Review: MoniSwitchUSB- Dan Knight
- 1999.12.08
I've been using a different mouse and keyboard this week.
I didn't have to, but I wanted the full USB experience. I've been using the old ADB version of the MoniSwitch
at work and at home for about a year. All my computers at
home use ADB, and most use Apple's 15-pin video port. But at work, it's a different story. There I have a
couple of Blue G3s in my
cubicle: my work machine and the company backup server. Both
have an ADB port, so I've continued using the MicroSpeed
keyboard and Kensington
Mouse I know and love. I had to use video adapters, and
that prevented me from using the 1280 x 1024 setting on my
Sony Multiscan 500PS monitor. When Eric Prentice of Dr.
Bott LLC approached me about reviewing the MoniSwitchUSB,
I jumped at the opportunity. The MoniSwitch is known as a KVM switch, since it
connects a single keyboard, video device (monitor), and
mouse to multiple computers. Eric was kind enough to include
a Griffin iMate adapter, giving me the option of using my
familiar mouse and keyboard with the MoniSwitch. I tried that at first, proved that it worked, then
replaced them with a Macally iKey
and the original
round Apple mouse that came with the G3. The iKey is a
decent keyboard, but that mouse is another story. Smooth
movement, large mouse, but just the wrong shape. But back to the MoniSwitchUSB, which is far more
attractive than the old version. The original MoniSwitch was beige (not even Apple
platinum) with blue printing and a black knob. It's about 8"
wide and 2.5" high. The connectors on the rear are at an
angle, and there was a tendency for the ADB cables to come
loose when you moved the switchbox. (I solved that by
slightly crimping the MoniSwitch end of each ADB cable.) MoniSwitchUSB is an attractive silver box with black
printing. It has LEDs to let you know it's active and which
computer is selected. It's about 2.75" wide and 6" tall. The
video inputs use the standard Apple 15-pin connector, so it
should be easy to connect legacy Macs. And for compatibility
with today's Macs, the MoniSwitch comes with four 6'
VGA-to-Mac video cables. This lets you connect it not only
to Macs, but also to PCs. (Dr. Bott can supply Apple DB-15
to DB-15 cables, too. Since I'm using Blue G3s, the VGA to
DB-15 cables are what I need.) The USB cables are also 6' long, so the MoniSwitch
needn't be placed too close to your computer. This can be
very helpful if you have a cluster of machines or tower
computers sitting on the floor. Output includes both Mac and VGA ports. There is a single
USB port for connecting your keyboard, mouse, or other USB
accessory. The MoniSwitch draws its power from the host computer, so
there is no power supply to plug into the wall. It simply
passes power to your USB hardware - thus, it may be
necessary to buy a powered USB hub if you wanted to have
more than a mouse and keyboard connected to the
MoniSwitchUSB. Documentation specifically recommends the
Macally iHub7 as "the only USB hub known to us that passes
on the power on signal from the USB keyboard to the attached
computer." Functionally, the biggest differences between the old ADB
version and the MoniSwitchUSB seems to be a delay of several
seconds while the computer polls and mounts the USB devices,
along with support for some resolutions I couldn't use with
the ADB MoniSwitch and various Mac-VGA adapters. (Hint: if
you have the clock in the menu bar showing seconds or
flashing the time separators, that will stop updating while
your computer polls and mounts the USB devices. It will
resume flashing or displaying seconds when the devices are
mounted.) The MoniSwitchUSB is available in two- and four-computer
versions, at US$139 and $199, respectively. Each version
includes any cables necessary to connect it. An optional PCI
Mac Kit ($40 extra) includes a PCI USB card and a
Mac-video-to-VGA cable - it's an inexpensive way to add USB
to PCI Macs that don't already have it. Dr. Bott LLC also sells Mac video cables and USB-to-ADB
adapters, which can be used to connect even older Macs to
the MoniSwitchUSB. After spending several days with the MoniSwitchUSB while
testing some non-Mac USB keyboards, the only improvement I
could suggest would be putting a power key on the MoniSwitch
itself, since PC keyboards tend to lack the key required to
power up a Macintosh. 
12/21/99: Dr.
Bott LLC has announced a new MoniSwitchADB which has the
same styling as the MoniSwitchUSB. - Manufacturers and distributors: Interested in having
your product reviewed? Please read our review
policy.
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