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Tom's Hardware KVM Roundup
nexex writes: "Tom's Hardware has a new article with a review of several KVM switches. I have considering buying a KVM switch as I seem to collect/use more & more computers, I feel left with little choice :) While I have several friends who have taken the plunge, they have all spent wildly different amounts on them. Granted price plays a great factor on the features you get, but how do you know which one is not going to end up letting you down? If you end up with el cheapo, you will most certainly end up regretting it, as this device will be carrying the signals of your primary input and output to your systems."
VNC isn't quite the same. You can't play Quake over a VNC connection. Also, some Windows programs have problems with remote display, unlike X11 where remote display is built in. I've seen many problems where parts of the screen won't refresh. MS Word 2000 is especially bad. VNC has its uses, but it's not a KVM replacement.
what about computers that wont boot without a keyboard? If you have more than one case within a 3 meter radius then KVM is great. I am of the opinion that a hardware solution is better than a software solution 95% of the time. The only time a s/w solution could beat h/w is when digital transmision lines are cleaner than analog ones, or if the scrilla for the h/w setup is major. I have a really cheap 4 port switch I got a super deal on at a computer swap meet. I only use it to switch monitors because it is AT and all new machines are PS/2 but I just don't trust VNC enough to replace all console control with a program. What if you need to get in the bios?
Anyway, has anyone seen a cheap switch 2-4 ports, monitor, ps/2 key+mouse, that can handle a decent monitor bandwidth? Something I can pick up or get shipped cheap on the East Coast of USA. I have all the necessary cables. Some machines just don't need to be hooked up with high-end cables.