UMPC Synergy

The Desktop Extension: By now, we should all know that Origami UMPCs were never meant to be replcements for desktops or even laptops. They're made to be mobile computing extensions: Something you can take many more places. But what about when you're home and at your desk? Do you leave your UMPC in it's case? I don't think so!

Synergy: Synergy is an open-source program that allows one system and one keyboard and mouse to operate on multiple machines. This means you can sit at one terminal and still take advantage of multiple machines on your network. Simply by dragging the mouse to the edge of one screen, you can move keyboard and mouse functionality to the next machine.

In Action: Watch this video:


The Instructions: Want to try it? Here are some trimmed down instructions.

1. Visit http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/
2. Download the binaries. On Windows, the file you want (as of the time of this writing) is SynergyInstaller-1.3.1.exe. Install the software as normal and be amused by the space requirement: Only 2.2 megs!
3. Run the program on the host computer. (your desktop/laptop PC.) Choose "Share this computer's Keyboard and Mouse" (Server)
4. Click the "Screens and Links: Configure" button.
   Click + and name your host computer. in this example, it's named "Banshee"
   Click the + and add your client computer (the UMPC's) name. In this example, it will be "Spectre." Make sure to set up links both ways: Banshee is to the right of Spectre. Spectre is to the left of Banshee. Make sure both are present and click OK.
5. Click Options and set the desired options. Click "HotKeys" - This is useful in gaming: I set the "pause" button to lock my keyboard and mouse to whatever display is currently in focus. That way I don't have my mouse sliding over to my UMPC when I am playing a game on my host machine.
   
6. Click Start. Make sure to "Unblock" Syngery from Windows Firewall.
7. When the server is ready, download and install Synergy on your UMPC. Choose "Use another computer's keyboard and mouse" and enter the name of that computer.
8. Click "Test" to watch the log of what happens when you move from one screen to the other. If you have problems, double-check your firewall settings in Windows Firewall:
9. Then click "Start."

You're done! Move your mouse from your host computer over to your client computer and see what happens.

Now I can't provide tech support on Synergy since I know little more about it than what's posted above. Make sure to look at the Synergy FAQ and troubleshooting sections if you have problems.

What's cooler than that? Well, Synergy works cross-platform so you can use your Linux, Mac, or PC as either host or client computer. Enjoy!