What Is It?

A freeware application that allows you to control multiple systems using the same keyboard and mouse. It is a software substitute for the keyboard and mouse part of a Hardware KVM (Keyboard-Video-Mouse) switch. You need a monitor for each system and you need to be able to easily view them from where the keyboard and mouse you are using are positioned.

Why Would You Want It?

To be able to control two or more computers, each with its own monitor, from the same keyboard and mouse. The obvious uses are:

• Where you operate 2 computers from the same desk position.
• Where you plug your laptop into your home network and want to use your main keyboard and mouse to operate it.

I am sure there are other uses but the fact that you need a monitor attached to each PC/Laptop restricts the number of computers unless you are going to have some sort of multi-monitor wall.

Why Do I Want It?

I have a slightly different reason for using it. I have a main computer with a multi-monitor (2 monitor) setup. This is the PC I use for most things. You can see the setup in the photo above. It uses a Samsung SyncMaster 913N as the primary monitor and a Tatung LCD TV as the secondary monitor. This means I can watch TV or use the monitor or use the Picture in Picture feature of the TV to watch both. (I am a bit of a sports fan so I find this a good way of using my PC and following some of my favorite sports ) The degree of “sadness” in my overall setup also involves another LCD TV and a Slingbox but more of that another time.

Getting back to the point. The Tatung LCD TV/Monitor is also attached by a KVM to a second PC which I use as a server and also to take the load of my main PC (when I am trying to do several things at the same time without having the main PC grind to a halt). I also attach my laptop to the home network some times and this sits just to the right and below the Tatung (at desk level). Until a year ago I used the KVM quite happily for the 2 PCs and swivelled round in my seat for the occasional use of the laptop. The usefulness of the KVM was restricted when I purchased a Logitech G15 keyboard which needed to be connected directly to the main computer via USB to function properly. I had to resort to using a second keyboard and mouse for the second PC, just using the KVM to switch the Tatung between being the secondary monitor for the main system and the primary monitor for the server. ( I also used Windows remote desktop but that can be the subject of another post).

When I saw a post on Raymond.CC this morning it prompted me to have a look at Input Director and I was not disappointed. Not only does it solve my problem of the second keyboard and mouse for the server but it also means I can control my laptop on the occasions when it is connected to the network.

Raymond.cc also reports on Synergy which is a similar but cross-platform solution. I have experimented with this in the past and it does provide an alternative but somehow I never felt it was quite what I wanted. Maybe if I looked at it again it would meet my needs, I will have to give it a try!

What Does It Do - The Essentials?

Summary:

• Allows use of a single keyboard and mouse for more than one windows PC/Laptop
  (Requires PCs/Laptops to be on a network)
• Shares the clipboard between the PCs (Optional)
• Shutdown Slave PC
• Records/Plays keyboard macros

Pros: What’s Good?

• Freeware

• Comprehensive Options
• Good web based help and FAQs
• Easy to Use (Once set up)

Cons:What’s Not So Good?

• Setup could be more automated*

* The setup is well documented on the Input Director website and if you follow the instructions you should have no trouble.
The process may be challenging for an inexperienced user.

More About What it Does in Detail:

The Input Director website gives a lot of detail about using and setting up the program. I recommend that you read the information in the links at the end of this section if you are going to use Input Director. The overview at the website says:

Input Director is a Windows application that lets you control multiple Windows systems using the keyboard/mouse attached to one computer. It is designed for folks who have two (or more) computers set up at home and find themselves regularly sliding from one system to the other (and wearing out the carpet in the process!). With Input Director, you can share a single keyboard/mouse across a set of systems. You switch which system receives the input either by hotkey or by moving the cursor so that it transitions from one screen to the other (in a very similar fashion to a multi-monitor setup). The idea being that you can position the monitors from two or more systems in a row and use a shared keyboard/mouse to control all of them.

Input Director also supports a “shared” clipboard, in which you can copy data onto the clipboard on one system, transition across to another and paste.

Input Director requires Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP (Service Pack 2) or Window Vista. The systems must be networked.

The following links provide some excellent information on setting up and using Input Director:

About

Quickstart Guide

FAQ

Using Input Director

Installation

Standard Installation options are offered.

Having installed the system and running the program the following screens and menus are provided:

This review will follow the usual format of presenting the majority of information as screenshots backed up by further information where necessary.

(click on any picture to enlarge where necessary)

System Tray Icon

This changes colour depending on the status:

• Red - Master
• Green - Slave
• Gray - Disabled

Right clicking on the systray icon brings up the following dialog:

The options are fairly clear from the screenshot, the main features are described below:

Clicking on Show Input Director brings up the main screen and associated 6 tabs:

The Master Configuration Screen shows options to Add Slave Systems and arrange the orientation of the monitors.

You will also need to configure the system on the Slave PC in the Slave Configuration tab so that the “Slave System” is shown in the Master Configuration screen

Clicking on the Add Button shows the following Enter Hostname screen:

The Input Director site gives information on how to determine the hostname (the computer name which you can locate in System Properties)

Alternatively you can define the “Subnet” using the “Select from List” button:

Having entered the Hostname (which Input Director verifies before you can use it) you are able to arrange the physical location of the screens using the icons in the top box of the Master Configuration tab. There are options to “Scan Slaves” and to allow “Cursor Wraparound”.

When the Master and Slave configurations are set you can then “Enable” the PCs as appropriate using the buttons in the Main tab.

This tab also allows you to Shutdown the PCs, Set Hotkeys and to End the Input Director utility.

The Master Preferences tab allows the setting of various options for the Network, Hotkeys and Screen Edge Transition, There is also a Reset to Defaults button.

The Global Preferences tab allows further options to be set for:

• Startup
• Clipboard
• Slave Settings
• Information Window
• TCP/IP Port
• Cursor “Water Ripple” effect

The information window shows:

This can be resized by dragging with the mouse in the box indicated by the red arrow.

The cursor “Water Ripple” effect is very useful and occurs as the mouse pointer moves from one PC screen to the other allowing you to quickly see where the cursor is, this is dynamic and the screenshot does not do it justice. It is far more effective than the standard windows “mouse trails” feature.

These are all self evident, transparency is set in the Option Tab of the main screen.

Help

There is no onboard help or link shortcuts provided except to the main web site in the “About” Screen available through the systray menu. However the Input Director website provides extensive useful information and a user forum/group.

What are the Technical Details & Compatibility?

What is the My Free Review Experience?

For me this is a very useful program that greatly extends the usability my dual monitor multi PC network.

Personally I rate this as:

Very Useful- (Apparently) Stable - Good options

What Could Make it be Better?

Fix loses focus on current window if cursor inadvertently moved off screen

Better auto installation

Mouse & keyboard “Lost” if local network is interrupted

What Other Posts are Relevant?

TIP - Stop Applications in Windows Stealing Focus

TaskBar Activate - Control Your Windows TaskBar Autohide Features

DeskPins - Help to Stop Other Windows Stealing Focus

TeraCopy - High Speed Copy and Move Files

Daphne - Modify, Control & Kill Processes with Your Mouse

What are the Tags?

Popularity: 54% [?]

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 at 7:33 pm and is filed under Freeware. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.