Is there such a thing as just a USB switch?

[matt100]

I might be being incredibly dim but rest assured I have googled this to death..

Basically I have my main PC under the desk, the monitor on the desk and a little stand for my work macbook pro next to it.

I use an Apple keyboard and the USB dongle for the wireless mouse is plugged into it.

All I want to be able to do is have a little switch somewhere so I don't have to keep swapping the USB lead between the PC and the Mac for the KB/mouse?

I don't need a fully fledged KVM as they're both connected to the monitor by independant HDMI leads.

I assumed something like this would be very straightforward and inexpensive?!

I also don't want a KVM as they're so damn ugly and I've spend time making sure everything is clean and tidy.

HALP!

 

[matt100]

how odd, the peripheral switches look to be USB A to B so like the fat printer style ports on the back.

I had totally assumed it would be easy as USB seems to be cool with hot swapping.

I'll check out a software thing, its not the end of the world and when I'm working all I really need is my iTunes and I can control that with my iPhone, the only issue comes when the only time I really want to get access urgently is to turn the music off when the phone rings but then the phone is ringing so I can't use it lol!

Bloody computers!

 

[matt100]

I have one called

Cerulian 4 Port USB 2.0 Switching hub

It claims no drivers are required, however mine works on windows, but not on my OpenBSD machine, so i'm guessing drivers are required... If it's just for Windows machines, it would be fine... It claims to support Mac too.

Can't say where I got it, but a quick google search will take you to it

but that doesn't appear to be a switch it's just a hub? i.e. you plug a bunch of USB devices into it then it into 1 PC, I need to plug it into 2 and basically flip a switch between the 2 to decide which one is using the keyboard/mouse.

 

[matt100]

right then! I'll be off there!