I have two computers on my desk at work, a PC and a Mac, and occasionally my laptop joins them. At home, I have two PCs next to each other. In both cases, I use the open source software Synergy to control all the computers with a single mouse and keyboard. Synergy allows the cursor to move from screen to screen as though they were one computer. Whichever computer has the cursor also has the keyboard focus. What’s more, Synergy brings the clipboard contents with it (only text between Macs and PCs last I checked).
Just choose one computer to be the server — the computer with the mouse and keyboard attached — and the rest connect as clients. Synergy runs inside the operating system, so don’t expect to modify BIOS settings or select startup options with a remote keyboard.
Installation is easy under Windows (works with Windows 95 through Vista). There is no installer or configuration tool for Macintosh, but the online documentation is quite extensive, and even includes step-by-step instructions to have to launch automatically.
Configuring Synergy uses a somewhat confusing interface. You have to identify each computer which will be connected (even the host) and how the different screens “touch” each other. You have to tell it how to get out from each screen, even if it is the opposite of the way you got on to it. During initial setup you may find your cursor “stranded” on a screen with no way off. Exiting Synergy on that computer will return your cursor to the main screen.
I even leave the Synergy client running on my laptop, so when I open it at work, I can control it with the same keyboard and mouse I always use.
While it isn’t for everyone, there are plenty of multiple-computer users that could benefit from the simplicity of one keyboard, one mouse, and no hassled (well, after setup).
