Review on IOGEAR 4 Port Switch Cables GCS1764 by Sam Hawj

I bought this unit because of the 1920x1200 resolution, DVI and audio inputs and 4 ports. The device exceeded my expectations. This device is tiny! Less than 11 inches wide and 4 inches deep. It's about the size of a 3-hole table punch or a household aerosol can. KVM cables and power connect at the rear, and the console connects at the front. But the device is solid. The case is metal, not plastic, unlike some of the cheaper KVMs. You can put different things on it. I connected it to a computer running Windows Vista and to a computer running Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Everything worked perfectly. All computers run at 1920 x 1200 at 60 Hz. Switching from computer to computer takes about 2 seconds. With smaller screens, the switching times can be shorter. Ports are hot-pluggable, so you can move connections from one port to another with ease. The device beeps when changing ports. The device has an automatic scan function that goes through all active computers. Autoscan displays each port for 5 seconds and then moves to the next port. Oh it comes with HOT KEYS! Instead of reaching for the KVM switch, press the SCRL-LOCK key twice, type the number of the computer you want to switch to, and then press ENTER. KVM switches and your hands stay on the keyboard. (For us Linux folks who type A LOT, this saves time). There are other hotkey combinations as well. Finally, a 2-port USB hub is built into the back of the device. You can connect things like USB printers, webcams and other devices and then share them with all computers. I don't know how well it works. Probably depends on what software you're using. I am very, very happy with the IOGear device. Would recommend to friends, family and colleagues. Some notes: 1) According to the manual, the maximum resolution is 1600x1200. The page says 1920x1200. Revane says 1920x1200. The instructions are out of date. 2) When installing KVM, you need to enable KVM and then turn on the computers. I did it the other way around and couldn't get 1920x1200. Also, some computers may need to be restarted when connecting the KVM port. Depending on hardware, graphics card and operating system. 3) When you start computers after connecting to KVM, they may appear with a lower screen resolution than usual. Again, it depends on the hardware, graphics card, monitor, and operating system. Just adjust the settings. I'm so glad I have KVM with sound. That's cool!