Zonet KVM3324 4-Port USB KVM Switch w/Audio & Cables (Blue)

This is my 3rd KVM I've owned. My first was a cheap Vastech PS/2 that I purchased many years ago which I eventually outgrew as my monitor and preferred display resolution got bigger. My second was a Zonet KVM3004 4-port PS/2 KVM. It was a good upgrade as it let me view the higher resolutions and video quality was better than the old Vastech. Switching between PC's took only a second or two. This time, I am wanting to switch to a more ergonomic keyboard, and most of them are USB only. I saw a good price on this KVM and thought I would give it a try since I was happy with my older Zonet. The first thing I noticed when I hooked up the new KVM is the video quality was awful compared to the PS/2 version. My desktop wallpaper and icons were blurry and out of focus at 1280x1024. Switching takes an extra second or two over PS/2, but I think I can live with that. The old PS/2 Zonet could switch to a particular PC by using <Num Lock><Num Lock> and then the port number via the numeric keypad. The USB KVM requires you use the numbers above the letter keys. Stupid! To Zonet's credit though, you can change the hot key sequence to use <Scroll Lock>, <Caps Lock>, or <Ctrl>+<Shift> instead. Restarting the computer you are actively working on will cause the KVM to automatically switch to the next active PC. I haven't tried the audio switching capabilities, but you can share a pair of speakers and a microphone among the 4 ports. Four sets of cables are included. On the PC side, the single USB connector, line out, and microphone cables are combined somehow into the display cable. (I wonder if this causes the awful display quality.) At the KVM box, the audio breaks out to its own cables that must be plugged in separately while the display and USB share the same DB15 connection. There is an extra USB jack on the KVM, so you can also share a printer or some other device. Keep in mind the switch is USB version 1.1 only, but this seems to be plenty fast for my keyboard and mouse. Would be a keeper if the display quality was better.

Installation and operation of this device is easy, however, sometimes a bit stubborn in switching ports. My complaint is that the audio is absolutely unacceptable. Very soft and no bass whatsoever, sounds like a tin-can.