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Box contents: two KVM cables, a manual, and the switch itself.

The two KVM cables are each made up of high quality keyboard, VGA, and mouse cables that are conveniently intertwined, keeping the inevitable mass of cables tidy.

Box Contents & Under view of the Switch

The manual is concise, but still easy to understand. It provides documentation for all of the features as well as a troubleshooting guide for the most common problems. It also clearly displays several ways of contacting IOGear in the event of a more serious issue.

The unit is made out of what appears to be decently durable plastic and it slightly larger than the average walkman (yes, those old cassette ones :] ). IOGear has even managed to make the case look fairly cool, if you could imagine a typically mundane device looking “cool”.

Installation

The installation process is extremely simple. For people who don’t feel comfortable messing around with cables, IOGear has color-coded the cables and included a helpful Quick Start guide in with the manual. The most difficult part is figuring out where to keep the unit. The entire process shouldn’t take more than 5 – 10 minutes.

Since the cables for the two systems are on opposing sides of the unit, I found the best way to set everything is to have one system on each side of my desk. This setup puts the MiniView directly behind the monitor, making it very easy to connect all of the devices together. This obviously isn’t the only possible setup, but it worked best for me.

Impressions

I didn’t experience any problems while using this device at all; there was no degradation in image quality and the keyboard and mouse worked as they should. All I experienced was extreme convenience which led to a really geeky form of bliss. The hot keys really give this simple device that extra magnificent touch.

The one unavoidable problem with the MiniView PC is cable clutter. Because of the way the ports are laid out, once all the cables are attached the unit is forced to sit flat on the table or floor. This could be improved slightly if the unit could be attached to the wall (or any vertical surface for that matter), thankfully, once the setup is complete, the unit is all but forgotten (thanks to the hot-keys!).

Conclusion

Literally, the only downside to the Miniview PC is the price. In fact, I did an impromptu calculation and I found that one-year of dual-system utopia runs a touch over $0.30 a day – a mere pittance for the ultimate in convenience.

The next time you’re bending over to swap plugs between computers and your back is crying in pain, think about the IOGear MiniView. It’s these short, but unpleasant moments that make you realize just how wonderful these simple devices truly are. I have seen the light and I don’t think I could ever go back.

Pros:

Quick installation
Extremely convenient
Software-less Hot-Keys
Auto-Scan provides effortless monitoring

Cons:

Price
Cable Clutter

Overall Score: 93%