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4.5 Smileys - 1 Smiley Poor, 5 Smileys Excellent
Platforms: Any Mac OS or Windows platform programs
that support USB *IOGEAR also makes a 4-port switch
Just in Time… I received the Miniview KVM switch in the mail and was happy to see the little box that it came in. I was in the need of either buying a new monitor or looking into a switch. So when I first heard of a 2 port KVM switch from IOGEAR which would eliminate the need for a second monitor, well lets just say I was very happy. After all looking at buying a new monitor was nothing I was looking forward to and besides, I already have two monitors and three computers so one more monitor would have been too much. So now we can venture to the new world where having more at home does not always mean spending more money.
But What is It? What is a KVM switch? Well the KVM stands for Keyboard - Video - Monitor switch. At one time, these were pricey items that only large companies used to hook two, four, and sometimes more computers to a single monitor where each machine didn't need it's own (Like in a server room, where several machines are running, but don't need such accessories full time). Having more than one computer in a single home is fairly common now and as you already know most of us don't have the room for three or four of everything so that is why a switch is so nice. And now with the cost of switches being affordable for small business and home use, it becomes one of the best solutions a consumer can make.
Installation:
Installation was easy and takes virtually no time to hook up. Everything is labeled and easily marked so that no mistakes can be made. IOGEAR gives everything a person would need to connect the two computers to the switch. When you look at the switch itself you will see that everything is marked with a picture or by name. In the front you will notice the big clear button on top labeled switch. By pushing this button down it will switch the monitor to the appropriate computer. You will notice that the front of the switch CPU1 and CPU2 is labeled on the button telling you with a light which computer is being displayed on your monitor. To the right towards the bottom of the switch you will notice a keyboard symbol and a mouse symbol that are USB connections for you to hook up your mouse and Keyboard. When you look on the back the first thing you see is the output for your monitor labeled console. This would be where you plug in your monitor. Next to that the monitor output are two inputs, one is CPU1 and the other is CPU2. This is where you take the monitor cables that IOGEAR supplied and plug them into the switch. You then plug the other end into your video card on your computer. Underneath the monitor connections are the USB connections. This is where you would connect the USB to your computer. Now one thing nice about the cables IOGEAR supplies is that both the monitor and the USB connections are tied together on one line. This helps alleviate the cable mess so common in multiple computer households. Now looking at the back of your switch you will notice to the left there are two more USB connections. This is to provide you with adding any USB devices you may have. If you have more than two then you can connect a USB Hub up for more support. All together you can have up to 127 devices hooked up to run on both computers. So for most people, I think it is fare to say that the switch can handle whatever device you have.
The Beauty of It All You should have just noticed that there is no software installation necessary. That could be the best part of all... the switch does all of the work for you! You don't need to worry about the computer recognizing what's happening becuase it's practically kept out of the loop! Any Mac or Windows machine with USB support will work with the IOGEAR USB KVM Switch.
Problems I found only two things that were a problem for me while using the switch. One was that when switching between computers there is a small delay. No, this is not a big deal for it is not like minutes but it does take a few seconds to get your mouse and keyboard recognized and working. However, IOGEAR has released a new version, GCS124U, which they claim eliminates any delay. The second thing that happened while using the switch was that sometimes it would give you a "Out of Range" message for your monitor setting which would require you restart your computer to get it to reset. Now this did not happen all the time but it did happen. This isn't a major issue, but it is something to consider if you are running a server at home that must be on at all times and where restarts can be devistating to your work.
Final Words I found the Miniview USB KVM Switch from IOGEAR to be very useful and very well put together. From the ease of setting up to the ease of using was much more valuable then the two small problems that I had encountered. I now have the ability to use a single keyboard, mouse and monitor plus all my other devices such as a printer and camera can be shared easily between machines. This has saved the time and effort of moving devices around, money for extras I don't have to buy, and space for my room already crowded with computer equipment. I feel compelled to award this product and the makers from IOGEAR 4 1/2 Smileys for this wonderful solution.
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