for any repairs or problems, so maintenance is a breeze.
