Re: [ARSCLIST] USB KVM's

[Erik Dix <edix@xxxxxx>]

Hi Tom!

I had a Belkin first and it lost the connection to the mouse all the 
time, then after a couple of months it quit working altogether.

I am using an avocent switchview mm-2 now for several months and it 
works very well for me. It has ps/2 and usb 2.0 connectors. I am also 
using it with a dell which has usb connectors only and a gateway. I 
am not sure if it works with a single usb cable though.

http://www.avocent.com/web/en.nsf/Content/SwitchViewMM-4port-USB2.0

Hope this helps!

Erik

At 07:44 AM 5/10/2006, you wrote:
> 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