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What are the main differences in different types of KVM switches, when it comes to just the K(eyboard) and M(ouse) parts? When I go to staples.com and search for âKVM switchâ, thereâs a huge variety of results.
I think I need only the keyboard and mouse portions â my monitor has lots of inputs so I can just plug in two laptops at a time and use the monitorâs function keys to switch.
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Long Story background:
Perhaps youâll recall that about 6 months ago I was asking about keyboards for the Mac and buying a monitor that would work with both a Mac and a PC?
I ended up with a wonderful Dell 30â monitor with enough input ports to simply plug in both laptops, and I just would switch the input via the monitorâs function keys. And I decided to have independent keyboards/mice for the two laptops (since the Mac and PC keyboards and mice worked differently enough that it seemed easier).
Well, Iâve switched contracts, and now I need to set up two PCs! (One is my business PC that I use for one client, and the new client is having me use their PC for a whole host of licensing/access reasons.)
So now my choice is to get another PC keyboard so I have one per laptop (which takes up a bit of space and necessitates moving one out of the way to use the other) or to get a KVM switch.
Iâm unlikely to use the âV(ideo)â portion â itâs very expensive to get a KVM switch that supports the very high resolution Iâve got (2560x1600), plus âeverybodyâ says that there are lots of reliability/compatibility issues with monitor switching.
But a basic KVM switch is less expensive than a second keyboard and would take up less space on my desk, which would be nice. But there are so many KVM switches to choose from that Iâm getting a bit lost, and wonder if theyâre worth the expense when a keyboard and mouse is so inexpensive?
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Thanks for the advice,
-Monique
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