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Mac USB & FireWire

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. MoniSwitch USB

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.

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