IOGEAR intros MiniView Micro DVI PS/2 KVM switch
By Donald Melanson 
posted Aug 14th 2007 9:04AM
posted Aug 14th 2007 9:04AM
IOGEAR already has more KVM switches to its credit than most, but it looks like the company has managed to find a bit more room for improvement, today introducing its new MiniView Micro DVI PS/2 model. As you may have surmised, this one will let two computers share a DVI monitor (at up to 1600 X 1200 and 60Hz) along with a PS/2 mouse, a keyboard, a microphone, and a set of speakers. To switch between computers, you simply press the small button that can be placed on your desk, leaving the remaining jumble of cables free to be discreetly tucked away. If that sounds like the KVM switch for you, you can grab one now for $160.
Cute, but... ps/2 k&m, still?
1600x1200, what is the point for the DVI connection???? IO Gear is missing it here...The button design is a copy from Belkin's Flip series: http://www.belkin.com/flip/
Belkin also has a DVI flip that sells for less with better resolution support...
$160? Seems a bit... pricey. I mean, the one I have at work cost $30 and switches without any button at all by double-tapping the scroll-lock key on the keyboard.
I still have PS2 machines, and I would like to have a KVM to switch between my Windows and Ubuntu machines. This is a bit much, however. (Cool as it is.)
More mundane ones are much less expensive.
I'd rather have USB over PS/2 as thats all I have, but DVI is pretty cool I imagine its only a matter of time before a DVI/USB version hits.
The whole ps/2 thing is going to kill KVM's unless they can figure out a solution. I bought a nice new usb mouse a few months ago and found out that there are no decent USB KVM's. Most of them work by connecting and disconnecting your mouse each time you switch screens (lame much?), and the ones that don't emulate to the lowest common denominator, breaking all the fancy buttons on your mouse.
Why make a a DVI switch with PS/2? Most computers don't even ship with PS/2 anymore. That and any computer with DVI would have USB...
Still with the ps/2 eh?
I still haven't figured out why it's so hard to make a USB/DVI KVM switch, but apparently it's insanely hard since every new one of these things that come out is either USB/VGA or PS2/DVI.
By the time they get them out, there will be a new video connector standard available.
You're correct. It's called DisplayPort 1.1.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort
As everyone is pointing out, PS/2 is stupid. Most computers that have PS/2 also have USB if they were made in this decade.
But IOGEAR's real lack of clue is the fact that their KVM switches only go up to 1600 x 1200. Do they even realize there are a lot of monitors out there, and have been for years, that go way beyond that? And people with multiple monitors are likely also clued into that fact. I called their tech support about that issue about a year ago and they told me they have no plans to support monitors with 1900x1200 or higher resolution.
Talk about clue-impaired.
Nice. VGA + PS/2. Exactly what I needed...
So, I'm totally with the folks above when questioning the PS/2 DVI combo. I'm a Mac guy, so I don't even know what PS/2 is (ok, I do, but I've never had it).
We've had USB on Macs for since 1999. Most PCs shipping within the last 5 years have had USB. Last, and most importantly, DVI has only been shipping on computers within the last several years, which is pretty much the same time frame as USB.
STUPID PRODUCT.
That said, I've returned 3 Belkin DVI switches, so maybe when IOGear gets their product line modernized, I'll try them out.
Sorry for the rant, but this product really irritates me.
Cheers,
Randy
I have a Gefen USB/DVI 2-Port KVM that works pretty well, and runs @ 1920x1200 max.
However they are very expensive [I paid 150$ for mine], but also sport excellent customer service.
I have to admit, this is sort of exactly what I'm looking for. I have a 1920x1200 monitor that I want to share the DVI connection for with my laptop and desktop, but all of the available switches are expensive or have terrible reviews or, usually, both. You've had good luck with the Gefen?
Yes, it works fine. I don't know about the audio switching, I never use it, but it switches back and forth well. If you're doing something [like playing an MMO] on the computer you're switching too, it can take a few seconds for the mouse and keyboard to come back. You can fix that problem by setting the MMO to a lower priority value. This isn't noticeable in any other fashion I've found.
I have the Avocent 4-port Switchview DVI/USB w/ audio. along w/ the cables from Startech.com.
I personally run it @ 1680x1050 (advertized max is 1920 x 1200) Switches between my WinXP and Linux boxes and Works like a champ. It's pricey though....
Seems a bit pricey for a cable KVM, DVI or not. DVI support for up to 1600x1200 seems to miss the point.