Controlling two computers with Multiplicity

I bought Multiplicity a long time ago and have actually used it to control 6 computers from one keyboard and mouse. I’ve never tried to play games across it. My scenario was running a Windows app on multiple machines and then uploading the returned data. For that simple it task it worked quite well.

Jump ahead a year and I’m back using it again. I bought a new Dell a few months ago and using it has been quite cumbersome since I want to use both my Dells at the same time. Multiple keyboards and mice are annoying so I put Multiplicity back into the mix. I got off to a rocky start. Windows Firewall didn’t configure itself worth a damn. It looked like the ports were open, but in reality they weren’t. When I turned the firewall off everything worked fine. I ditched that and installed NIS 2012 like I have on the primary machine. That was going to be installed anyway, I just wanted Multiplicity up and running before installing new software.

When Multiplicity works, it works extremely well. You can control the other machine with ease, copy the clipboard contents and even copy files between machines. That’s incredibly handy. The only drawback is the price. $30 is a little steep for a specialty app like this. I got mine at a discount price, but the Pro version is even more over the top. This is on top of less than stellar reviews from people who’ve had it bomb out completely for a variety of reasons.

Is it worth it? I don’t know. I can only say I’m using it again and it’s working. When I used it with the 6-machine config it was a pain in the ass to get working, but when it was up and running it worked fine. I’ve heard of other free alternatives like Input Director, but I’ve never used them. Multiplicity is some useful technology and is working nicely so I can have a two computer, three monitor setup on my desk, but I don’t know if it’s the best way to go.

Thoughts?

Then again, I could be wrong.

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