Not as you may think some X rated offering, but a KVM switch at a bargain price, a simple and efficient way of controlling two PCs with a single keyboard, video and mouse.
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I remember reviewing a KVM unit some 15 months ago that cost five times what this unit does and the only difference was that the first unit also controlled audio. In fact I prefer to have external audio as it can be used to tell you when there is a problem, a job is finished or something like new mail has arrived when the screen is showing the other PC.
This is a truly tiny switch 7x6x2cm and semi circular at that with the 7cm being the side that accepts the three cables from your monitor/panel, keyboard and mouse. If it were any smaller the three inputs would not fit. The top has two LEDs 1 and 2 with a keypress combination to switch between the two PCs.
The rear of the unit has two cables coming out with KVM cables inside each one, 1 is 60cm long and the other 2, is 180cm long. Each splits to allow connection of the three items a few centimetres before the end of the cable. So the two PCs can easily be two metres apart and still leave some slack in the cable.
The obvious saving apart from money is in desk space as you only need one each of keyboard, video and mouse. This unit is said to support 1920x1440 I must take that as read as I only have a 1024x768 capability on my monitor. Both the units used for the main testing were running Windows XP but I did connect one unit running Windows ME for some tests and this also worked fine, the packaging states supports multiple operating systems. I noted in the small manual that using a slightly different switch PS/2-USB rather than the PS/2-PS/2 I tested, to connect a PC and MAC together again I must take their word for it as I do not have a MAC.
In fact I was first sent the PS/2-USB switch and even though they were adamant that it should work with two PCs it would not for me, the PC that had the USB cable always failed to respond. I of course tried swapping the cables but then the other PC (now with the USB lead) failed to respond.
At that point I was sent the PS/2-PS/2 which performed flawlessly from the moment it was first plugged in. I remember with an earlier switch more than a year ago one PC would only allow keyboard and or mouse input if the other was turned on first, rather strange, but in my tests here I was able to use either alone or in tandem so no problems there.
Looking at my notes from an earlier unit the keypresses are somewhat different but still easy to follow, apart from the small manual there is also a small laminated strip that you could stick somewhere prominent with the required keypresses on it. The stated likely price is less than £20.
Link http://www.rosel.co.uk/kvm-switch-uk.htm
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