636-680-9359

Kyvon Votes: Netbook vs. Notebook

August 18th, Dell released the Inspiron™ 11Z, their newest thin and light Inspiron laptop and their first CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) system. Dell developed the Inspiron 11z as the answer to customer feedback asking them “to design a netbook-like device with a netbook-ish price point that is capable of handling traditional laptop activities.”

The Inspiron™ 11z blends netbook-like portability with laptop-like capability. It weighs about 3 lbs. and is about an inch thin so it’s easy to carry and stay connected, yet has the capability to deliver smooth HD video playback, and battery life of more than three hours. The bigger difference is inside, or under the hood if you will. Whereas netbooks are based on the Intel Atom processor and feature minimal memory, the Inspiron™ 11z is based on the CULV processor family combined with more memory which delivers better performance.

*While the Inspriron™ 11z is excellent for mobile users or personal use, we do not recommend it as a desktop replacement for business use.

A pre-configured system for $399 features:

  • Intel Celeron 723 processor (1.2GHz)
  • 2GB memory
  • 250GB hard Drive
  • Built in Wi-Fi, 1.3MP Webcam
  • 11.6-inch HD (1366×768) display (up to 70 percent more screen content than a netbook with a standard 1024×600 display)
  • 28WHr battery with approximately 3 hours of battery life
  • Windows Vista Home Premium WITH free upgrade kit to Windows 7
  • And to paraphrase Henry Ford: you can get in and any color you like …as long as it’s Obsidian Black.

Kyvon is a Dell Reseller. Contact us today for pricing and details on your next business purchase.

Keeping Charge: Extend Your Laptop Battery Life

Like all rechargeable batteries, a notebook battery’s ability to hold a charge will decrease over time or dependent on usage. Read on for our five tips for prolonging your battery’s life.

1. Switch it off if you’re not using it. Power-down all non-essential functions. Itunes, Desktop Search, etc. All these add to the CPU load and cut down battery life. Shut down everything that isn’t crucial when you’re on battery.

2. Dim your screen. Most laptops come with the ability to dim your laptop screen. Some even come with ways to modify CPU and cooling performance. Cut them down to the lowest level you can tolerate to squeeze out some extra battery juice.

3. Cut down external devices. USB devices (including your mouse) & WiFi drain down your laptop battery. Remove or shut them down when not in use. It goes without saying that charging other devices (like your iPod) with your laptop when on battery is a surefire way of quickly wiping out the charge on your laptop battery.

4. Hibernate not standby. Although placing a laptop in standby mode saves some power and you can instantly resume where you left off, it doesn’t save anywhere as much power as the hibernate function does. Hibernating a PC will actually save your PC’s state as it is, and completely shut itself down.

5. Keep it cool. Because high temperatures accelerate the deterioration of Lithium-ion cells, keep the notebook away from prolonged exposure to heat (for example, don’t leave it in your car on a warm day). Use a cooling pad when using a notebook computer on your lap. Avoid propping your laptop on a pillow, blanket, or other soft surface that can heat up.

DIY: Deciphering Email Bounce Messages

While you sit, growling at your monitor wondering just why that message sent to your client was returned “undeliverable” with a long error posted underneath- take a deep breath and read on. We have a handy checklist of what to do when you receive such a message.

Read more

What is a Denial of Service Attack?

Recently, social networking sites Twitter and Facebook were silenced by a Denial of Service attack that was targeted toward a blogger from Georgia. The attack left users without access to the sites for several hours on Friday. It also left them wondering just what is a “Denial of Service attack.” Read more

[STATUS] Emergency Maintenance Window – August 14th, 2009

Maintenance Window Start Date & Time: Aug. 14th, 2009 11:00 PM CT
Maintenance Window End Date & Time:
Aug. 15th, 2009 04:00 AM CT

Impact on Customers: During this maintenance window there is a slight chance of short intermittent losses of internet availability may occur.

Scope of Work: We have identified a possible hardware issue with our backup core switch and will be replacing the suspected hardware at our data center located at 900 Walnut. Due to the redundant configuration of our core network and because this is a backup core switch, there should be very little, to no, impact on the customer. Although the potential for extended downtime exists, we have carefully designed a plan for implementation of these adjustments, and will do everything to ensure that you and your customers feel little or no impact.

Duration: 5 Hours

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments via our online support form or via phone at 314-544-0011. Please note: posting in the comments is not an official way to contact Kyvon.

Hosted Exchange 2007 Setup

The latest installment in our “How-To“ series is a tutorial for setting up Hosted Exchange 2007. Microsoft Exchange is the world’s most used business email system and enables communication and collaboration for many of the biggest global organisations. Microsoft Exchange 2007 enhances company productivity through numerous advanced features.

Read more