OT: Doing the 2 Keyboard Shimmy?

Grazie wrote on 12/11/2003, 12:29 AM

Not a Life 'n Death thing . . but . . . it would improve my working practices . . . .

Anybody got tips or ways to "juggle" 2 keyboards?

You all know that I come here to read and add comments. . . . it provides me with a much needed break/change from "zooming" up and down the T/L. Apart from that, I learnt heaps and heaps from y'll!

However, I forget which k/b I'm on! Sometimes this can be annoying! I can be working in S-V, click on our Forum - other mouse here - and start tapping! . . You've guessed right . . . Sometimes I'm doing it the other way round . . . "Why aint S-V responding?!?!" . . . errrr, try the other k/b chum?

So, what/how do you juggle these lumps of plastic?

Grazie

Comments

TorS wrote on 12/11/2003, 12:52 AM

Morning, Grazie
Don't you think it's in the brain of the behaver?

Anyway, I use 2 pcs - one for music and video, one for text and internet. And I have a chair with wheels on it (no, it's not a wheelchair - yet) so I slide ever so elegantly sideways (yes, I am a crab of sorts) from one workstation to the other. Have you seen Playtime (Jacques Tati)? There's a scene in there that shows exactly how I move along my desk between the pcs (pronounced peaces). Shimmy, my foot. I'm doing the Watoosi (you're not into Bonzo Dog, are you?).
Tor

Grazie wrote on 12/11/2003, 1:40 AM

Yo Torsie!

Yup I could do this. I was thinking there was another option. But yes I'll do the "Intro-Outro" - Bonzo Dog, ho yes, very much. YOU might have done the FZ thingy, but I nearly sat on Niel Innes's guinea pig - He brought it along to a party back in 1973! Was it Niel? ermmmm . . I'm thinking it was the guy with the ginger hair . . what was his name? - Think he was the lead singer . . . . what WAS his name?!?

Haven't seen JT's film .. i don't think so . . but I'm a great fan of the genre . . .

. . you do mean Bonzo Dog DooDah Band - yeah?

Good to hear from you - hey Friday nites aint the same since the Vikings landed at the South Bank,

Grazie

TorS wrote on 12/11/2003, 3:07 AM

It's Neil Innes.
But the singer's name was Vivian Stanshall. Died in a fire 2 or 3 years ago. Used to live in a house-boat on the Thames somewhere. If you can find his "Sir Henry at Rawlinson End" album, buy it. I don't think any other one album has given me so many hours of fun.
Tor

Grazie wrote on 12/11/2003, 4:58 AM

( shimmies over to keyboard on rolling chair . . starts typing . . ) yes, Viv Stanshall! That was him! - Yeah, nearly crushed his guinea pig . . .

Grazie

( rolls back to Vegas project . . )

TorS wrote on 12/11/2003, 6:17 AM

So that's where that idea came from (quoting):
... The body of Doris Hazard's pekinese, unwittingly asphixiated beneath her husband's bottom during a wine and middle-aged spread do at the great house, after the ritual fortnight in the Rawlinson fridge, has been given over to Old Scrotum, the wrinkled retainer, for indecent burial under Sir Henry's giant marrow.

He must have gotten the idea from you, when you sat on his guinea pig. What a splendid way to enter the history of literature! Garzie - congratulations!
Tor

Randy Brown wrote on 12/11/2003, 7:02 AM

Good morning guys,
You do realize that you can use one keyboard for 2 PCs with a KVM switch, right?
Randy

Rogueone wrote on 12/11/2003, 7:04 AM

That, or if 2 actual keyboards are needed, have you considered different colors?

Ben

Grazie wrote on 12/11/2003, 7:12 AM

Good morning guys, . .HAH! it's now 3:00pm in London - nice salutation though . . .

You do realize that you can use one keyboard for 2 PCs right? . . errr .. wrong . . . I didn't know that Randy.

Okay dokey, how does one go about that? All I can think is that I would unplug it from one pc and then plug it into the other . . . neat solution Randy . . but geeze, I really giss yer downt mean that - does yah?!?

I like the idea of 2 colours . . betcha I'd still pick up the wrong one - Colour Correction for K/Bs? Perhaps BB can do a tute for it?

