Recently, Apple finally introduced universal control that has been pigeon for half a year, so that Mac and iPad in the same environment have a very good cross-device collaboration experience. However, not everyone will choose the Apple platform, and with more and more digital devices around us, how to use a set of keyboard and mouse to easily achieve cross-platform collaboration in these devices has become a problem that we must face to improve the efficiency of device use.
▍ Universal control
If you're using apple family buckets, universal control is definitely your best bet. No additional hardware or software is required, just upgrade a supported device to macOS 12.3 to turn it on in The Settings > Display > Universal Control.
Needless to say, Apple's universal control is likely to be the most insensible of all multi-device keyboard and mouse common solutions. Simply place devices with the same Apple ID side by side, and smoothly manipulate and transfer files between multiple devices without any additional setup. And, with the advantages of its own ecology, this solution is not only suitable for Mac, but also for iPad.
In actual use, if it is Apple's own peripherals, it is almost the same as the "perfect experience" envisioned. Whether it's a mouse, trackpad, or keyboard, it's what Apple claims. However, if you use a third-party keyboard and mouse, you will encounter compatibility problems, such as wheel failure, keyboard mapping failure, mouse gesture failure, etc., which seriously affect the user experience.
But it's clear that the downside of universal control is fatal: it only works for devices within the Apple ecosystem. If it is a multi-platform keyboard and mouse common solution, then you can only ask for another clever.
▍ Pure software solution
From the cost point of view, Synergy, borderless mouse, ShareMouse and other multi-platform keyboard and mouse common software is naturally much lower than the hardware. In principle, these software are implemented through the local area network, as long as the local network environment is good, you can also have a good experience. However, different software supports platforms, the number of devices supported, and the actual experience will vary slightly:
01Synergy
Among these software, the well-known Synergy is the first choice for many people. Today, it not only supports Windows, macOS, Linux three mainstream desktop operating systems, and even supports Raspbian raspbian of the Raspberry Pi, and the maximum support is 15 computers to share a set of keys, which can almost meet the needs of almost all individual multi-platform keyboard and mouse sharing.
However, it should be noted that Synergy is no longer a free and open source software, and it is not available for trial. If you want to use it, you must purchase it on the official website: $29 for the Basic version and $39 for the Professional version. In general, if you don't have more than 3 devices to share the needs of the keyboard and mouse, then the basic version of Synergy can meet the needs.
Of course, you can also download the free version of Synergy in some places when it is not yet charged, or the open source software Barrier based on the earlier Synergy code. But because this version has been released for many years, support for new systems and new hardware may be problematic, especially apple chips, which use new architecture computers. Therefore, for stability reasons, it is recommended to purchase the latest version if you can buy it.
Freely arrange combination displays
In addition, Synergy does not support copying and pasting files and folders, and will be divided into servers and clients (that is, only the "server" keypad can control other "clients", and the "client" can not control other devices). If there is also a need for file transfer across platform devices, then other transfer software is also needed to coordinate.
02 Unbounded mouse
Boundless Mouse is Microsoft's official free cross-device keyboard and mouse sharing software, which supports up to 4 computers, and also supports transferring clipboards and dragging and dropping files. Moreover, the device of the unbounded mouse is not divided into the server and the client, and the keyboard and mouse are connected to any PC with the unbounded mouse installed, and another PC set up under the same LAN can be operated.
If the devices you need to share with Keyboard and Mouse are all Windows PCs, then it's definitely the best choice. After all, in terms of experience, the unbounded mouse is the closest solution to the universal control experience under the PC - although you need to install additional software and go through some relatively complex setup process.
Very retro interface design, but the experience is very similar to universal control
03 ShareMouse
ShareMouse is also an old cross-platform keyboard and mouse sharing software, supporting Windows and macOS, and functionally similar to the above-mentioned software, which can support clipboard sharing and file drag-and-drop.
However, compared to Synergy, ShareMouse offers a personal free version. Although the free version is more restrictive, it may be a pure software solution that can achieve key-rat sharing between two computers at the lowest cost.
▍Pure hardware solution
Compared with the pure software solution, although the pure hardware solution requires the purchase of additional equipment, because the devices are directly connected by cables, the experience of use is often much more stable than the former. But the hardware-only approach also has its drawbacks: there are fewer devices supported across the spectrum, and basically only two devices are supported at most.
01 KVM switch
The KVM switch is well understood in principle, somewhat similar to the source selection switch on an audio device, which operates the corresponding device by switching to different video and USB signals. Thanks to the fact that it is essentially just a select switch, the KVM switch can not only share a set of keyboards and mice for multiple computers, but also share a single display, and can be compatible with most operating systems without a driver.
There are many products to choose from, just choose according to your own needs
But it's clear that KVM switches are suitable for multiple devices that are not used at the same time, such as computers and game consoles, computers, and TV boxes. If you want to walk between multiple screens like universal controls and unbounded mice, and also share clipboards and files, KVM is not a good solution.
