One mouse and keyboard, two computers
March 27, 2022 9:38 AM Subscribe
I'll be continuing to primarily work from home for the foreseeable future. I have a Magic Mouse and an Apple bluetooth keyboard that sit at my desk and are connected to my work Macbook Pro. Sometimes, I like to use my desk and monitor with my personal Macbook Air. Is there any solution that will help me easily switch?
I think I am looking for some kind of docking station, I think.
Essentially what I'd like to do is use my bluetooth mouse and keyboard, HDMI monitor, USB webcam, and power brick but be able to quickly and with minimal fuss switch back and forth between the two. I prefer to use the laptops in clamshell mode with the monitor as the only screen.
I think the wired peripherals are more easily solved than the bluetooth part, but I also feel like surely somebody somewhere has solved for this. Is there a solution for me?
I think I am looking for some kind of docking station, I think.
Essentially what I'd like to do is use my bluetooth mouse and keyboard, HDMI monitor, USB webcam, and power brick but be able to quickly and with minimal fuss switch back and forth between the two. I prefer to use the laptops in clamshell mode with the monitor as the only screen.
I think the wired peripherals are more easily solved than the bluetooth part, but I also feel like surely somebody somewhere has solved for this. Is there a solution for me?
If your Macbook are recent generations (support USB-C), then you're mainly referring to a USB-C dongle, like Apple's USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter, or new monitors have this functionality built in and can act as a hub with a single USB-C cable.
However your wording seems to indicate that you're plugging in your monitor and webcam directly into the Macbook, which means a 2015 or older Macbook. Unfortunately, docks for these models were a niche item, and now they're seven years obsolete. Here is one from Henge (who got purchased by Brydge) on eBay, and another from Other World Computing, both quite overpriced for what you get.
(I just swapped cables for years, but I never had a good solution for bluetooth devices - always used wired / proprietary USB wireless for keyboard and mouse)
posted by meowzilla at 10:37 AM on March 27, 2022
However your wording seems to indicate that you're plugging in your monitor and webcam directly into the Macbook, which means a 2015 or older Macbook. Unfortunately, docks for these models were a niche item, and now they're seven years obsolete. Here is one from Henge (who got purchased by Brydge) on eBay, and another from Other World Computing, both quite overpriced for what you get.
(I just swapped cables for years, but I never had a good solution for bluetooth devices - always used wired / proprietary USB wireless for keyboard and mouse)
posted by meowzilla at 10:37 AM on March 27, 2022
Response by poster: Quick update: It's a newer (2020, M1) Macbook Air that I have. The work machine is a bit older but not as old as 2015. I think it's 2017 or 2018.
The HDMI monitor and USB webcam go into a dongle that goes into a USB-C port. Switching those things is pretty straightforward; it's the mouse and keyboard that are most troublesome. But it sounds like it might not be possible per kschang's comment.
posted by synecdoche at 11:05 AM on March 27, 2022
The HDMI monitor and USB webcam go into a dongle that goes into a USB-C port. Switching those things is pretty straightforward; it's the mouse and keyboard that are most troublesome. But it sounds like it might not be possible per kschang's comment.
posted by synecdoche at 11:05 AM on March 27, 2022
For the keyboard and mouse I think this is exactly the kind of thing that Universal Control is intended to address.
Basically with the two machines next to each other, and both running the most recent version of Monterey, you should be able to use the mouse to move the cursor between the machines, and the keyboard will work with the active one.
posted by sesquipedalia at 2:36 PM on March 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
Basically with the two machines next to each other, and both running the most recent version of Monterey, you should be able to use the mouse to move the cursor between the machines, and the keyboard will work with the active one.
posted by sesquipedalia at 2:36 PM on March 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
I am currently using my personal Mac laptop and work Windows laptop using a single keyboard and trackpad, with Synergy. This is a paid fork of an open-source program. It works pretty well, and has the nice added benefit of enabling clipboard sharing. It works similarly to Universal Control—you lay out the screen arrangement in the software, and when you push past the edge of one screen onto another, that device receives keyboard and pointer input. Once in a while, the cursor gets stuck on one side of the divide; I find that restarting Synergy seems to fix it.
