| Value | 4 | | Performance | 3.5 | | Ease of Use | 4.5 | | Overall Satisfaction | 4 |
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1 of 1 customers found this review helpful. 4 of 5 Good, inexpensive KVM Saturday, May 30, 2009 JDavidX from Plant City, Florida
The Flip works well, my only complaints being that each time you flip, it disconnects/reconnects the USB input devices (keyboard, mouse), which takes a few seconds, but overall, isn't too bad. The software makes flipping hot-key-sequence easy, allowing you to take one more item off your desk -- the flip puck controller. Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 Works fine w/Macs Saturday, April 18, 2009 Rob from Golden, CO
Splits my Macintoshes fine, a tower and a mini. Nice that it's not a box, but just a cable. Was this review helpful?
0 of 1 customers found this review helpful. 3 of 5 Easy to use, good utility, but questionable qualit Monday, January 12, 2009 A Customer from McKinney, TX
It says in the features here that it supports PS/2 mouse and keyboard. It doesn't - you need to have USB - so I had to replace my keyboard and mouse. One of my computer's display quality (the one hooked up to the shorter monitor cord - my desktop) deteriorates through the switch (obviously on the same monitor) - don't know why.
Otherwise it has a neat functionality for a good price. Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 Works great with 2 Dells Running XP Monday, January 05, 2009 A Customer from Marlboro, MA
Have two Dell Dimension E510. Works great. Did have to switch back to SVGA monitor had set it up as HDMI. But to be hones don't see that much difference.
I honestly can't find a complaint about this product for the price and the remote button makes it easy as you could ever want it to be. Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 Working good on my XP computers Saturday, January 03, 2009 A Customer from Los Angeles, CA
There're little lagging time bur working fine.
I saved one moniter.
Was this review helpful?
3 of 5 Not bad for the price Thursday, January 01, 2009 kevin from reynoldsville, pennsylvania
Works great when it is working, but at start-up it usually has to be unplugged to reset the connection. A pain but then it works great, and the remote wired switch is a super feature. Was this review helpful?
3 of 5 Great price and easy to setup Wednesday, December 31, 2008 Kent Yip from Rowland Heights, CA 91748
Purchased the product on sales. Had no trouble setting up, it was easy without looking at the manual. Have a laptop Windows XP with a desktop Linux Ubuntu 8.04. Switching to the Ubuntu was fast but switch back to windows takes awhile for the USB keyboard and USB mouse to work. I would say it takes more than 2 seconds on my notebook to be able to use the keyboard & mouse. Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 good for game system and pc sharing Tuesday, December 30, 2008 A Customer from Minneapolis, MN
Solved my XBOX 360 and PC sharing an LCD and speakers issue. Works great. Having a button on the KVM instead of needing to use a keyboard to switch is exactly what I was looking for. Was this review helpful?
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful. 4 of 5 Worked great for my purpose Tuesday, December 30, 2008 Blake from Tulsa, OK
I am a Net Admin for our company and I need to build out PCs regularly. I work from my desk which already has a PC. This product let me switch back and forth between PCs during the build-out. I was disappointed that the USB connectors do not support a single receiver for keyboard and mouse. I have a Logitech Wave combo set that uses one receiver for both the keyboard and mouse. I could not get the KVM switch to work with this keyboard/mouse set. I finally had to hook up a separate keyboard/mouse for each PC. Not sure what the deal is with this. Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 Works great - Macs w/21" high-res monitor Tuesday, December 02, 2008 Rob from Golden, Co
Works perfectly with my 2 Macs and my IBM-brand 21" 1600x1200 pixel CRT monitor, Apple USB keyboard, Kensington Expert Mouse Pro (pool-sized trackball with 10 buttons and a wheel), and Harman/Kardon speakers. No problem. Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 SUPERB VALUE EXCELLENT FUNCTIONALITY Tuesday, December 02, 2008 John from Fort Myers, FL
Connected a server and workstation to one flat panel monitor with this device. Works great. For only $30 and free shipping, this purchase was a no brainer. Very pleased. Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 Great product Saturday, November 29, 2008 A Customer from Colorado Springs, CO
Works as described - wonderful addition to a cluttered office Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 Excellent product, excellent service Wednesday, September 17, 2008 A Customer from New York
It arrived ahead of schedule. I plugged it in and presto, it worked like a charm. I use it with 2 Dells and both recognize it instantly.
