Belkin KVM switches are generally regarded as the industry standard, and with good reason. Although this technology has been around for some time, Belkin has finally made it popular with sleek industrial designs and the kind of versatile ports that service every major machine. No wonder editors, artists and busy home users are snatching up these products at a record pace.

How do they work? KVM, or keyboard, video and mouse switches, eliminate one of the major hassles of home computing: changing machines. Many of us own more than one computer nowadays, and a growing number of households also keep Mac and Windows machines on hand for various tasks. Needless to say, the greatest impediment to switching between them is not the psychological hurdle of facing a different operating system, but the physical frustration of setting up entirely different machines over and over again.

Better Ways

That's where the best KVM switches come in. By now, most of us have become accustomed to the idea that our televisions can switch inputs from cable to DVD to PlayStation and back again. Computer monitors enjoyed no such versatility until the first parallel port KVM switches were developed, and today the technology has undergone another quantum leap forward with the advent of USB switches.

There is no excuse for straining your back as you connect jacks in the darkness under your desk. KVM switches leave everything connected at all times and provide you with some choice about which machine you want humming under your fingertips. If you relish the idea of doing a single setup and leaving it at that, these Belkin products may be the ideal solution.