Also, KVM switches occasionally experience unstable signal transmission. From my personal experience, some KVM switches do not transmit video very well, and sometimes the keyboard and mouse have already reacted, but the external screen has always been black. At such times, it is usually necessary to re-power the KVM switch or reseat the cable to solve the problem.
It is worth mentioning that many displays themselves also support the KVM switching function, which is often much more stable than the external KVM switch. By connecting the video signals and USB interfaces of two or more computers to the display, the keyboard and mouse can be automatically connected to the corresponding device when switching the monitor input source. Some ultra-wide screens directly support the simultaneous display of multiple device screens, provide software for seamless switching, and also support file transfer functions.
The LG 49-inch ultra-widescreen display supports signal inputs for 3 devices
As for whether it is worth investing in a better display device, it depends on whether you can afford such a demand.
02 Pairs of copy lines
Copying cables is the best hardware solution for a relatively low cost: it transfers between two devices via usb protocol, and can also support the transfer of clipboards and files to each other while sharing a set of keyboards and mice.
And thanks to the high-speed wired connection, there is no need to worry about the instability caused by LAN fluctuations on the copy line, and the transmission speed is also higher. In theory, the copy line can reach the maximum speed of its corresponding USB protocol, so that the transfer of large files also has a good experience.
However, the disadvantages of the copy line are also obvious: it can only be used between two devices, and it does not support Linux computers. If you have multiple devices or Linux needs, consider other options.
▍Combination of hardware and software
If you use Logitech peripherals like me, logitech Flow from Logitech is the best choice. In addition to the experience close to universal control and unbounded mouse, the most important thing is that it supports dual platforms, and supports up to 3 devices, which is more than enough for ordinary users.
However, compared to the general control, the settings and requirements of Logitech Flow are relatively complex. In addition to installing the Logitech Options software, you need to connect the supported devices to the corresponding computers in the same network environment. After these three prerequisites are met, we can turn on Logitech Flow in the Logitech Options software.
But in terms of experience, Logitech Flow can be said to be the most useful in the third-party solution. It can support up to 3 devices at the same time, supporting Windows and macOS. In addition to the features mentioned above, Logitech offers options for anti-false touch and trigger angles, and each device can have its own independent keyboard and mouse adjustments, which are more carefully considered.
In addition, Logitech Flow avoids the problem that software such as Synergy needs to be divided into server and client. Because the keyboard and mouse are connected to three devices independently at the same time, Logitech Flow automatically switches when you move the mouse to the corresponding device, so there is no interference with each other and no need to set up analog input devices. Even if any one of the three devices is offline or shut down, it will not affect the use of other devices.
But the disadvantages are also obvious: a small investment. To use Logitech Flow, you must have a set of Logitech peripherals that support this feature, and you cannot use non-Logitech brand peripherals. If you go directly to the MX Master and MX Keys, the price is not cheap.
And even Logitech's own products, not many support Logitech Flow. For example, logitech's own mechanical keyboard, there is no one that can support Logitech Flow. If you want to use it, only the membrane keyboard can be selected.
It should also be mentioned that since logitech Flow is a scheme that detects the position through software when the mouse moves and automatically switches the keyboard and mouse to the paired device, there are many factors that are affected. In addition to the connection stability of the keyboard and mouse with the three devices, the stability of the software, the stability of the local area network, etc. may cause a poor experience and affect the user experience.
And in my actual experience, I stumbled upon a chance that when the mouse transitions to another device and back on the Mac, there's a chance that the system's copy operation (Paste's feedback copy sound effect) will be triggered, but nothing is actually copied. Since it is impossible to tell whether it is paste or Logitech Flow, I will not go into detail here.
▍ Summary
In general, none of today's cross-device keyboard and mouse sharing solutions can be perfect. Most of the people who can do a good job of the experience are limited to the same ecosystem and are not compatible with other systems; and those who can do cross-platform are either charged higher, or there will often be "Schrödinger's sharing" situation: the cross-screen time can not be crossed, and the time should not be crossed but the past.
For ordinary users, if you do not have professional-level needs, the copy line may be the most convenient solution, which can be used without picking peripherals. Simply plug both ends of the cable into your computer's USB port and install simple software.
Logitech Flow is also a good method, but the price of the input is higher after all, and this is a matter of opinion. However, as a logitech mouse user and a former user of MX Keys, as long as the LAN environment is stable, its experience is really not bad.
For users with higher-level needs, or students who need to use Linux systems, it may be most appropriate to consider a mix of multiple solutions. For example, keyboard and mouse sharing is achieved through Synergy, and file sharing is realized through LAN Samba. After all, I believe that users with this demand already have enough ability to do these things.
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Author: Wantong
Editor-in-charge: Guangling Stop
The caption is from Unsplash: @XPS