Buy it ... from buy.com Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 its about time! Tuesday, August 26, 2008 bnaderi from los angeles, ca
what a great value for such a useful product! I replaced my dlink ps2 switch with this one, its great! the switch has a very tiny footprint and is very useful. cables are very organized and keep clutter at a minimum. i have my mouse and keyboard on one usb port and a flash drive i like to access with computers im working on in the second usb port. its great. just have to unmount the drive before switching. you can even keep the music running off one computer and just switch components. also has software so you can switch with keyboard stroke video & video and audio Was this review helpful?
4 of 5 Nice KVM Thursday, August 21, 2008 A Customer from Central, NJ
This KVM works as expected. Slight text distortion (due to KVM), but works well. I am switching between a WinXP and Ubuntu Linux no problems yet. No lag on the switch to Linux, but slight lag on windows as drivers are found.
The only problem I have is Windows video card wants to run at 60hertz and Ubuntu 50hertz. So after switch i have to hit the auto adjust on the monitor. This problem is OS specific and not the KVM's fault. Was this review helpful?
4 of 5 nice design, easy to set up Monday, July 21, 2008 John from Irvine, CA
generally very easy to set up & configure... occasionally i have to unplug the usb connection to my PC to get it to recognize the device when i initially boot up (my PC has occasional fan hardware issues and requires an "F1" during bootup) but once i figured that out I've had no issues. having the remote switching unit is key - with it, i can easily hide away the rest of the unit including all the ugly wires. even if you don't buy this particular KVM switch, get one with a 'remote switch'. there is a minor lag in switching (~ 2-3 seconds), not sure how that compares to other KVM switches as this is my first.
my setup: dell laptop/docking station + dell PC Was this review helpful?
2 of 5 This item is just ok. Tuesday, July 08, 2008 A Customer from Edison, NJ
This item works fine when it works!
I have a major issue with it.
My new dell PC won't recognize Keyboard and Mouse connected to it during boot time. I need to pull out the USB cable till windows welcome screen appears.
2nd set of cable is too short! Was this review helpful?
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful. 1 of 5 Simply doesn't work Wednesday, June 25, 2008 A Customer from Twain Harte, CA
The environment was tailor-made for the product: two Dell computers, both newer than 2 years, XP-Home on both, USB 2.0 on both. Dell analog (SVGA) monitor. Dell USB Keyboard. Logitech USB Trackball.
By way of isolating the issue, of course it was confirmed that the keyboard and trackball worked perfectly well when plugged directly into each of the computers.
The product would switch the monitor and the audio fine. It was completely incapable of switching the keyboard and the pointing device. When booting, either computer showed a "keyboard error" (resulting in no keyboard connection) and no amount of random rebooting would cure it. Belkin tech support was responsive and we went through a series of tests, but it was ultimately determined that the product was not "compatible" with my system.
Bear in mind that my systems are about as generic as it gets, so in my mind, that does not bode well for the product. In reading reviews on sites other than buy.com, I find that compatibility is mentioned as an issue in the vast majority of the cases.
Since it is a simple electronic switch, it is mystifying as to why it won't handle something as routine as a USB keyboard and a USB pointing device, when USB 2.0 is a "standard" and thus the signals received by the KVM should be quite predictable.
Given Belkin's reputation for quality, I was quite shocked that this product didn't function at all in my vanilla environment.
I would (and have) positively NOT recommend(ed) this product to anyone!
Was this review helpful?
4 of 5 First one dud, second one good Wednesday, November 28, 2007 A Customer from Vaughn, WA
This is a great improvement over traditional KVM boxes. Small, cheap, and convenient, it works very well... when it works.
