Each computer gets to keep its own monitor, which gives you more visual real estate while slashing hardware clutter. Here's another bonus: you don't have to physically switch between systems anymore, you can can stay put and let your mouse do the walking.
If desk space is no issue, Synergy is going to be a much more freeing solution than a KVM switch, which, in an important reversal, uses only one monitor to control multiple computers, won't let you see data side-by-side, and requires extra hardware. As another perk, Synergy merges your clipboards into one so you can copy and paste among platforms.
Synergy isn't limited to Macs and PCs; it can also work with two or more computers on the same platform, and there's a Linux build, too. Synergy involves a little more setup than your average application, but the results can be well worth it. CNET Editor Jeff Bakalar's video (above) has plenty of useful tips to get you started.
Do you listen to music or streaming radio while you work? I find I'm much more efficient when there's some music in the background or maybe a podcast if I find something interesting online or at the iTunes store. But one thing that breaks my concentration is the need to continually go back to iTunes to make new selections. To keep the distractions at a minimum, I like to set up my music or podcasts beforehand and get to work.
As a software reviews writer, I spend a lot of time using a word processor with my hands on the keyboard. So when the music I'm listening to changes to something I don't like or when a podcast gets a little too distracting, the last thing I want to do is leave my word processor and search around on iTunes. Fortunately there's a program that lets me control iTunes using hot keys.
Use the default hot-key setup or customize Synergy with your own.
(Credit: CNET Networks)Synergy (Leopard) is a long-time favorite of mine for quickly switching songs in iTunes. It places some basic controls--like play, pause, and skip--in the menu bar for convenience, but where Synergy really shines is in its use of hot keys. Without touching the mouse, I can quickly adjust volume, skip tracks in either direction, shuffle playlists, rate songs, and even quickly bring up iTunes if I absolutely must choose something different. One of the best things about Synergy is how it elegantly brings up a floating window at the beginning of every song with artist name, track information, and album art so I always know what's playing.
The linked version of Synergy above will only work with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, but you can get Synergy for older Mac OS versions here. Whatever your operating system, Synergy makes listening to music while you work much more convenient and, at less than 10 bucks to register, it's worth every penny.
(Credit:
CNET Networks)
I've often said no matter how good a piece of software is, there's someone out there who can make it better. Sometimes a third-party add-on can be so simple that I can't figure out why the developer didn't think of it in the original program. Then, of course, I wonder why I didn't think of it myself. As the great inventor Thomas Edison once said, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Well, here's to an idea for which I should have donned the proverbial overalls.... Read more
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