Cybex KVM SwitchView

by Jason Clark on August 12, 1999 10:11 PM EST
Introduction
The requirement for more than one computer in today's household is on the rise - more and more IT Professionals are working from home. When does the need for a KVM unit arise? Well, there are many uses for these devices, ranging from server rooms to development machines, and virtually in any scenario where you would want to control multiple machines from a single station. I, myself, run a business from home. I have a complete development studio setup from where I do all my work, and this unit already makes my life alot easier. Even with the salaries that most IT professionals make, buying multiple monitors & keyboards can get quite pricey. The solution to this is the KVM (Keyboard, Video and mouse) Switch unit.

Cost
These units can range from US$140 to well over US$1000. KVM units come with all sorts of different features: PS/2 support, serial support, OSD (On Screen Display), and more. The unit we are looking at is the Cybex SwitchView 4-Port. This unit is a tad more expensive than some of the other 4-port offerings (e.g. Belkin OmniView). But for the difference in price, which is approx. US$40, the SwitchView has some things going for it that definitely make up for that cost difference. The SwitchView retails at approximately US$200, while a similar Belkin model will run you approximately US$160.

The "Other" guys
In many of the computer stores that carry cabling, you have probably seen those cheap switch boxes that are under $50. Stay away from these if you want to actually see one image instead of 10 :). There is a big difference between the unit we are discussing and those $24.99 switchboxes. The Cybex unit and other units like it utilize different technology that produces a cleaner image, and a more reliable unit.

Functionality & Specs
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