<P>The first one buy.com shipped me was a dud (one of the two connectors never worked out of the box). After returning it and getting a replacement, things work fine. </P>
<P>Two small annoying points:
<br>1. The cable draws its power from USB connections at each computer, so there is a 2-3 second delay when switching between computers. Don't expect an immediate changeover, you have to wait for the previously inactive computer to load the USB device drivers, and then your mouse and keyboard will work.
<br>2. The stereo cable connector is too short to reach my laptop's stereo jack, so I had to buy an extension. It would have been better to simply provide slightly longer cables for each connector type.</P> Was this review helpful?
3 of 5 Don't exceed 17" monitors Wednesday, September 26, 2007 A Customer from Fargo, ND
I'll probably keep this and use my DVI/VGA monitor buttons to switch my display, and use the Flip for switching my USB devices (wacom tablet + wireless monitor).
The other setback I find is an odd issue with my Apple computer where if I have audio playing, it gets really static after flipping back and forth a few times. It's inconsistent, so it's not easy to troubleshoot.
I'm planning on upgrading my machine soon anyhow and when I do, I'll probably get a Intel machine w/ Parrallels and do away with KVM forever anyhow. For now it serves its purpose and has a really nice small footprint on my desk. :)
The image quality gets kinda fuzzy on my 24" monitor, but fine if I forego the KVM.
All-in-all, the Flip is about 1/2 the price of other KVM's in it's class so if it is only doing 1/2 the work I generally expect from it, I'm still breaking even on my investment with it. Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 Great Piece of Gear Monday, August 13, 2007 Blair from New Orleans
Bought two for work and frees up so much desk space. Just wish Belkin made one that used PS/2 and USB2 in one unit. It's a little tight on the connection between plugs if you have to use an adopter from PS/2 to UBS2. Unit works great but follow instruction when first hooking up. Was this review helpful?
1 of 5 Does not work - incompatible Wednesday, August 08, 2007 Paul from Wellington, Florida
As I reviewed before it does not work with my Dell monitor. Here is the response I got from Belkin:
"Thank you for contacting Belkin Components.
If it works with other monitors then it doesn`t seem to be defective but seems to be incompatible. We see issues with monitors that can do both analog and digital signals, we recommend using analog only monitors."
Sounds defective to me?
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1 of 1 customers found this review helpful. 5 of 5 Big Hint for Buyers / Users Wednesday, January 17, 2007 Ken from Millstone Township, NJ
This item works GREAT and is well worth the purchase once you get it running, which in itself is simple as pie. Just make sure that when you plug in the little round toggle switch that you push the plug in all the way, not stopping at the first click. That took me close to 1/2 an hour to debug and trouble shoot and all that after I remember reading this same comment from another purchaser earlier. I was close to returning this because it just wouldn't work and then my daughter pushed that small plug in again and it lit up and worked. A minor problem that shouldn't be a problem at all but can cause frustration if not attended to. Other than that its great. Note, one set of cables is long and the other fairly short, so the main hub must be located nearer one of your computers. Was this review helpful?
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful. 5 of 5 Works Great Thursday, October 19, 2006 A Customer from St. Augustine, FL
This is a great product. I haven't worked out all the nuances of this product but it does exactly what was advertised.
I use it on two laptops - my personal computer and my work computer. I do not have administrator rights on my work computer but was able to install this hardware. I have a Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse that connects via a single USB. This connects to the KVM via the keyboard USB.
Pros: Very easy setup. Very easy to use.
Cons: I still have cable clutter on my desk. The product seems to be geared to desktops. That is, the cables are too short to connect to a laptop unless your video, audio, and USB are very close together like they would be on a desktop. There is an extension for one of the audio cables.
The cons I've listed are specific to my situation (connecting two laptops) I think the cons would go away if you have two desktops.
Note: One of my laptops is an HP Pavilion - the other an IBM ThinkPad. There is a slight delay for the HP to recognize the keyboard and mouse when I 'switch' over to it - not so with the IBM. Also, the HP seems to drop the dual monitor view when I shut it off. The ThinkPad is not setup as a dual monitor so it does not lose the settings when I go to standby.
