How to setup work station for both Mac and PC?

[fmac]

Anyone else work from home using both operating systems?

I use different computers based on contract jobs, sometimes Mac and sometimes PC. I'd like to put together a work station that allows me to switch between the two easily (or even have two computers running at once).

What should I do in terms of monitors, keyboard, mouse, docking, etc?

Currently have: mac cinema display, mac wired keyboard, mac magic mouse, desk that's ready for monitor arms.

Not sure where to start on this.

[Jong Lafitte]

I had good luck with Parallels on one machine - a macbook air - with mac OSX and Windows. Maybe something better out there but its a pretty refined product that allows easy switching or running in "dual" mode.

[fmac]

I had good luck with Parallels on one machine - a macbook air - with mac OSX and Windows. Maybe something better out there but its a pretty refined product that allows easy switching or running in "dual" mode.

With data confidentiality, I'm typically issued a computer per contract that is keylogged and such. Typically will have Mac (personal), Mac (Contract 1), PC (Contract 2).

[homebrewd]

If you work primarily on Mac you can use a virtualization software like VMware fusion to accomplish this.

Prevents the need for dual booting and allows for easy backups of the Windows host. I've used it for the last 8 or 9 years now.

[happytimefunbox]

If you are working between separate physical computers and want to run one monitor mouse keyboard then put the computers behind a
KVM switch

Oh and wrong forum jong!

[fmac]

If you are working between separate physical computers and want to run one monitor mouse keyboard then put the computers behind a
KVM switch

Oh and wrong forum jong!

I am dumb jong with both posting and hardware. My b. Is this tech talk? Thought that was limited to ski tech.

It sounds like this would be easy with one monitor, using two display ports and switching the input (instead of using KVM switch). If going with dual monitors, do I need to wire through a single 'hub'?

[huckbucket]

I am dumb jong with both posting and hardware. My b. Is this tech talk? Thought that was limited to ski tech.

It sounds like this would be easy with one monitor, using two display ports and switching the input (instead of using KVM switch). If going with dual monitors, do I need to wire through a single 'hub'?

This is what I do. Two separate sets of wireless keyboards/mice. It works.

[highangle]

ITT: Mac Life and the JONGhabits of mind it cultivates.

[happytimefunbox]

I am dumb jong with both posting and hardware. My b. Is this tech talk? Thought that was limited to ski tech.

It sounds like this would be easy with one monitor, using two display ports and switching the input (instead of using KVM switch). If going with dual monitors, do I need to wire through a single 'hub'?

Well shit my man may that is a gray area, think I have seen non ski tech in there. This is technically technical talk so in my logic seeking noodle it should be in Tech Talk jong.

If you use one monitor using both or all inputs for different boxes then you would still physically need to move mouse and KB between boxes or have separate mouse a KB for each pooter. Seems like a hassle to me and waste of desk space . If you use a KVM switch you just push a button on the KVM or use shortcut keys on KB to switch between pooters. KVM switches come in all shapes and sizes. I at one time in a former career had 4 boxes (windows, windows, linux, linux) behind a KVM running a dual monitor setup. It worked seemlessly.

Dual monitors-most computers have an HDMI and USB ports and you can run a monitor off each. You would need to configure your desktop to run on 2 monitors in Windows and I am pretty sure that Mac knows whats best for you and will figure it out although I have not run dual monitors on a Mac system.

And if you want to get fancy and run Mac and Windows on one box you can partition a hard drive and have windows on one and mac on another partition and dual boot. I think you can also do Windows emulator in Mac but I never fucked with that.

[SumJongGuy]

KVM switch. I do that with my home office set up to swap back and forth between my work PC and home games computer. Never tried it with a MAC on one cable input and PC on the other but should be doable..

[highangle]

2 computers
2 monitors
Why don't'e just run one monitor for each computer?
No one knows.
Mac Life
Mac Life
...

[fmac]

...

Thx thx. Appreciate the detailed info here. One concern that I (perhaps unnecessarily) have is complications from different cable types and Mac's past issues connecting to multiple displays. Right now I'm working with:

Both MBPs - 2x Thunderbolt, HDMI
PC - Mini DisplayPort, VGA

My MBPs are 2015s and scheduled for upgrade in 2019, so they'd become USB-Cs.

Do I 1) use two monitors with adapters and move cables between computers (with Logitech multi device keyboard/mouse) or 2) use KVM switch with either HDMI splitter or dual HDMI (will this work with MBP)?

[fmac]

This is what I do. Two separate sets of wireless keyboards/mice. It works.

These seem to work well if you care/want to spend money: keyboard and mouse.

[fmac]

2 computers
2 monitors
Why don't'e just run one monitor for each computer?
No one knows.
Mac Life
Mac Life
...

Need Mac when work assigned. Using a standing desk with limited room for monitors -- would rather not have dead space. Certainly open to the possibility of doing something like triple mount (1x mac, 2x pc) where the arms allow the unused monitors to move out of the way.

[SumJongGuy]

KVM switch lets you connect two or more computers to the same monitor, even shares keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc. Toggle switch to change which computer is driving the monitor and peripherals..

[fmac]

KVM switch lets you connect two or more computers to the same monitor, even shares keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc. Toggle switch to change which computer is driving the monitor and peripherals..

Sounds ideal. Only concern is lack of support for MBP to multiple displays. Is that unfounded?

[SumJongGuy]

Sounds ideal. Only concern is lack of support for MBP to multiple displays. Is that unfounded?

Not sure but I don't see why not assuming it all feeds to one HDMI or VGA at each computer. Two computers in to the KVM.. one cable out of the KVM to the monitor array just like there is one cable from the monitor array without the KVM.

[mall walker]

2 computers
2 monitors
Why don't'e just run one monitor for each computer?
No one knows.
Mac Life
Mac Life
...

I lol'd

[mall walker]

first things first op, how up to speed are you with Gentoo?

[skaredshtles]

Srsly, though - do the VMware thing like homebrewd mentioned. No need for separate machines, dual-boot nonsense, or all that other crap.

[ICantLogIn]

Installing MacOS to VirtualBox

[fmac]

One computer sounds great but is not possible for the work I'm doing. Assigned computer based on contract with keylogging and such, so have to physically switch and also wouldn't be able to use a server-based solution like Synergy due to security concerns.

[fmac]

One computer sounds great but is not possible for the work I'm doing. Assigned computer based on contract with keylogging and such, so have to physically switch and also wouldn't be able to use a server-based solution like Synergy due to security concerns.

Also adds to complexity in that assigned computers could be 5 years old and have totally different display ports SMH

[skaredshtles]

One computer sounds great but is not possible for the work I'm doing. Assigned computer based on contract with keylogging and such, so have to physically switch and also wouldn't be able to use a server-based solution like Synergy due to security concerns.

2nd choice would be dual-boot the MAC to run Windows. Then the two systems would, for all intents and purposes, be two different computers. Unless I'm misinterpreting the "assigned computer" thing...

[Jong Lafitte]

2nd choice would be dual-boot the MAC to run Windows. Then the two systems would, for all intents and purposes, be two different computers. Unless I'm misinterpreting the "assigned computer" thing...

ja, is the client giving you the physical machine? YOu may be able to have a "base" comp that can log in to either machine through terminal services or remote desktop or whatnot, depending on the security of the machine.