Three years ago, we featured Switchview, a useful little device from Cybex that let you run up to four machines from a single monitor, keyboard and mouse. Cybex has since merged with Apex, another KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) specialist, to form Avocent, the company that has developed this updated model. New features include a four-port USB1.1 hub and support for USB input on the client machines.

Along the front of the smart, matt-black box, measuring 140 x 210 x 45mm, are the hub ports, PS/2 inputs for a keyboard and mouse, and a silver button switch with a blue status light for each of the four clients. On the back are four corresponding client port sets (two PS/2, one USB and one video per machine), a single video-out for the monitor and a port for Flash upgrades. Combo leads are available to minimise tangles.

Ignoring the USB features, the device works flawlessly. But the mouse on a USB-linked Windows ME PC was slow to wake up. The hub, which lets machines share devices such as a printer, was trickier still because you have to beware of switching live links. USB drives are a hassle, even if inactive when you switch. We got repeated 'unsafe removal' warnings.

To avoid still more prompts, all USB-linked machines need drivers for all linked devices. Hot keys will lock the hub to one machine, but they could confuse novices.

Switchview can double as a docking station, allowing you to hook in a laptop. We used it to extend the display of a notebook running XP to the desktop monitor so we could view different documents on each. We also used it to share a monitor between a Mac (with a suitable adaptor) and three PCs. You can switch the keyboard and mouse if the Mac has a USB port.

Contact: Avocent 01344 668 049
www.avocent-europe.com

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