Reviews
Iogear MiniView III USB KVM
This no-frills switch allows you to share your
keyboard, monitor, and mouse with other PCsM
any PC geeks feel compelled to run more than one
PC, which is great—unless you’re confined to a
small space. In such cases, connecting a keyboard,
monitor, and mouse to each PC is problematic, not to mention
costly. We avoid unsightly clutter with the KVM (keyboard,
video, mouse) switch, a space- and cash-saving alternative
that allows you to share one set of peripherals with every PC
in your menagerie.
Iogear’s MiniView III shares your monitor, USB keyboard,
and USB mouse with up to four PCs. Setting it up is simple;
you run a cable with a VGA connector and a USB plug from
each PC to the KVM, connect the monitor, keyboard, and
mouse to the KVM, and add power. Unlike other KVM
switches, the MiniView actually includes the VGA/USB
cable for all four PCs. Measuring less than five feet,
these cables are shorter than we’d like, but we
can’t argue too much—most other KVM manufacturers
charge extra for cables. Changing which PC your keyboard and mouse
are connected to is as easy as pressing a button on the KVM or hitting a
keyboard shortcut.
Image quality with the provided cables is acceptable for the most part.
We wouldn’t recommend running any resolution higher than 1600x1200,
but at 1600x1200 @75Hz we experienced no hint of fuzziness or distortion.
The keyboard and mouse function without any additional lag or errors, and
games work just as well with the KVM as without it.We are perplexed by one design decision, though. The
MiniView III includes a pair of spare USB ports for printers,
cameras, or removable storage, but they’re inconveniently
located on the back of the KVM. Why place the mostly perma-
nent connection point for the USB keyboard and mouse on the
accessible front panel and the more temporary spare ports on
the hard-to-reach backside?
We expect KVM switches to become de rigueur for
powerpeople running small
home servers, and while the
MiniView III represents a fairly
bare-bones approach, it’s a
solid choice. It sure beats
adding a second, third, or
fourth monitor to your already
crowded work area.
—WILL SMITHExtra monitors, begone! A good KVM switch,
like the MiniView III, can save precious desk
space by letting you connect more than one
PC to your keyboard, mouse, and monitor.Acoustic Authority A-3780
This low-cost speaker set is literally sssssssmokin’!
N
ever heard of Acoustic Authority? Neither had we, but we’ll test any
product sent to us for review if it offers tangible benefits to you, the
reader. The hook with the A-3780 is that this speaker setup is quite
affordable given its high level of specification. It’s not often we see a $100 set
of speakers with an 8-inch subwoofer as well as two-way satellites. On paper,
the rig seems like the bomb. Lab testing revealed further bomb-like character-
istics, but not of the good variety.
We began the A-3780’s Lab workout with some casual MP3-ing and gam-
ing, and the speakers fared quite well. Under normal listening conditions
they produce deep bass, crisp highs, and punchy midrange. Everyone who
heard the speakers during this preliminary testing phase was impressed
with their power and sound quality, especially given the low price. We even
switched back and forth between the A-3780 and Logitech’s Z-2200, which
received a 9/Kick Ass in February 2004, and decided the two speaker sets
were comparable. The Logitech speakers offer a tighter overall sound with
more clarity and power, but the A-3780 is in the same ballpark—quite a feat
for an unknown brand.
With casual testing complete, we moved on to more rigorous testing with
our regimen of test tones. The speakers handled the first few tones just fine, but
in the middle of our 20Hz to 22KHz sweep we heard a “pop” from the left satel-
lite and noticed a rising wisp of smoke. Uh oh. Something inside the speaker
was amiss. Undaunted, we let the test continue and then ran it one more time.
During the second run the right satellite blew as well, rendering both satellites
lifeless. We tested a second set of speakers to see if this was an anomaly, but it
wasn’t. The second set expired in a plume of smoke too.
So there you have it. These speakers performed quite well during casualtesting but expired quickly dur-
ing benchmarking. We’re sure
the chances are slim
that you’ll be listening to signal
sweeps on a regular basis,
but the fact that they can’t
take the heat makes them
tough to recommend.
—JOSH NOREMWorks as advertised, without degrading image
quality or adding keyboard wonkiness.K6MK)A
The spare USB ports on the back should be swapped
with the keyboard and mouse ports up front.
$200, http://www.iogear.comMAXIMUMPC VERDICT 8
Awesome power and sound at reasonable volumes.SK)NNY D)PP)N'SPEAKE2 CL)PP)N'
Questionable long-term viability; speakers blew
out in testing.
$100, http://www.cyber-acoustics.comMAXIMUMPC VERDICT 3
MAXIMUMPC MARCH 2004
The A-3780 speaker rig performed admirably in base-level
tests, but exploded under the pressure of Maximum PC’s
rigorous Lab tests (see inset photo).Iogear MiniView III USB KVM
This no-frills switch allows you to share your
keyboard, monitor, and mouse with other PCsany PC geeks feel compelled to run more than one
PC, which is great—unless you’re confined to a
small space. In such cases, connecting a keyboard,
monitor, and mouse to each PC is problematic, not to mention
costly. We avoid unsightly clutter with the KVM (keyboard,
video, mouse) switch, a space- and cash-saving alternative
that allows you to share one set of peripherals with every PCIogear’s MiniView III shares your monitor, USB keyboard,
and USB mouse with up to four PCs. Setting it up is simple;
you run a cable with a VGA connector and a USB plug from
each PC to the KVM, connect the monitor, keyboard, and
mouse to the KVM, and add power. Unlike other KVM
switches, the MiniView actually includes the VGA/USB
cable for all four PCs. Measuring less than five feet,
these cables are shorter than we’d like, but we
can’t argue too much—most other KVM manufacturers
charge extra for cables. Changing which PC your keyboard and mouseWe are perplexed by one design decision, though. The
MiniView III includes a pair of spare USB ports for printers,
cameras, or removable storage, but they’re inconveniently
located on the back of the KVM. Why place the mostly perma-
nent connection point for the USB keyboard and mouse on the
accessible front panel and the more temporary spare ports on
the hard-to-reach backside?
We expect KVM switches to become de rigueur for
power
users and
people running small
home servers, and while theExtra monitors, begone! A good KVM switch,
like the MiniView III, can save precious desk
space by letting you connect more than one
PC to your keyboard, mouse, and monitor.