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Pastimes : Dream Machine ( Build your own PC ) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: belker who wrote (9498)	12/5/1999 12:55:00 AM
From: Stuart T	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14778

Are these 2 networked computers going to be right next to each other? You can get a switch box that will allow you to connect 5 or 6 computers and use just 1 monitor and key board. You could just use something like that for the keyboard switching. Costs about $20 at a computer show. As to the mouse, just get an A-B box, you might need an adapter if they are PS2. As long as you boot each separately with the switches on for their mouse and keyboard it should work. You can pick this stuff up fairly cheap at your local show.

To: belker who wrote (9498)	12/5/1999 5:31:00 PM
From: Spots	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14778

>> do I just get a KVM and ignore the video connections? I would rather not pay for the video switching technology if it is not needed. The video switch doesn't add any significant cost to the box, and the mouse is minimal--PS2 a bit more trouble than serial. Serial can be switched with a simple mechanical AB switch. The trick is switching the keyboard, and that's where your bucks have to go; anything else is essentially an add-on. I switch my keyboard between two side-by-side PCs with a Linksys ProConnect 4-station switch. There is a 2-station version but the 4-station wasn't enough more not to buy it for future flexibility. It will switch monitor, mouse, and keyboard, but I only switch the keyboard. I have separate monitors and find that having two mice works much better for me than switching mice. Not all mice work well through the box; for instance, I use a Logitech wheel marble trackball, and the wheel special functions don't make it through the box. But aside from that, I find that having the mouse available for each PC separately saves me a lot of switching, since there are many things you can do without the keyboard. I would think a regular mouse would be much harder to use in this situation than trackballs, as trackballs don't take nearly as much desk real estate. I've been very pleased with the Linksys box (though as usual I could suggest improvements <g>). In particular, you can switch with keyboard sequences. Incidentally, I use the Logitech cordless keyboard with navigation buttons which I could not recommend more strongly. I thought the buttons were fluff when I ordered it, but no, they have become nearly indispensable (as has the wheel on the Logitech wheel trackball). Sometimes little improvements make your life a LOT easier. BTW, the logitech wheel is smarter than the microsoft wheel -- it sends scroll messages to all applications, so you can scroll just about anything with it, not just MS Office-enabled apps. Spots