KVM Advice needed with PC and Mac

I currently have a Compaq laptop with an external PS/2 keyboard and USB wireless mouse plugged into a VGA Acer monitor. But I am about to buy a Macbook with a glossy screen I don’t like so I would like to use a KVM switch if possible to have both computers switchable on the Acer monitor. I will probably keep the existing mouse but switch to a Mac USB keyboard if that will also work with the PC. I know nothing about KVM switches or setting up such a system and would appreciate any advice I can get about buying the right switch etc and maybe recommendations on the best product.

I am not sure about mac, but in my office I use this to switch between my Linux machine and Windows machine. I use one moniter, one keyboard and one mouse. and use the KVM switch.

I bought the IOGEAR GCS632U 2-Port KVM Switch and it works with both machines, but only one at a time. I have yet to be able to change the toggle switch setting (tried both with Mac keyboard and Windows).

Is that how it's supposed to work? So far I haven't read anything either way in the doc (doesn't clearly spell out whether it's supposed to do one at a time).

Right, that's exactly what it does. By definition, a KVM is a "switch" (meaning, one or the other).

If both were going simultaneously, you'd have some problems!

LOL, OK, but what's the point of the toggle command then? I was hoping to be able to
A) Have both machines on, press the switch to use the other without rebooting one or both machines

B) With both machines turned on, and on same network be able to use my Windows machine to backup music and photos to my windows machine by dragging and dropping

Is that too much to ask for? s

Yep, it should do both things. You basically have two machines, up and running and direct the output of the keyboard/mouse/monitor to either machine by using the toggle.

OK, it's just getting it to the INVOKE HOTKEY MODE that's not working!!!!! Thanks.

Not sure exactly what you're referring to. On my IOGear switch, all I have to do is double-tap the "Scroll Lock" key.

I'm able to switch now, but only with a Windows keyboard (hit scroll lock twice). If anyone knows how to make it work with my Apple keyboard (corded), that would be awesome!

Basically I need to change that scroll lock command to control (or anything else) that can be found on the Mac keyboard.

The manual states that you can change the default from Scroll Lock to Ctrl. But you have to invoke hot key mode, which is what I think you're having trouble doing. I would recommend giving IOGear's tech support a call. I spoke with them once when I first got the switch and they were really quite helpful.

I did call them, turns out the problem is the aluminum keyboard. I'll explain here in case anyone else has this issue......My newer aluminum Mac keyboard only gets power from the MOUSE usb port on this KVM, but not from the KEYBOARD port for some strange reason. So I can run mouse from keyboard port & vice-versa. That means both usb ports are OK and working............HOWEVER, you cannot program the keyboard if you're plugged into mouse port. (I did enter the hotkey mode and switched the hotkey from [scroll lock] to [control], but since my Mac keyboard won't work in the keyboard usb, it's useless).

SO here's my workaround. I need a Windows keyboard just to switch, so I need 3 USBs on the KVM, but it only has 2. Therefore, I put a usb splitter on the MOUSE port of the KVM (allowing me to plug both my mac keyboard and mouse into it), and I plugged the windows keyboard into the keyboard usb.

Not a big deal, so I have 1 more keyboard than necessary, it can sit under the desk and I need it only to click the button to switch.

Hope this is helpful to someone. I researched and found someone else did this on another forum. I would rather NOT need 2 keyboard. Theoretically, if there were a driver for the Mac aluminum keyboard for Windows, it MIGHT work. I searched for that and did not find it.

ETA.........on 2nd thought a mac keyboard driver would not fix the problem. The keyboard works, the issue is the switch ports and why the heck it only works on the mouse usb is beyond me!