[TriLUG] USB KVM, etc. (was: Video card recommendations?)

[Matt Matthews]

On Fri, Mar 01, 2002 at 06:12:05PM -0500, John Franklin wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 28, 2002 at 01:21:36PM -0500, Kevin - The Alchemist - Sonney wrote:
> > Best Buy has the two-port model in stock - at least the one at new Hope
> > Commons did yesterday.
> 
> The Best Buy in Crossroads has a two-port USB-KVM open-box item.  At
> least they did this afternoon when I was there.

Ok, I went for it, and violated one of my own personal rules, and got bit by
the consequences.

Matt's Rule #2: Never buy anything over $50 from a store just as they're
closing.

*sigh*

When I say USB KVM, I mean "a KVM that allows both USB inputs and outputs,
without reliance on PS/2". AFAICT, this is not such a beast. It has PS/2
connectors for the common keyboard and mouse, but no shared USB hub. This
means you *STILL* have to have a PS/2 keyboard and mouse, which I don't have.
I use a keyboard with a 2-port USB hub built-in and plug my USB mouse into
that hub. So this KVM doesn't do me any good.

Having audio that switches would be nice, if this KVM worked.  Which it
doesn't. It looks like the reason that it is an open-box item is that it is
broken. Thanks Best Buy. I love you too.

That griping aside, thanks to John for giving me the heads up on what could
have been my ideal solution. You earn lots of good karma for that, despite my
moronitude.

Looks like Stay Online stocks a KVM that'll serve my purposes and I'll be
headed there tomorrow, by way of giving Best Buy the finger and this broken
KVM, to get one.

Now, for the next question: anyone ever used USB speakers with Linux? That
seems the ideal way around the "my KVM doesn't do audio switching" problem.

Regards,
matt

PS. Matt's Rule #1: Never begin working on a computer hardware project after
midnight.

PPS. Bob & Todd's Corollary: The beer-to-new-hardware-installed ratio should be
kept as close to 1:1 as possible.

-- 
Matt Matthews     \ ph: 919.660.2811        \ Use GNU/Linux  _o) w00t
Duke Univ., Postdoc\ jvmatthe at math.duke.edu  \____________   /\\
Dept. of Mathematics\ http://www.math.duke.edu/~jvmatthe/ \ _\_V