[ARSCLIST] USB KVM's

[Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm cross-posting to the ARSC and Ampex lists, so my apologies to those on both lists.

Does anyone have experience with the new generation of USB-based KVM switchers? It's finally time to 
upgrade the old DAW and the new computer (Dell 5150) doesn't have PS/2 sockets for the keyboard and 
mouse. The other computer in the studio -- a Dell 8300 -- is a transition-era machine that works 
fine with either PS/2 keyboard and mouse hookups or USB. So I need to replace my old Belkin KVM with 
one of these new devices that does the keyboard and mouse via a single USB cable, and keeps the 
video thru the standard XVGA video (I don't do DVI in the studio, yet).

Anyway, if this isn't Greek to you, some recommendations are appreciated.

I was looking at this unit:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000067V62/ref=wl_it_dp/103-2796313-8376628?%5Fencoding=UTF8&colid=1L6Z7GWQSIT82&coliid=IEYPGUHFHY46M&v=glance&n=172282

The cheaper units had a lot of user complaints. I like that this is self-powered as it's been my 
experience that the USB buss is not good at powering something like this reliably, particularly 
since it would be switching its power source when you switch machines. I also like the fact that it 
will share a third USB device like a trackball or tablet if I ever expand my table-top area to 
accomodate such a thing.

-- Tom Fine