2 Pcs With One Monitor?

[healimonster]

This is kind of an open ended question to anyone who bought a new computer and kept their old monitor and pc.

So you use your new pc but what do you do with the old PC? Not looking for give it to your daughter or use it in the kitchen type answers.

The only thing I can think of using an extra PC for would be to use a MP3 player, email reader, instant messenger, while I am gaming full screen on the other PC. But that would require another monitor.

Or perhaps if you soup the thing up as a media pc with tivo like characteristics. I could hide it near the tv. But that costs money.

So back to the two PCs at one desk with one monitor. I guess there are those switching devices. We have some at work, you click a button, the monitor flashes and your now controlling a new pc. Not ideal, but what are those called and what do they go for (US &#036?

My other thought is:
Does anything like this exist, a cheap small (in foot print and in screen size) maybe 9 inches LCD monitor exist? My 1 CRT monitor takes up most of the space on my desk so getting another crt monitor is not an option. But since this monitor does not need to have very good image capabilities, since it would only be used for messaging it could be very crappy. If a game-boy screen was only slightly larger.

Thanks for any ideas

[3RA1N1AC]

Originally posted by healimonster@19 November 2003 - 10:23
We have some at work, you click a button, the monitor flashes and your now controlling a new pc. Not ideal, but what are those called and what do they go for (US &#036?

KVM Switch. KVM = Keyboard/VGA/Mouse. Belkin makes good quality KVMs, and they just started selling really low-priced ones recently.

$60 for the one with detachable cables--
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage...oduct_Id=134809

$65 for the one with cables permanently attached--
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage...oduct_Id=134802

if you need the switch to include a USB connection, i think it'll cost quite a bit more, though.
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage...oduct_Id=122146

[vivitron 15]

slightly different, you could run VNC on them, and access one pc torugh the other...but i guess itd be nicer to have a little 9" screen

maybe, if it has a TV output, you could get one of them portable TVs?

[Darth Sushi]

You can buy this KVM for about $35.00-$40.00 online. I bought mine at the Amazon place. Not good for laptop use. (Linksys KVM2KIT ProConnect Integrated KVM 2-Port Switch)

[3RA1N1AC]

Originally posted by vivitron 15@19 November 2003 - 12:47
slightly different, you could run VNC on them, and access one pc torugh the other...

yeah, i like VNC too. especially since the second computer only needs a power cord and a network cable, then.