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By Tikkler (tikkler@onepc.net) - November 8, 2000

Infobox

Product Reviewed: OmniView SE 4-Port Product Page Manufacturer: Belkin Components Home Page Suggested Retail Price: $263 Belkin Online Store

More and more technology-savvy users have multiple computers because of the dropping price of computer hardware. Low-end CPU's can be had for less than $100 (USD) and hard drives for a fraction of the price that they used to be a few years ago, but there's still one piece of equipment that never really seems to drop significantly in price: the monitor. So, because of this fact, most of these users with multiple computers don't have much money to spend on a decent monitor for all their computer systems, and so they're limited to swapping computers by plugging the monitor into whichever computer they wish to use.

Then there's the fact that most people don't have enough desk space to place more than 1 or 2 monitors, keyboards and mice for use on these multiple computers, so, once again, we're posed with another problem-space.

The solution to this problem lies in a device called a computer switch. The computer switch for switching between multiple computers using only a set of keyboard, mouse and monitor isn't a new idea. There are even 2 distinct types of these switches: the mechanical and the digital.

The mechanical type is sometimes called a "computer switch box" and, basically, it's just that-a box with a rotary dial on it for switching between multiple ports, and nothing more. Because of this, there are several problems that arise when using one of these devices. The first and foremost is the fact that these devices usually output very poor-quality video signals to the monitor, which means terrible ghosting problems in resolutions anything higher than 800x600-not much fun. Then, there's the second annoyance when your mouse would get disconnected and suddenly not work when switching between the different computers connected to the switchbox-not a big problem, but would require a Windows reboot once it happens, reducing productivity. The advantage to using one of these mechanical switchboxes, however, is that these can be bought for quite low prices, usually for less than $50 USD for a decent 2-port switchbox. Unfortunately, the low price does not balance out the poor performance, unless you're connecting computers running only text-based OS's such as DOS or Linux.

The second type of computer switch is much more complex and uses micro-processors to help it deliver a much better experience to the user. Using these micro-processors, these digital KVM switches can output a crisp, clear video signal, usually all the way up to 1600x1200 resolution and eliminates the mouse problem mentioned above and can maintain your mouse connection at all times and even emulate that a mouse is connected so it will get detected when OS's are booting up, even if you're not currently switched to that computer. Because of this added complexity, these devices are much more expensive than their mechanical counterparts, anywhere from $100 to a few thousand dollars, but if you're interested in connecting multiple computers running anything other than text-based OS's, you should only look into getting one of these.

The OmniView line of KVM switches by Belkin is one of the latter type. The unit that we're reviewing here today is a OmniView SE KVM switch with support for connecting 4 computers to one set of keyboard, mouse and monitor and also Belkin's Pro Series OmniView PS/2 High-Integrity Cable Kit for support of up to 1600x1200 video resolution. The OmniView SE product is actually designed for network administrators who need to control multiple servers and save them time and effort from running back and forth between the servers; however, this product can just as easily be used in the home of a computer enthusiast or small-office. In fact, this product is the centerpiece of OnePC's new test lab as we plug all our test systems into it.

Before we move on with the review, I must remind you that the cable kits that Belkin offers are not included with the switch itself. At $263 USD, the OmniView SE 4-Port switch already weighs in at a pretty hefty price, but once you add in the $50 high-integrity cable kit for each computer (so that's an extra $200 for 4 computers) or the $30 standard cable kit for each computer (or an extra $120 for all 4 computers), suddenly you've just burned some deep holes in your pocket. The high-integrity cable kits are more expensive for a reason-they allow crisper images at higher resolutions (usually, you start loosing image quality at 1024x768 with the standard cable kit), so, you decide whether you wish to spend the extra dough on the higher-quality cable kits. Of course, you could always mix and match different cable kits for different computers.

Here's what it says about the OmniView SE 4-Port KVM Switch on Belkin's website:

Like a humming bird you flutter from one computer to another. Monitoring each system, you sit only momentarily, then arises again only to reseat yourself at another computer. With the Belkin OmniView™ you can switch from one computer to another using only the tip of your finger.
Control four computers with one keyboard, mouse, and monitor at the push of a button. The 4-port OmniView™ SE can easily be expanded for control over as many as 16 computers by daisy-chaining ports.

• Manage four computers with one keyboard, PS/2 mouse, and monitor.
• Serial mouse conversion for connecting PCs with PS/2 or serial ports from one PS/2 mouse.
• Guaranteed security with a one-year warranty.
• Press the “Hot” key to quickly change between computers.

• Compatible and certified with Windows® 95, 98, 2000, Windows® NT, Novell® Netware, TurboLinux and all Linux® distributions.
• PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse connectors.
• HDDB15 VGA connectors to PCs and monitors.
• Compatible and certified with Windows® 95, 98, 2000, Windows® NT, Novell® Netware 5, TurboLinux and all Linux® distributions.
• resolution, 1600 x 1200 at 65-hz.
• Fully supports the Microsoft IntelliMouse® and IntelliMouse® Pro.
• Total keyboard (up to code-level 3 for Unix®/Linux® systems) and mouse emulation; you’ll never know the difference.
• Separate 19" rack mounting kit available.

One important spec to note is that Belkin claims that this product will support video resolutions of up to 1600x1200 @ 65Hz, which is plenty for most users, but how clear the images will be at that resolution, we'll have to find out as it's very hard to maintain such a clear signal from the video card to monitor when going through something like a computer switch. The Pro Series OmniView PS/2 High-Integrity Cable Kit that we received with the switch can help in this situation.