Both machines are plugged into a big monitor that has multiple input ports, and I can switch which machine has the main screen via the monitor itself, but I keep the lids open on both so I can always see what's going on.
I used a physical KVM switch in the past—my current approach has the benefit of a lot fewer wires, and it's faster to glide between machines than to switch modes.
posted by adamrice at 2:58 PM on March 27, 2022
Both machines are plugged into a big monitor that has multiple input ports, and I can switch which machine has the main screen via the monitor itself, but I keep the lids open on both so I can always see what's going on.
I used a physical KVM switch in the past—my current approach has the benefit of a lot fewer wires, and it's faster to glide between machines than to switch modes.
posted by adamrice at 2:58 PM on March 27, 2022
(Some?) Modern BT mice from Logitech support "Logitech Flow" which will let you use a single mouse across two computer seamlessly. You just tell Flow the relative positions of your monitors and you can control the cursor between the monitors by moving your mouse cursor. Just like a multi-monitor setup on one computer. It can even cut and paste across the two computers via BT.
Not sure if it works for Mac. Don't have a recommendation for the keyboard component.
posted by porpoise at 5:03 PM on March 27, 2022
Not sure if it works for Mac. Don't have a recommendation for the keyboard component.
posted by porpoise at 5:03 PM on March 27, 2022
Best answer: @porpoise -- but he's not trying to use the two computers together... But rather, one at a time, without plugging/replugging stuff.
The best workaround I can think of is use a single hub for all the peripherals (switching to wired mice and keyboard) then use magnetic tipped USB-C cable so you don't abuse the port. Leave the tip on the Macbooks (buy an extra tip for the other Macbook) and leave the cable attached to the hub.
posted by kschang at 11:41 PM on March 27, 2022
The best workaround I can think of is use a single hub for all the peripherals (switching to wired mice and keyboard) then use magnetic tipped USB-C cable so you don't abuse the port. Leave the tip on the Macbooks (buy an extra tip for the other Macbook) and leave the cable attached to the hub.
posted by kschang at 11:41 PM on March 27, 2022
I love Universal Control for this. I have my MBP on a stand next to my iMac and I can drift the mouse over from one to the other and use the same mouse and keyboard. LOVE it.
posted by Hey, Zeus! at 6:18 AM on March 28, 2022
posted by Hey, Zeus! at 6:18 AM on March 28, 2022
Response by poster: Thanks everyone. I'm aware of Universal Control but I don't want to use both computers at the same time. I want to use my peripherals with my personal computer when I'm not working. It sounds like getting a wired keyboard and mouse is the easiest path.
posted by synecdoche at 3:34 PM on March 28, 2022
posted by synecdoche at 3:34 PM on March 28, 2022
The wired Apple keyboards should be easy to find on Craigslist, EBay, etc for cheap.
If you’re getting a new keyboard anyway the third-party Bluetooth ones that let you switch among connected devices might be worth considering too. I had one of those (a Satechi which I think is an even better feel than the Apple ones) which let me switch among my Mac, my PC work machine, and an iPad with just a keystroke. The PC had a Bluetooth mouse and I had a basic wired mouse on the Mac and just kept them both on the desk.
posted by sesquipedalia at 8:26 AM on March 29, 2022
If you’re getting a new keyboard anyway the third-party Bluetooth ones that let you switch among connected devices might be worth considering too. I had one of those (a Satechi which I think is an even better feel than the Apple ones) which let me switch among my Mac, my PC work machine, and an iPad with just a keystroke. The PC had a Bluetooth mouse and I had a basic wired mouse on the Mac and just kept them both on the desk.
posted by sesquipedalia at 8:26 AM on March 29, 2022
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There are BT keyboards designed to pair with multiple devices and switch among them. Sadly, the Apple BT KB is not one of them. And that doesn't solve the mouse either.
And KVM switches don't work with BT peripherals.
As for monitor, Some support multiple inputs and switching among them. As you didn't name a brand and model, there's no way to tell.
Here's someone in a similar predicament on Reddit. No good solution for him.
posted by kschang at 10:18 AM on March 27, 2022