Computer Office Setup Suggestions

dorokusai
dorokusai Posts: 25,577
edited September 2012 in The Clubhouse
My wife will begin teleworking more for her job in a couple months. I've redone the entire office and am trying to get it as simple and setup like her current office as possible. I have some questions in regards to what you guys think is the easiest way to integrate her needs, the equipment being used and my Tower style computer.

I'll have dual ASUS 23" monitors. I know how the Tower will run the monitors....but how and what is the easiest way to get her laptop connected to the monitors? I'll also want to be able to provide her with a mouse and keyboard.

I don't need two keyboards or mice do I? How will she connect her laptop to the monitors?......really, get it into the entire system.

I'm swapping my MOBO for one that has wireless and bluetooth built-in. This allows me to Wirelessly connect to my router right? Just want to make sure.
CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
Post edited by dorokusai on
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  • KiTsuNe
    KiTsuNe Posts: 74
    edited September 2012
    KVM switch. If you're looking to go back and forth without having to unplug a bunch of stuff just snag one of those and plug it into her laptop when its there and flip the settings switch. 1 keyboard/mouse/monitor to two computers.
    HT: M5510-Prox2/PN51E550/NR708/M282(3)/RTi A7/CSi A6/FXi A6/DSWPro660x2/PS3/HTPC
    Office: Belkin PF60/PN43E450/Marantz 1501/PSB 400/Image C4/WD Live TV
    2-Channel: Yamaha C4/M4(2)/DQ-10's/DQ-1w(2)/SBT/Pioneer R2Rl/Technics SL-7/AR EB101
    Desk: QSC RMX850/Behringer B2030P
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  • DMara
    DMara Posts: 1,434
    edited September 2012
    If you want both her laptop and your desktop to share the 2 monitors, a keyboard, and a mouse, then you will definitely need a KVM switch that support dual monitor output.
    Also, if you want her not to worry about plugging all kinds of cable into her laptop, then you should look for a docking station, either her laptop's specific brand's if the laptop has a slot for docking, or one of the universal docking stations that also supports dual monitor output.
    You'll need to find out what kind of docking station will work with the laptop and what kind of video output you need (HDMI, Digital Port, DVI, VGA) in order to make sure the KVM switch's and the docking station's video ports match those.
    Gears shared to both living room & bedroom:
    Integra DHC-80.3 / Oppo BDP-105 / DirecTV HR24 DVR /APC S15blk PC-UPS
    Living room:
    LSiM707's / LSiM706c / LSiM702 F/X's / dual JL Audio Fathom F113's / Parasound Halo A51 / Panasonic 65" TC-P65VT50
    Bedroom:
    Usher Dancer Mini 2 Diamond DMD's / Logitech SB Touch / W4S STP-SE / W4S DAC-2 / W4S ST-1000 / Samsung 52" LN52B750
    Other rooms:
    Audioengine AP4's / GLOW Audio Sub One / audio-gd NFB-3 DAC / Audioengine N22
    audio-gd NFB-10.2 / Denon AH-D7000
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  • Strong Bad
    Strong Bad Posts: 4,277
    edited September 2012
    It's looks like you want the tower and laptop to share the monitors and KB/mouse. You're gonna have to go with a KVM for that setup. Thats the only choice I know of that'll allow both computers to share those devices.

    Yep, getting a MOBO with a wireless NIC onboard allows you to go wireless to the router.
    No excuses!
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited September 2012
    Awesome thanks guys. I'll look into that switch today when I go to my hole in the wall computer place for all my other stuff.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited September 2012
    Like this?

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817107215

    or

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817707205
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,276
    edited September 2012
    I would say the Startech, since your PC's are probably updated with DVI and USB for mouse and keyboards
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited September 2012
    Doro, I have one I am not using and need to get rid of. Hit me up and I can get it to you (I still have your MIT EXP2 SC's ready to ship too)

    Its a bit old so its only VGA, so understand if you want to pass. It a DLink. Keep in mind it will let you switch ONE of the monitors between the laptop and the tower (its what I did when I had a second pc I used for a couple different things).

    I might even have a couple adapters to go with to make hookup easier.

    789bf139.jpg

    4c695d13.jpg
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • sucks2beme
    sucks2beme Posts: 5,601
    edited September 2012
    I've been running a kvm with two laptops and two monitors for about 10 years.
    I had to recently change out from ps/2 to usb for the mouse and keyboard.
    $20 to $40 all day long for 2 ports.
    "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson
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  • Glowrdr
    Glowrdr Posts: 1,103
    edited September 2012
    Doro - one thing to keep in mind when shopping (especially for OEM stuff) - what you actually want is considered a port replicator, not a docking station.

    The difference is that a docking station is generally very large - so you can actually add hard drives, disk drives, and other cards to the dock itself. A port replicator just has all of the ports (VGA, DVI, Serial, Parallel, USB, Ethernet, etc) on it.

    If it's an HP or a Dell, I might be able to just get you one for hte cost of shipping. Depends on if its a compatible model though. Sometimes they change styles over the years/models.
    65" Sony X900 (XBR-65X900E)
    Pioneer Elite SC-37
    Polk Monitor 70's (2)
    Polk Monitor 40's (4)
    Polk Monitor CS2
    Polk DSW Pro 660wi
    Oppo BDP-93
    Squeezebox Duet
    Belkin PureAV PF60
    Dish Network "The Hoppa"
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