First Impressions
Included in the box was a manual, a copy of TurboLinux Server 6.0 Lite (more evidence that Belkin targets this product for network administrators) and the KVM switch itself. The manual is of decent length and goes quite in-depth into how to install and use the switch, including explanations on how to use the hotkey feature of the product, which I'll talk about later. For most of the second half, however, the manual talks about how to daisy chain multiple OmniView products together-important, but I don't feel that Belkin should've taken more than half of the manual to explain it. Maybe if they placed the instructions for daisy chaining multiple OmniViews in a separate manual...

The actual switch itself was surprisingly quite heavy and built on an obviously solid construction. On the back is a wealth of VGA, PS/2 and serial connectors and, luckily, all of them were nicely labeled so you don't plug things in the wrong place. Two rows of 4 LED's each at the front shows which "channel" (or port) and which "bank" (or daisy chained OmniView device) is currently active and two buttons at the front labeled "channel" and "bank/scan" allows the user to switch between channels and banks.

One important feature to note is that there are serial connectors in all ports, including the port for where the keyboard, mouse and monitor are directly connected to the switch. Here's where the micro-chip in the KVM switch starts to come in. The OmniView SE uses this micro-chip to conduct what Belkin calls a "serial conversion." This feature allows users to, for example, use a PS/2 mouse even when some of the computers are connected to the mouse port using their serial ports. This is an excellent feature that adds a new level of flexibility to the product.

I must also comment on the high-integrity cable kits that I received from Belkin as they were obviously made with quality in mind. These 6' cables are heavy and are extremely sturdy-a sure sign of quality that ensures the best video signal output possible-and had gold-plated connectors for maximum conductivity.

Powering Up...
Installation of the OmniView SE was a snap. I simply powered down all my computers, plugged in the thick and heavy cable kits into the ports at the back of the switch and into the back of my computers and powered them back up. Unfortunately, I did run into some minor annoyances during the installation process mostly in the fault of the cable kits. There are 2 PS/2 connectors for each end of the cable kits and each one is of slight different color than the other, in fact, a little too slight of difference between the two. Sometimes, when under low light such as when underneath a computer desk, it was very hard to tell the difference between the two connectors and so one would get confused as to which goes into which PS/2 port. The other annoyance is that for some reason, the PS/2 connectors on the cable kit were quite loose and I would have to jam them into the port at the back of the computer for them to stay in.

After powering up my main computer, I immediately noticed a huge difference in terms of the amount of ghosting on the screen when compared to the mechanical switchbox that I had been using before. I run my 19" Optiquest Q95 monitor usually at 1152x864 screen resolution and, after switching through some different resolutions all the way up to 1600x1200, the image quality remained crisp and clear, although I did notice some very minimal ghosting at all the resolutions that I tried.

I then tried switching between the different computers plugged into the switch using the channel button and, sure enough, I was directed to each computer's desktop with each press of the button. One complaint here, though, as I had to wait a second between each press of the channel button to be switched to the other channel.

The mouse also continued to function properly after each switch of the channel, although during some occurrences, it would stop working, but after switching off and back onto the channel, the mouse would work once again. All buttons and the scroll wheel on the mouse functioned just as if it was directly plugged into the computer. I was also very impressed that this switch could handle my mouse and keyboard as well as it does, as they both are cordless products (Logitech iTouch Cordless Desktop). The occurrences that the mouse didn't function that were mentioned above might be credited to the cordless attribute of my mouse.

The other very nice feature of this product is its hotkey feature. Instead of reaching for the channel button on the switch itself, one can switch between different channels by simply pressing twice on the keyboard's Scroll Lock key and then either the up or down keys. You can also have the switch automatically switch between the different computers after a specified amount of time (7 seconds is the default) by pressing twice on the Scroll Lock key and then the number 0 on the keyboard. The specified amount of time can be changed by a set of dip switches at the back of the switch and is briefly explained in the manual.

Would you spend $263 USD for a computer switch plus another $120-$200 USD for cables? If you're looking into saving some hundreds or even thousands of dollars on 3 extra monitors, keyboards and mice, then of course! Plus, who has room in their place for 4 monitors, keyboards and mice anyways?

Sure, the mechanical switches may be dirt cheap when compared to Belkin's OmniView SE 4-port KVM switch, but many problems and annoyances face you when using one of those mechanical switches. Would you be able to live with ghosting on your computer screen so terrible that your eyes get sore after only 30 mins of use on your computer? Would you be able to stand having to reboot your computer every time you loose your mouse when switching back and forth between the computers connected to this mechanical switch? I know I wouldn't, and I didn't because I used to work with these mechanical switches and let me tell you, my productivity level dropped like the drops in the daily Vancouver rainfalls.

There are many digital KVM switches on the market these days, so what makes the OmniView SE stand out from the rest? With support for up to an ultra-high resolution of 1600x1200 with only very minimal and barely noticeable ghosting, Belkin's "serial conversion" technology and the capability to switch between computers from the comfort of your keyboard using the hotkeys features makes this product one of the best in the market. Plus, if the 2 or 4 ports that come with your OmniView SE isn't enough for you, you can daisy chain multiple ones together for support for up to 16 ports or computers! Seeing that this product is the centerpiece of OnePC's new test lab, it's a safe bet that this product is an excellent investment if you wish to run multiple computers without the hassles and costs of running multiple monitors, keyboards and mice.

Pros Control 4 computers with only one set of keyboard, mouse and monitor Crisp, clear image quality all the way up to 1600x1200 resolution with very minimal ghosting Serial conversion technology adds more flexibility Hotkeys feature proved to be very usefull Cons Cables add a considerable amount to price to an already hefty price Minor cable annoyances

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