Download of the Day: Mouse Without Borders

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Microsoft Garage has released a free app called Mouse Without Borders today that allows you reach across up to four network connected computers as if they were part of a single desktop. This video explains how the app works. Thanks to [H] forum member Impulse for the heads up!
 
I never could get Synergy to work. Maybe this one :)
 
Another vote for Synergy. I'm using it even now. It really takes multi-tasking to another level beyond what even extended desktop can do. I actually use my laptop with a second monitor on extended desktop and then a separate desktop PC with it's own monitor. I am able to move my mouse across the three screens seamlessly.

Stardock actually has a product called Multiplicity that does the same thing but I've never gotten around to using it since Synergy has worked so well.
 
same, have been using synergy for years, bugs sometimes on windows 7 and windows 2008, but not always, will have a go with MS's implementation though :D
 
Long time Synergy user, however I have switched to this. My reasons are because I use only Windows (Synergy can work on UNIX and Mac and Windows) and I really want to use the file drag and drop between desktops feature.

Install and setup were simple. Lets see how well this does, but at least MS is doing new things.

In case any of you were curious, this does work with wired connections. It does share both keyboard and mouse. The requirements didn't specifically list that out for me.
 
I thought synergy was pretty cool... until I realized that I don't use Linux beyond command line :). I'll have to check out the Microsoft offering though.
 
Hmm, I wonder if this would be useful for controlling the HTPC I just put in the living room.
 
rufio said:
Hmm, I wonder if this would be useful for controlling the HTPC I just put in the living room.
Click to expand...

You have to be able to see the monitors your mouse is moving to - works great for a desk that has multiple machines.
 
I have a weird setup. Synergy hates it and won't work.

[Laptop Monitor][Desktop Monitor][Laptop Screen]

Synergy won't work with this. Perhaps MS's answer will.
 
goign to give this a go.....tried synergy a while back, but it didnt work well at all....
 
W.Feather said:
goign to give this a go.....tried synergy a while back, but it didnt work well at all....
Click to expand...

I'll be the first to admit that configuring Synergy can be difficult. Once you get past the learning curve (The primary one being that you have to set up definitions for both exiting AND entering the server screen), it's a great tool that does something that this new tool can't: Linux and Mac desktops. This config problem may have been fixed since I last installed it even. I haven't had a problem with the software since I installed it, and have basically just let it run sans updates.
 
Long time synergy user at work and home, love it
But, at least for work (since its Windows only) I will give this a try for the lock/login benefit
Being able to lock all systems, or log back into all systems rather than individually is going to be quite a bit of a time saver for me
 
Sovereign said:
I have a weird setup. Synergy hates it and won't work.

[Laptop Monitor][Desktop Monitor][Laptop Screen]

Synergy won't work with this. Perhaps MS's answer will.
Click to expand...

I'm not certain how this would work seamlessly with Synergy. Effectively what you have is two halves of your laptop monitor surrounding your desktop monitor. I think it could be done, but it wouldn't be a "swipe the mouse across all three monitors" thing. I suspect this Microsoft product will do much the same thing as synergy in this respect.
 
I was once a Synergy user - thanks for the link to the currently maintained Synergy project, that's good to have for cross-platform!

I've since, however, migrated to Input Director (http://www.inputdirector.com/) for my Windows-only multi-machine control. Simpler to set up, and I ran into fewer 'hitches' than I did with the version of Synergy I was running at the time. Specifically, Input Director had no problem controlling full-screen 3D gaming applications on the secondary systems, whereas Synergy would 'flip out' and experience erratic, super-speed mouse movements.

Regardless, despite this having been obviously done before, I'm all for Microsoft creating 'first-party' editions of software of this type. Not only do I think it should be closer to integrated to the baseline with Windows, but hopefully additional competition will spur innovation.
 
The reason I like this implementation over Synergy (so far at least), is the encryption. Although they don't state what encryption is being used, it is better than no encryption with Synergy. The only thing I miss is Linux support.
 
Sovereign said:
I have a weird setup. Synergy hates it and won't work.

[Laptop Monitor][Desktop Monitor][Laptop Screen]

Synergy won't work with this. Perhaps MS's answer will.
Click to expand...

