I’ve been a fan of the OpenSource app Synergy for a while now. In short, this app allows you to configure two computers to use a single keyboard and mouse. When you move the mouse to the edge of the display of computer 1, it slides onto the display of computer 2. Very cool, and useful for folks like me, who have to live with two computers fairly frequently.
But, I realized that my use for computer 2 is mostly headless. I rarely need to turn on the display, and so it sits turned off most of the time. So, I decided to invest in a real hardware keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) switch box, so I could use the “spare” display as a second display for my PowerBook most of the time, and then switch it to be the sole display for my test MacMini the rest of the time.
Cruising the aisles at a local tech bazaar, I picked up the Belkin Flip. What a nice product! It is a two-computer KVM, with all of the necessary cabling built-in. The unit is nicely color coded, with all of the gold cables going to one computer and all of the green going to another. That rat nest of cables is safely hidden behind your desk. A single switch “puck” runs to your desk, allowing you to switch the device from one computer to another. And the puck has a LED that glows green or gold, based on which devide you are controlling at the time. That’s a nice bit of polish that really delighted me.
I’ve only found one bug so far; the keyboard volume controls on my Apple Pro keyboard (above the numeric keypad) don’t work when I’m using the Flip. It works when directly connected to the Mini or the PowerBook, but not through the Flip. Odd.
Nerd. 😉