PC Magazine recently released an
article about
a new program by Stardock called
Multiplicity that allows users to seamlessly work with more than one
computer and monitor with just one keyboard and mouse. The two products
that people try to compare this program to are a KVM switch and Windows XP
Remote Desktop. KVM switches and remote desktops are different products
used for different reasons and the following will attempt to clear up any
confusion one might have when comparing
Multiplicity to them.
Isn't Multiplicity just like a KVM switch?
The answer to this question is no. KVM, short for keyboard,
video and mouse, is a piece of hardware that, by pressing a button or turning a
switch, allows a user to toggle between multiple computers on the same monitor.
To get a better understanding of a KVM switch I traveled down the hall to take a
look at the one that we are currently using. Yes, here at Stardock we use
a KVM switch at a public workstation that connects multiple computers to one
monitor, keyboard and mouse instead of using Multiplicity because at the
workstation we do not need to see the activity of each computer at the same
time. The KVM switch, being hardware, takes time to hook up and, in my
attempt to hook one up long ago, is not the easiest of chores. Also, in
order to switch between the computers, a manual task must be performed, which
can be a time consuming task especially if you don't know which computer belongs
to which button. Multiplicity,
on the other hand, is software that connects two or more computers that
are on the same network to give the user the ability to use one mouse and one
keyboard with multiple computers and monitors. The software has a guided
installation that makes it fairly easy to set-up and no hardware, except for a
mouse, is required to switch between monitors. A user simply drags their
mouse from one screen to the next or assigns a hot key to be able to use the
other computers. Multiplicity also allows more than one computer to share
a clipboard so that you can easily copy images and text from one computer to
another and it even lets you copy folders and files from one computer to
the next without having to put everything on a local drive.
So than Multiplicity is a Remote Desktop, right?
Again, the answer is no. A remote desktop is capable of hooking up to
another computer over a network giving you access to all of the other computer's
files and programs but is still limiting you to one monitor. For example,
if I work in an IT department and I need to take a look at someone's computer
but I don't feel like walking over to their desk, I can remotely connect to the
person's computer and navigate it from my computer and monitor to find out what
is wrong. It essentially brings other computers to your desktop.
Multiplicity is used with multiple
computers and multiple monitors that are physically at your desk and lets you
switch between them seamlessly.
Multiplicity can let you use and view one old computer for chatting and
surfing the internet while using another high powered computer for video and
graphics. You can switch between each individual computer and view both
computers on separate monitors at the same time.
Stardock
offers a free basic
trial version of Multiplicity. Give it a try and get a better understanding
of how it is different from a KVM switch and a remote desktop.