Hope this helps. Was this review helpful?
4 of 5 Does the job Tuesday, October 10, 2006 A Customer from CA
I bought a Microsoft USB keyboard that required a USB KVM switch. This KVM works well with my USB keyboard and mouse.
Pros:
* Works with my Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 keyboard
* Optional installed software allows you to configure hot keys to easily switch
* Sound Support
* Ability to switch video only, audio only, or all.
* Hard wired wires into base
* Ease of installation
Cons:
* Flip button does not always work
* Video switches over right away, however keyboard and mouse have about a 4 second delay (Thus the reason for a 3 in performance). Maybe this is normal with USB KVM's. I use to own a PS/2 KVM and there was little to no delay. Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 Lot less expensive, works good! Wednesday, September 27, 2006 A Customer from Walla Walla, WA
Have been searching for an inexpensive KVD for awhile now and all that were suitable were $100+. This works great. Once in awhile one of the computers doesn't recognize the keyboard, but I just flip it back again and then it works.
Love being able to use one keyboard, mouse and monitor and the sound is a bonus!
Thanks, Tina Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 Great switch Friday, September 22, 2006 A Customer from Beloit, WI
This is a great switch at a great price. I use it to switch back and forth between my iBook and my Dell, and it does so flawlessly. Was this review helpful?
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful. 4 of 5 Does its job Thursday, August 10, 2006 Craig D from Madison, WI
This switch works just fine. There is a little lag for each system to recognize the keyboard and mouse when you make a switch, but I'm not sure if more expensive models are any faster at this. It most likely is just the normal five seconds of lag when you plug in a USB device.
IMPORTANT: Push the remote's plug in as far as it can go. I thought mine was broken when I got it, but there was about 1mm where it wasn't pushed in all the way which causes the remote to act dead. Stupid of me, I know, but just letting the other idiots out there know Was this review helpful?
3 of 3 customers found this review helpful. 4 of 5 Easy to use, looks slick Friday, July 14, 2006 Sarah from Bowdoinham, ME
I got this KVM to switch back and forth between my old Dell PC and my new mac mini. It shipped quickly, and was extremely easy to setup. The color-coding is a plus, and the remote is nice too. I am able to hide the mess of cables (the downside of most KVM switches) in my desk, and just use the remote to switch between mac and pc. Switching is quick, and no weird keystrokes are needed with the remote. It also requires no external power supply, which is a plus for me...I hate leaving devices on all the time, and my power strip is pretty much filled up anyway.
The only thing that would have made this the perfect KVM is if it had peripheral sharing. Was this review helpful?
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful. 5 of 5 Works great! Thursday, June 15, 2006 A Customer from Cleveland, OH
I don't know why I didn't do this earlier! It took a little bit of time to get everything set up and recognized by both my desktop and laptop, but I like it! I had some issues with the USB port on my docking station for my laptop where it wouldn't recognize the keyboard, but the mouse worked fine (??). When I plugged the USB connection from the Flip directly into the laptop, both mouse and keyboard worked no problems. Something with the docking station, just a note if you have one. Was this review helpful?
7 of 7 customers found this review helpful. 4 of 5 Does the job. Friday, May 12, 2006 Steve C. from New York, NY
Currently switching between two XP Dell boxes. 1 old PIII desktop and a new Dual-core desktop. Sharing a 21" Flat Panel Widescreen, usb keyboard, and usb mouse. Be aware that the audio switching works only with a set of desktop speakers. The subwoofer does not work when using FLIP. If you want to use your multimedia speakers (desktop speakers, subwoofer, etc.), you'll need to buy a more expensive KVM or use a "line out of one desktop to line in of the other desktop" solution. Otherwise, FLIP is compact and aesthetically nice. The remote switch is especially nice with the LED displaying green or yellow which tells you which computer is active. Compared with other USB KVMs and retailers, I find Buy.com's pricing very competitive. Also, shipping from Buy.com was cheaper than other retailers and very prompt! Was this review helpful?
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