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First a little history. I have and like Pentium 4 chips and absolutely will not ever use an AMD because of bad past history.
At present I have a Pentium 4 system that has a dual output Matrox video board.
For the most part, I use it in my daily work where I have to work from my home office staying half in the internet and half on my own computer to produce quotes, documents, and faxes through Winfax.
The ability to use two screens almost doubles my work ability.
At present, I use the same computer to do my work as the one I use for personal article writing, website, and digital photography.
I want to have a separate computer for each, but due to space in the room, I would like to use both at the same time and be able to alternate between them. (For business purposes, and security, I am being forced to use a separate computer for business purposes.)
The first consideration would be the four screens. I would have to have a mount welded to hold 4 each 19" Samsung black bezel lcd screens. They would be mounted to the desk. A whole new type desk would have to be designed and built...which I can do, or design and have done. The trick is having where you sit, high enough and the center point of your gaze be directed to the center of the cross between the four monitors while holding your head level. Also, the keyboard and trackball needs to be located at a comfortable height.
That's the minor stuff.
Because the video boards that have quad on them are about $800.00 American, I would want to use the quad on the business side, and the dual on the personal side. At least until I can afford another quad.
We could get into the particulars of what all to put in the second computer, but right now, I have a hard time understanding how to control the two systems.
I have heard of systems that can switch video output and control of the mouse and keyboard function, but after looking into it, it seems too cumbersome and unstable. Most systems I have experimented with will not reliably let you switch a key board and track ball back and forth between two computers. The video output from each computer would have to have a mechanical or electronic switch to direct the video. Extron might be the answer, but that would really blow the budget.
I have heard of a system that allows you to use the prime computer, say the business one, and hot link it to the secondary computer through Cat 6. The speed is supposed to be the same on the second computer as on the primary. (I think there is a higher speed board for LAN available now.) (The USB cables are too slow and usually only let you just swap files. )
If such a system works, it would allow me to use the quad display system for either computer.
Has anyone tried any of these systems and has any brainstorming ideas to offer?
Thanks
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