What’s This About?

DisplayFusion (Portable Freeware version*) provides the ability to move and resize windows between monitors in a multi-monitor setup. It also allows you to set wallpaper and backgrounds from photos on your computer or from Flickr. It is a great alternative to the shareware “Ultramon” program.

* There is a shareware upgrade to a Pro version however the Free version does everything that I need.

Why Would You Want It?

If you use a multi-monitor setup (and for a serious computer user the only reasons I think you shouldn’t is lack of money or space) then moving windows, particularly maximized windows between the monitors is something you wan to easily do. The ability of DisplayFusion to move a maximized window from one monitor to another by dragging and dropping makes it worth installing for just this one feature. The addition of hotkey window operations and wallpaper/background management are just an incredible bonus

What Does It Do - The Essentials?

Summary:

• Drag Maximized Windows between monitors/screens
• Move, Size and Maximize Windows with Hotkeys
• Set Separate Images as Screen Background/Wallpaper
• Auto Snap Windows to Monitor edges

Pros: What’s Good?

Features & Benefits

• Freeware

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Popularity: 97% [?]

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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

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Popularity: 38% [?]

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