| Author |
Message |
    
Kevin R. Paglia
Wandering Member
Post Number:
138
Registered: 07-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - 11:45 am: |   |
I am looking for a product for my computer and I have no idea if it exists. What we have is two CPU's (one was a freebie) but only one monitor, keyboard and printer. What I want is a hub that will allow me to plug two CPU's into it and have them go to one monitor (not at the same time). Does this really exist or am I just crazy, or both?
Kevin |
Fred Dungan
Unity Member
Post Number:
1297
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - 12:25 pm: | |
By CPU, do you mean that you have two processing chips, or (more likely) that you have two computers? Why have two computers if you are only going to be using one keyboard and one monitor? A simple alternative would be to remove the hard drive (the memory) from one computer and put it into the other. Then you can switch back and forth between the two computers (Let's say Drive E and Drive F) with a click of the mouse.
http://www.fdungan.com/vigilantes.htm |
Olen Armstrong
Hsympothai Member
Post Number:
386
Registered: 06-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - 01:34 pm: | |
Kevin P.,
I'm setup just that way in my office at home. I use older stuff so there's probably something that will work that's even newer and shinier if you look around.
I use a Belkin multiport switch box. The monitor, keyboard and mouse plug into it, and cables run from it to my 2 CPUs (1-P4 Compaq with XP and 1-P3 Dell with Win98). They're also both networked via an old 10Megabit e-net hub to move data between them as I see fit. I don't need speed, and I'm a cheap old bastard, so 10Meg is fine wiht me.
I set the printer up on the XP and access it thru the network for the P3 (P3 sees it as a network attached printer rather than a local attached).
This let's me do two CPU-intensive jobs at once by just switching back and forth between systems. Even as I'm typing right now, my P3 is capturing song files from some 20-yr-old casettes I found in the closet. (I capture them as raw WAV files, then use some freeware to convert to MP3 to save storage space. I keep freeware on the WIN98 to make sure it will work ok. XP is...suspect.)
I'm using the P4 online right now. Handy stuff.
You could also just use a network and some software like NetOp or PCAnywhere or Remote Desktop to capture one unit's desktop from the other one. That's a little clunkier to use but do-able. One unit runs everything and you then just tell it to become the other unit by using the IP address. A bit of a learning curve there but simple to set up if you can do a network. AND you can do a network with a single direct cross-over cable between two PCs. You're limited to only the 2 but if that's all you need, go for it. I use my extra network hub ports to play with my family's machines and diddle with laptops, so I need a hub. But a single cable could do it, so the "network" can be cut to ultimate simplicity. Actually Remote Desktop comes with XP Pro. XP Home only has the "guest" end so you would need XP Pro or better on one machine for the "host" end ("host" allows someone else to enter his house. "Guest" enters someone else's house. "Host" can also be a "guest".)
I prefer my hardware solution. A simple click of a button and I switch machines with full use of my mouse and keyboard. I'd suggest a multiport switch with a network solution (a crossover cable) for the printer. If both are XP, it'll probably setup the network for you.
Hope that helps.
Later,
Olen A. |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
2413
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 01:12 pm: | |
all of you great knowers of computer things, I sincerely applaud all of you. I have been having on hell of a time lately with my computers. This is mostly just a test message, so I;ll stop now.....
Claudia
MINDSIGHT MODERATOR
|
Laurel Johnson
Unity Member
Post Number:
4163
Registered: 01-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 01:34 pm: | |
Yes. I am just eternally grateful if my computer turns on and the satellite connection is working so I can read my email. And I rejoice if my Word files are not lost or screwed up. If I click on the little house at the top of my browser and Mindsight comes up, I'm thrilled. Anything further than that...
I'm brain boggled.
The Grass Dance
The Alley of Wishes
Color of Laughter, Color of Tears
My Name is Esther Clara - coming soon
|
Pacwriter
Unity Member
Post Number:
2152
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 01:34 pm: | |
Drop by the thrift store
Habitat for Humanity
salvation army
these places have monitors for around $10.
Be easier than changing back and forth.
http://www.perrycomer.com
|
Todd Hunter
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
2923
Registered: 02-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 02:18 pm: | |
I was down to one monitor for a while...
I simply let the other computer sit until I got a new one...
More hassle than it's worth to set up a data switch, methinks...
As Perry mentioned, you can find extra hardware pretty cheap out there...
Mindsight Moderator
Check out the musings over at Aston's new blog
|
Olen Armstrong
Hsympothai Member
Post Number:
388
Registered: 06-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 05:30 pm: | |
I don't disagree.
It's WONDERFUL once it's set up, but a bit of a hassle to get it arranged.
And there is that money thing. (Although being a cheap bastard helps me keep that to a minimum.)
But it expands your storage to include ALL of the hardrives in both units.
And it lets you do multiple jobs at once. Or if you're waiting on one big job to complete, you can listen to tunes on the other while playing Spider Solitaire, all without bogging anything down.
DOH!!??!
My secret's out.
Don't tell my wife. She thinks I'm doing heavy-duty important stuff in here with all this hardware.
Later,
Olen A |
Pacwriter
Unity Member
Post Number:
2153
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 05:44 pm: | |
I have three networked - two desktops and one laptop
playing with all the hardware takes time away from productive work
But, I can read off one screen and dictate to the other - makes editing a lot easier.
Speaking of hardware - my after Christmas present is going to be opti-pen. A hand-held scanner that doesn't need to be connected to the computer and can scan 100 pages then download to the puter -- hee hee can't wait 
http://www.perrycomer.com
|
Olen Armstrong
Hsympothai Member
Post Number:
389
Registered: 06-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 06:10 am: | |
Pacwriter-
Let us know about that pen scanner. I checked it out from afar but couldn't bring myself to spend even-more $$ on yet-another hardware toy that I couldn't really justify for myself. I don't really NEED one.
Seemed to be pretty cool, especially if you have a real need for quick simple scanning anywhere anytime.
Later,
Olen A |
Pacwriter
Unity Member
Post Number:
2154
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 10:10 am: | |
My plan is to use it at the library for research. Rather than feed quarters into the copier, I can scan at the table and not lose concentration. It would take 800 copies to justify the expense but as they say, convenience comes with a price.
http://www.perrycomer.com
|
Harry Simenon
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
809
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 04:57 pm: | |
Got myself a Mac some time ago, and gave the Wintel to my son.
No more blue screens, strange messages like Error at 234$#5e4235 sector4255$#2t etc.
And no virusses.
Finally got time to write, instead of being a maintenance man.
I did switch from google to clusty though. |
Todd Hunter
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
2929
Registered: 02-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 18, 2005 - 05:34 am: | |
Since I popped in some extra memory and bought a video card, I rarely get blue screens anymore...
And with Win98SE, most of the viruses don't bother with me...Norton usually stops the rest.
Mindsight Moderator
Check out the musings over at Aston's new blog
|
Kevin R. Paglia
Wandering Member
Post Number:
139
Registered: 07-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 10:18 am: | |
Thanks for the advise, y'all. We were given the second CPU (is that an outdated term? I mean the tower) by a co-worker of my wife. Our plan is to have the kids and all their games run off of one and I would have all my serious stuff off the other. This came about cause the kids tend to crash the older tower thingy. All my writing stuff will be on the non-internet connected tower, hopefully this will help protect me a little. Now that I know what to ask for I found a couple potentials at Amazon.
Kevin |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page