I'm using mouse without borders now. It installs quickly and simply. My current setup is

laptop -> Desktop Monitors (2 screens)

I have tested it with this configuration

my laptop -> my desktop monitors (2 screens on one machine) -> friend's laptop + secondary screen.

My only issue is that my laptop's resolution is much lower than my desktop monitor which makes the mouse move really fast on the laptop.
 
sinisterDei said:
... Specifically, Input Director had no problem controlling full-screen 3D gaming applications on the secondary systems, whereas Synergy would 'flip out' and experience erratic, super-speed mouse movements.

...
Click to expand...

I ran into this problem at first. Locking your mouse to the screen you are playing the game on usually fixes the problem. You can press Scroll Lock to do so.
 
To be clear, for the second setup, we had a total of 5 screens across 3 computers (2 laptops and 1 desktop)
 
While I can agree with PensFault - I generally view encryption as a good thing - this *is* the kind of product I only see myself using in my home or trusted business setting. I mean, it's not like I drag BOTH of my systems with me to the coffee shop/hotel/wherever.
 
sinisterDei said:
I was once a Synergy user - thanks for the link to the currently maintained Synergy project, that's good to have for cross-platform!

I've since, however, migrated to Input Director (http://www.inputdirector.com/) for my Windows-only multi-machine control. Simpler to set up, and I ran into fewer 'hitches' than I did with the version of Synergy I was running at the time. Specifically, Input Director had no problem controlling full-screen 3D gaming applications on the secondary systems, whereas Synergy would 'flip out' and experience erratic, super-speed mouse movements.

Regardless, despite this having been obviously done before, I'm all for Microsoft creating 'first-party' editions of software of this type. Not only do I think it should be closer to integrated to the baseline with Windows, but hopefully additional competition will spur innovation.
Click to expand...
Does this make dual boxing (vs dual client) with 1 mouse & keyboard in MMOs a reality? Though I think it would be more of of a hybrid between dual box & dual client. Just need support for all of our other controllers.
 
mynamehere said:
Does this make dual boxing (vs dual client) with 1 mouse & keyboard in MMOs a reality? Though I think it would be more of of a hybrid between dual box & dual client. Just need support for all of our other controllers.
Click to expand...

People have been using similar type programs to do this for a while to multi-box, long before multi-clienting was even possible.
 
Sovereign said:
I have a weird setup. Synergy hates it and won't work.

[Laptop Monitor][Desktop Monitor][Laptop Screen]

Synergy won't work with this. Perhaps MS's answer will.
Click to expand...

I've not used Synergy, but I think you need to lie to your laptop about where things are; if you tell it the monitor is above or below the built in screen; then you should be able to map edges based on percentages. Still might be a little weird though... are you sure you can't swap the laptop and desktop monitors :D
 
dyzophoria said:
same, have been using synergy for years, bugs sometimes on windows 7 and windows 2008, but not always, will have a go with MS's implementation though :D
Click to expand...

Tried synergy for a while, but the number of times it would bug out and 'lock' my ctrl or alt keys really annoyed me.

Been using Input Director (Windows-only) for a few years, now, and it works MUCH better.

Not sure I've had any issues with it that would incline me to consider another product, but...*shrugs*...
 
synergy, thanks for recoding an old concept though, i'm sure we care about just a mouse.
 
YES, finally a way to tame the beasts:
Dual.jpg


Works perfectly, I think I'm in love...
 
wow good shit!

now... how do i stream audio over the network as seamlessly as this shares mouse/kb
i mean... i only wear one pair of headphones
and yeah... a hardware solution does exist
 
Suprfire said:
wow good shit!

now... how do i stream audio over the network as seamlessly as this shares mouse/kb
i mean... i only wear one pair of headphones
and yeah... a hardware solution does exist
Click to expand...

Haha. I've got a sound system, an older Creative one, that's 7.1 speakers. I was like... seriously, 7.1? So, instead, I plugged in 5.1 to my "main" PC (the one with the monitor on the right) and plugged the input for the remaining "side" speakers to the main speaker out on the left PC and put the speakers on the left side of my desk. So now, it looks like i've got five speakers on my desk, but they're split between the two systems.
 
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