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How to share a keyboard and mouse between two computers

Method 1: Input Director

Input Director is a windows-exclusive program that allows you to control more than one computer without using more than one keyboard and mouse. With input director, you simply control both computers with the keyboard and mouse, and press a certain hotkey to change which computer you would like to control.

You can either use the hotkey method, or just move the cursor off the screen, and it will appear on the other computer, allowing you to use the keyboard for that one instead.

My favorite feature about input director, is the ‘clipboard’ feature. This feature allows you to copy something from one computer, and paste it on another computer. It’s very handy. Also, please note that the only systems that currently support Input Director are Windows 2000 (SP4), Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista. And may I please remind you that, the computers you wish to control simultaneously must be networked.

To download Input Director, go here http://www.inputdirector.com/downloads.html.

Method 2: Synergy

Synergy is very similar to Input Director, but is just as good. A nice little feature about Synergy is that it can control computers, even if they are different operating systems, which is really helpful if (like a lot of people) you have an XP and Vista. To change the computer you wish to control, just move the mouse off the screen, it’s as simple as that.

Synergy also supports the ‘Clipboard’ feature. My favorite feature of Synergy, though, is the fact it automatically synchronizes the screen savers of the computer’s it is controlling, so they start and stop at the same time. And, in addition to that, it can password-unlock all the computers with one password, so no need to go around unlocking all of the computers if they automatically lock.

To download Synergy, go here http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=59275&release_id=406637.

The way both Synergy and Input Director work are the same, and it’s a very simple concept - It’s basically remote controlling a computer, without the real time screen appearing. Both software have their basis around a slave and master system, so only one computer is actually being controlled by a keyboard and mouse, but that computer almost mimics the actions onto the other computer, as if the ‘master’ is controlling the ’slave’.

The only problem I’ve found with the two programs, is sometimes the lack of compatibility, as Input Director does not support mac, or all that many Operating Systems really. Synergy supports a few more, but it’s still a hassle changing your computer’s operating systems to get this to work.