MacBook Air and Mac Mini using the same Monitor, Keyboard and Trackpad

[this is funah]

Hello everyone, I’m looking for advice on how to best go about setting up my desktop experience for two Macs.

• MacBook Air M1
• Mac Mini M2
• Magic Keyboard
• Magic Trackpad 3
• LG 4K Monitor

I want to obviously use all the peripherals for the Mac Mini as a desktop, but I’m also looking for the easiest solution to connect those peripherals to my wife’s MacBook Air when she wants to work.

What are the best tools and cables to use for this setup? Ideally, I want my wife to just be able to plug in one cable for the monitor and the keyboard and mouse to “just work.”

Also, a bonus challenge would be getting a 3rd-party webcam to also seamlessly work with the MacBook.

I have never had to deal with any Desktop experience since my iMac G5, so any help is appreciated!

 

[Dave Braine]

You need a KVM switch:

KVM Switches | SCAN UK

Welcome to our KVM Switches page. Here you will find leading brands such as Aten, Club 3D, D-Link, Edimax, NEWLINK, Sabrent, StarTech.com.

www.scan.co.uk

I think that they need wired mice and keyboards though.

 

[phrehdd]

KVM are the usual fair. Make sure that the KVM will take whatever cable you are using from your monitor.

In my case, I can connect my mouse and keyboard via USB to my monitor which takes on the function of KVM. I have usually two different systems sharing the monitor. To me, this is easy enough.

The monitor is a Benq PD2700u. I am sure other makers have similar options.

 

[SpartaMAC]

I have almost the same setup… Use a bluetooth mouse and keyboard. The mouse and keyboard must be capable of connecting to two devices. The Dell monitor we use has two HDMI Inputs, one to the Air the other to the Mini. When we use the Air/Mini we do the following.

Select which HDMI to use on monitor
Select Bluetooth mouse/keyboard setting on device.

I hope this helps.

 

[salamanderjuice]

You need a KVM switch:

KVM Switches | SCAN UK

Welcome to our KVM Switches page. Here you will find leading brands such as Aten, Club 3D, D-Link, Edimax, NEWLINK, Sabrent, StarTech.com.

www.scan.co.uk

I think that they need wired mice and keyboards though.

You can use the Magic Keyboard and Trackpad wired so they work through a KVM. They don't need a Bluetooth connection when they use the cable.

 

[this is funah]

You can use the Magic Keyboard and Trackpad wired so they work through a KVM. They don't need a Bluetooth connection when they use the cable.

This is exactly what I’ve done and it works perfectly: a kvm switch with wired keyboard and wired trackpad.

I actually like the cables, people tend to fuss too much over those things.

Thanks everyone for their input.

 

[Finn Hansen]

I have used KVM switch for trackpad and 2 mac mini, it's my understanding, if you use a kvm switch the mouse and keyboard input is HID, which do support track pad, i'm losing same track pad function, i think you need USB 3 in order to use track pad.