Review on 🔗 TRENDnet 2-Port USB KVM Switch and Cable Kit, High-Resolution Display, Device Monitoring, Auto-Scan, Audible Feedback, Hot-Pluggable - Compatible with Windows and Linux, White (TK-207K) by Ralph Gerry

I bought this to run a very small form factor IBM laptop which I inexplicably chose to keep my only licensed copy of Microsoft Office on of a full-size keyboard. It got the job done, but with a significant downside: the image on my large, relatively low-resolution desktop monitor does NOT work as if it were a higher-resolution external monitor, instead enlarging the small, low-resolution image to accommodate the to fill the big screen. Screen! Yuki. Slightly surprising as I'm pretty sure the laptop's internal graphics will support a higher resolution external monitor. There MAY be a way to fix this while I'm still using KVM, but I haven't spent much time looking for it because I've found that the default Windows 7 Professional remote desktop connection works much better . It automatically takes advantage of the screen's higher resolution instead of just zooming into a smaller screen. The downside to this approach is that you can't shut down or restart the remote computer, but since the laptop is right next to me, no problem. HOWEVER, I've found an invaluable use for this gizmo - it lets me Dino XP, which I have a few plausible reasons to keep, but dare not leave on all the time without attaching peripherals. Performing this function with an unobtrusive little white box and a few extra cables made it worth it and totally worth the price. Oh yeah. This switch also allows you to intervene in the boot process if you are inclined to do so. I haven't found a single way where the switch doesn't work completely transparently, as if I had a direct connection. Remote Desktop only works on a fully powered-on computer with a booted operating system - it cannot stop the download and go into the BIOS - or restart the download. The KVM performs all routine functions remotely, except for the actual power button.