In last week’s newsletter, I mentioned that I have several computers on my desk at home running several different operating systems. The mix right now includes Windows XP Professional Edition, two Windows 2000 systems, Windows 98, and Red Hat Linux. This combination of computers allows me to test software and webpages under a variety of systems. I also mentioned that I use a 20-inch monitor that I normally operate in the mode to display 1280-by-1024 pixels. Several people sent e-mails this week and asked, "Which system do you have the monitor attached to?" The answer is, "All of them."

I find that having multiple PCs on a desktop doesn’t take much room. What does take a lot of room is the table space for monitors and keyboards. In my case, I solved that by use of a KVM switch. (KVM is an abbreviation for "keyboard, video, and mouse.") I have only one monitor, one keyboard, and one mouse on the desktop. Then, a small KVM box sits to one side of the keyboard and has six buttons on the front. By pressing the appropriate button, I can connect the keyboard, video, and mouse to any of six different computers.

Most PCs do not allow the user to operate with the monitor, keyboard, and mouse disconnected. The KVM switch has some electronics in it that "fakes" all the PCs into believing that a keyboard, video, and mouse are connected to each PC all the time.

KVM switches vary in price from about $50 for one that connects to two different computers up to $200 or so for one that connects to up to eight computers. Even bigger KVM switches are available for connecting to racks of servers found in data centers, but these larger KVM switches are not normally found in homes. I use a six-port KVM switch that I purchased through eBay, brand new in a factory-sealed box, for $80. (I love those eBay auctions!) The prices I quoted normally do not include the special-purpose cables that are required. These cables sell for about $15 to $30 per computer.

Beware of the cheaper switchboxes that are little more than a mechanical switch, selling in the $15 to $40 range. The cheaper switchboxes do not contain the necessary electronics to fool the computers into thinking that they are connected to a real monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Also, mechanically switching keyboards while power is applied may damage the electronics. Use of a true KVM switch eliminates these problems.

I also like the fact that a KVM switch is cheaper than purchasing additional monitors. By buying one large monitor plus a KVM switch, I can use the large monitor on all the computers at a much lower cost than that of purchasing separate monitors for each computer.

Here is a suggestion: the next time you think about upgrading to a new computer, purchase a KVM switch in lieu of a new monitor. Then place your new computer alongside your old system along with a new KVM switch. You can then use your old monitor on both your old system and the new system, side-by-side, for less money than that of a new system plus new monitor.

Even better, connect the two computers together by network cards so that the two can share printers, hard drives, and other peripherals. You can also make backups across the network from one computer to the other. But information on networking home computers is a subject for another article in a later newsletter …

Here are the Web addresses of two of the better-known KVM switch manufacturers: www.linksys.com/Products/group.asp?grid=30 and http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatSectionView.process?Section_Id=56.

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