If you need to have a latency-free experience, the best option would be to purchase a hardware switch and avoid any software like suggested above.

Cons – No immediate access, must purchase the hardware, number of computers limited by hardware.

Pros – No latency, quite easy to set up, allows quick switching.

When switching to a second computer, you may notice a slight delay in typing or a delay with your cursor.įor basic browsing, video editing, or office work, it’s completely fine, but Synergy won’t be suitable for video games, graphic design, or more complex video or image editing.

Synergy syncs up via the internet, so at times there is latency. The functionality is great all in all, but the syncing issue is somewhat of a concern. Synergy also allows you to share your clipboard between PCs, and you can even combine Mac, Windows, and Linux together. Setup is quite straightforward, but there are videos in their forum if you need help.

Once you’ve installed Synergy on all of your PCs, it becomes very easy to quickly move your mouse and even your keyboard between devices. Synergy do offer refunds for those that are not happy with the experience from either version. Both offer the same functionality but the Pro version adds a layer of SSL encryption. Synergy costs $29 for the basic version, or $39 for the Pro version. I’ve taken a look at other options, such as ShareMouse, too, but it’s a similar purchase experience unless you want to use a heavily restricted free version. There are pros and cons to using software like Synergy and we’ll explain these below.įirstly, Synergy features a one-time purchase price. Right now, one of the most popular programs for this is called Synergy. The most immediate suggestion would be to use software to sync up your mouse between two devices. Cons – Potential latency issues, requires an upfront payment.Pros – Convenient, immediately available, easy to set up, refund if you don’t like the experience, sync between more than two computers.

With that out of the way, let’s now look at the different options available. If you don’t have a second monitor immediately available but you do have a laptop and PC, this option can also provide a temporary solution. Multiple monitors on a single computer can of course provide similar functionality, but you are restricting your processing power to one single machine, which may be an issue if your PC isn’t particularly fast. By syncing up your mouse between two PCs, you can switch to a secondary computer or laptop and browse the web or do other tasks whilst you wait.

Share mouse and keyboard mac