Products · Pattern or everyday thing
KVM switches
Raised as a usability problem by 19 people on Hacker News over 10 years (2017–2026), in 15 threads.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads this year.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads in the last 5 years.
Every issue, all time, most people first
KVM switching between computers has horrendous latencyUnreviewed
20172026- Switching between computers with a KVM has horrendous latency and the hardware is awful2023-12-27
- KVM switch takes about 4 seconds to change inputs, not instant2022-12-19
- Smart KVM hotkeys add latency and keyboard state glitches2020-08-06
Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.
The newest 20 complaints
- Mouse feels laggy and some key combinations get added delay2026-05-19
- Needed to try several KVMs before finding a stable one2026-05-18
- Switching between computers with a KVM has horrendous latency and the hardware is awful2023-12-27
- Limited to 2x2 or 4x1 screen arrangements, not ideal for multi-monitor setups2023-12-27
- Mouse switching is unusable because it requires zero pointer acceleration2023-12-27
- Dell option missing from side menu; list resets on refresh and stops sorting2023-11-30
- Couldn't find a simple software-controllable KVM switch; hardware button still required2023-09-12
- Every KVM switch makes monitors disconnect and reconnect, rearranging windows on both PCs2023-08-31
- Device is finicky; switching inputs only works if left untouched2023-07-12
- Screen input must be switched manually, and the DisplayPort setup fails on one MacBook2023-04-04
- Keyboard and USB devices get stuck in odd states after switching, needing unplug and replug2023-01-06
- Monitor gets an unsupported resolution at Windows boot, so the display fails2022-12-28
- KVM switch takes about 4 seconds to change inputs, not instant2022-12-19
- Monitor and computer switch inputs or power off unless powered in a precise order2021-12-19
- Monitor often falls back to 30Hz or 4:2:2 through the KVM, forcing manual workarounds2021-09-11
- Smart KVM hotkeys add latency and keyboard state glitches2020-08-06
- Switching machines needs both a keyboard shortcut and a monitor button press2020-07-23
- Older devices use Java clients that are a major pain to get running in modern browsers2020-07-23
- Switching monitors and keyboard takes several seconds2017-12-03
- Hard to tell which server the user is actually controlling2017-11-30