Grazie

Randy Brown wrote on 12/11/2003, 7:17 AM

I bought this one ($14) and it works fine for me:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=557842&Sku=A225-1310&CatId=80

You being in the UK though, I'd just do a google search for "KVM switch". This also frees up one of your monitors to use elsewhere (because both PCs are using the same monitor). Of course if you want/need to see both monitors simultaneousy forget everything I just said : )

Randy

jetdv wrote on 12/11/2003, 7:18 AM

Grazie, do a web search for KVM switches. A KVM switch will allow you to share a single (K)eyboard, (V)ideo monitor, and (M)ouse between two (or more) PC's.

Grazie wrote on 12/11/2003, 7:29 AM

Randy & Ed, thank you very much. I didn't know any of this at all! Brilliant!

I'll do some Yuletime Research . . .

Grazie

Grazie wrote on 12/11/2003, 7:39 AM

How on Earth does it work?? . . I've sourced a UK company supplying a Belkin device . . but I can't yet see how it would operate? I've read the product info AND I read a review on the Belkin . . but I'm at a loss to see how I would "switch" from one device to the other . . not very clear.

Grazie

jetdv wrote on 12/11/2003, 7:40 AM

You run your keyboard, monitor, and mouse to the device. The device then has wires that run from it to each computer. Different devices allow switching in different ways. One we have here, you just push a button on it and it switches between the two computers.

Randy Brown wrote on 12/11/2003, 7:49 AM

Grazie, Edward explained it perfectly but I just want to add...remember you're only using one monitor, so when Edward says "switches between the two computers" he's saying you see the contents on one PC, you hit the button(s) and then see the contents of the other PC(s).
Randy

Grazie wrote on 12/11/2003, 7:53 AM

Ed, I've got two pcs - Laptop and the Vegas machine. The Vegas machine has 2 LCD monitors. The Laptop 1 LCD monitor. I don't want to switch the monitors around just the k/b . . then again maybe my USB wireless mouse . . So, there is actually a "physical" button/switch on the KVM device?

Grazie

Liam_Vegas wrote on 12/11/2003, 10:06 AM

I have a similar setup.... a Laptop and Desktop (the Desktop with two monitors). I usually keep the laptop shut and just work everything through the one keyboard/mouse and switch one of the displays between the laptop and the desktop. It works great. It keeps me from having to turn myself around from one position to another in order to work on the different systems.

If you don;t switch the displays as well you'll fijnd that the keyboard is not positioned comfortably to work with both systems. Also... I bet you'll have the same problem that you currently have... unless you switch both the keyboard mouse and display you will forget which PC you are working on.. example... you are working on your desktop... it is time to look at the Sony Vegas forum so you turn to look at the laptop monitor... and then start moving the mouse and typing (nothing happens on the laptop)... as you have forgotten to press the switch or whatever... so you are still working on the desktop. Having the screens switch takes away that issue entirely and means you have absolute feedback as to which system you are on.

In my setup the KVM has a keyboard sequence to switch the systems... so I just have to press a couple of keys on my keyboard and I am instantly working on the other computer.

Grazie wrote on 12/11/2003, 10:32 AM

Thanks Liam . . hmmmm.... food for thought eh? - You've exactly nailed what I was thinking I was gonna get happening - yeah . . . . think on . . .

Grazie

BrianStanding wrote on 12/15/2003, 8:59 AM

I have two desktop machines sharing a keyboard, mouse and one monitor with a KVM switch. I hit [Scroll Lock}{Scroll Lock}{Up Arrow} to switch between the two PCs. My edit machine is a dual-monitor setup, while my internet machine is just a single monitor. This makes it easy to monitor rendering progress on the second monitor while I'm sufin' the 'net on the other machine.

I also have two different Windows color schemes on each machine to make it easy to tell which machine is which.

J_Mac wrote on 12/15/2003, 9:17 AM

I have a similar setup and put the Task Bar on the bottom part of the screen on my Video machine, and on the top on the Internet PC. Makes it visually obvious, also different Desktop display is the most obvious , as mentioned. Also, if you have 'monitor out' on your Lap Top, you can use it for your 2nd display on one LCD, depending on your card specs. John

Grazie wrote on 12/15/2003, 9:38 AM

Ho! You guys are too much! Some really good ideas. . . I'l need to sit down over the Hols and think my way through it all.

Thanks again,

Grazie