Two Mini's using one monitor ?

[endoftheroad]

as im getting my 2018 today and ive fixed up my 2012
i went surfing for a duel system to use my one monitor

my monitor is an old dell 2209WA 22inch (1680x1050)
intel HD Graphics 4000 1536 MB graphics

Ive been using it with my Cannon EOS 50D and software to do my pictures for years
it has 2 usb ports for my mouse and keyboard
I know anything above Mojave wont work, tried it, (catalina) went back to mojave
so i want to use my 2012 for my camera work
and the 2018 for regular email and surfing
I dont have enough room for two monitors
and im using an iethernet cable for my internet connection, wifi is STUPID SLOW


here is what I found
thinking of buying it but would like opinions before i spend my hard earned cash
,

Dual Monitor KVM Switch 2 Computers 2 Monitors- HDMI 2.0 & USB 3.0-4K@60Hz, 1440p@144Hz, 1080p@240Hz -Compatible with Laptops, Desktops, Windows, and Apple M1/M2/M3 OS

Experience seamless multitasking and enhanced productivity with our advanced Dual Monitor HDMI KVM Switch. The KVM switch is designed for high performance and versatility. Keep workflow uninterrupted with integrated EDID Emulation; stops screens from closing or rearranging when you switch...

buytesmart.com

cheers
John

 

[Amethyst1]

thinking of buying it but would like opinions before i spend my hard earned cash

I wouldn't bother with HDMI with a Mac to be honest. DisplayPort is less troublesome. The monitor only has DVI, so you need adapters. If you get a KVM that has DVI inputs and outputs, you need two DisplayPort-to-DVI adapters.

 

[Boyd01]

IMO, it makes little sense to spend $100 on a KVM switch to support such an old, low-resolution monitor. I don't quite understand why you still need the 2012 Mini. If it's just because you need Mojave for your old software, the 2018 Mini can also run Mojave.

Or, even better, you can run Mojave (or even older versions of MacOS) in a virtual machine on the 2018 Mini - that would give you even more desk space. I am running Sierra and Mountain Lion VM's on my 2018 Mini in Parallels and they run much faster than they ever did on my old Macs. Virtual machines have replaced my two old Macs and also a Windows desktop so my 2018 Mini is now doing the work of three old machines.

But if you don't want to go that route, perhaps get a new, better monitor that has multiple inputs? I believe there are some that also have integrated KVM switches, though I'm not certain of that.

 

[Amethyst1]

Or, even better, you can run Mojave (or even older versions of MacOS) in a virtual machine on the 2018 Mini -

That will have no graphics acceleration though, causing visual glitches and preventing some software, e.g. iWork '09 (old but an example I have handy) from being usable at all.

 

[Boyd01]

I have heard that some software has issues, such as Final Cut Pro. But I am using VectorWorks 2008 (expensive CAD program) without any issues in a Mountain Lion VM. It runs much faster than it did on my 2012 2.6ghz Quad-core Mini under Mountain Lion. And it never worked well on my 2013 MacBook Air, there were graphics glitches apparently related to the integrated graphics. It just crashes on anything newer than Mountain Lion.

I can also run my old copy of Strata 3d CX (expensive 3d modelling software) in the Mountain Lion VM. Very suprised to see everything working well there, and much faster than the old Macs I used to run it on. I'm retired now and don't need these very often, so not willing to spend ~$3000 upgrading them when my old versions can still do anything I need.

Also running FileMaker Pro 11 in a Sierra VM. Works perfectly. So I guess you would need to just try your own software. For me, it's a far better solution than keeping two old macs just to run a handful of programs, then needing to transfer files back and forth, etc.

I have turned my 2012 quad Mini into a headless file server with 20tb of disks attached for archival storage, time machine and carbon copy backups.

 

[Amethyst1]

So I guess you would need to just try your own software.

Yes, that's what it boils down to.