Do you have two or more computers on your desk? Tired of confusing keyboards and mice between them, or using a clunky KVM? Then, MaxiVista can probably help.
MaxiVista is a software program that you install on your computers and it allows you to either extend your desktop onto another computer’s monitors or simply take control of the keyboard and mouse of the other computer.
The Pro version supports both of these control methods.
Overview
Each license of MaxiVista allows you to have a single master computer, and up to three slave computers. It communicates between them over your TCPIP network.
Once you install the program on your master computer, it will create up to three EXE files on your desktop for each slave machine. Simply copy these files to each box respectively and run the install.
Once running, you can go into your monitor resolution settings on your master computer and arrange all the monitors into the layout you would like to use. For example, if your second laptop is to your right, then drag it’s monitor to the right of the main monitor on your master server.
if you have multiple monitors on your master or slave machines, they all show up for you to layout. I first used this program back in 2002 to connect two PC’s which each had two monitors. It gave me a single desktop across four screens.
Extended Screen Mode
In extended screen mode, the other computers monitors show up as part of your master computers desktop. You can drag windows from your master computer’s monitors over onto the monitors of the slave machines. It works fairly well unless you are working with high resolution images or videos.
Behind the scenes, the monitors are virtualized in memory on your master computer, and the image is being sent over the network to the slave machine. It then displays the image on its monitor. This is basically like RDP or VNC. Performance is very good for text related information. I wouldn’t work on a PhotoShop image on the other screen, but it would be great for keeping help files or documents open while you do the main work in the master.
Remote Control Mode
This is the mode I use most. I already have three monitors on my master computer in my office. Once in a while though, I need to control my HP laptop and it’s nice to not have to lean over and use the laptop keyboard and touchpad.
I also have a second license that I use in my living room. I have a media PC connected to my TV where I play all my videos and Tv shows from. But using the RF mouse and keyboard were always problematic due to reception issues.
I also have a laptop on the coffee table that I use for programming or reading news sites while watching TV. I installed the master on the laptop and the slave on the media PC. Now I can simply drag my mouse to the right and instantly take control of the keyboard and mouse of the media PC. It’s been completely reliable.
Sometimes though if I want to read something interesting on the big screen or show someone else some pictures, I can quickly flip it to extended screen mode.
Download the trial and give it a spin.