KVM Swtiches

[callmedonnie]

I'm to this but I've done a bit of reading. It looks like some are pretty crappy, which I can't have. I only have a desktop and a macbook, and would like to be able to connect my monitor (DVI), Keyboard and mouse (single USB from monitor which they are connected to), printer (USB), and external HD (USB/Firewire).

I'd rather not spend a ton of money, it isn't that important. If anyone knows of any good products or ones to stay away from I'm interested.

[kerowo]

You want to control your desktop (PC or Mac?) from your laptop? I don't think you can do that with a KVM switch, but you can do it with remote desktop connection for the Mac if you are running XP. It's a free download from Microsoft. You can also set up a logmein server on your desktop and use that from the Mac.

[callmedonnie]

Sorry I wasn't clear. No, I'm not looking to control either machine from the other. I'm perfectly happy with them operating independently. I thought about using Synergy or a TightVNC, but I don't need to use the computers simultaneously nor do I want to risk opening up remote connections.

What would make my life a bit easier is if I could simply not have to unplug keyboard, monitor, speakers, etc when switching from one to the next while at home. Hence my interest in KVM switches.

The PC I use for poker, though I might investigate running some PC software eventually through the Mac, though not yet. The Mac I've been using for other stuff, its really for school though. I have been enjoying the remote that comes with it for movies though.

[kerowo]

My experience with KVM switches is that the ones I can afford are too crappy to use.

Another thing to contemplate is going to a bluetooth keyboard/mouse for the mac and not do any plugging in at all on it. You still end up with 2 keyboards and mice, but the bluetooth ones are easy to move out of the way. Mix with a wireless keyboard and mouse for the desktop and you can move stuff around pretty easily.

[callmedonnie]

Yea, I've also thought of that. In which case I believe I can always get a USB Bluetooth device for the PC, which I definitely would.

Is there a splitter for the DVI cable that I could use then, so that both my PC and Macbook could be plugged in simultaneously but used independently?

[kerowo]

That's the V in those crappy KVM switches I've used. The problem I have always seen is that the video is noticeably fuzzy with the switches.

[callmedonnie]

Yea, I definitely don't want that. Perhaps I should just get a new monitor courtesy of Full Tilt and setup synergy. Thanks for the help.

[Freakin]

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Yea, I definitely don't want that. Perhaps I should just get a new monitor courtesy of Full Tilt and setup synergy. Thanks for the help.

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This was going to be my suggestion, before you suggested it yourself...

[*TT*]

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Yea, I definitely don't want that. Perhaps I should just get a new monitor courtesy of Full Tilt and setup synergy. Thanks for the help.

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This was going to be my suggestion, before you suggested it yourself...

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I recommend http://www.kavoom.biz/ instead of synergy.

[CORed]

I have a Belkin KVM which works reasonably well, but it's for PS2 mouse and keyboard, and VGA video. I've done a little price research, and it looks like KVM's that support DVI video are quite a bit more expensive. I have a Windows XP box and a linux box. I have them networked, and usually access the Linux box from the Windows box using a Windows Xserver or VNC, but there are some games on the Linux box that work better using the native Linux Xserver with the display directly connected to the Linux box, and I also occasionally need to access the BIOS on the Linux box or see the boot messages, which I can only do with the KVM (or otherwise having a monitor and keyboard connected directly to the linux box).