j5 Create JUC100 Wormhole KM Switch

If you're looking for a simple solution that will allow you to directly transfer files and work on two Windows systems simultaneously, the j5 Create JUC100 Wormhole KM Switch ($29 list) is your best bet. Of course there are free wireless solutions, like Mouse Without Borders, but it's not quite ideal for those of us who are less tech-savvy. The j5 Create JUC100 is a simple plug-and-play solution that connects one computer securely to another?no worries about a break up in connection or pairing issues. But if you're looking to use this device across different platforms (i.e. Windows and Mac OS) then you'll have to opt for j5 Create's slightly more expensive JUC400 ($39.99 list) that supports Windows and Mac operating systems.

Design and Features
The j5 Create JUC100 Wormhole KM Switch is a white cable with a male USB 2.0 interface on either end, of which you'll insert into the computers' local USB ports to connect your two systems. The syncing process is fairly simple: An install window will pop up on both computers after you've connected them, and the software will install in a matter of seconds. The j5 Create JUC100's default transition point is set to moving your mouse to the right edge of the screen to switch to the other computer's screen. You can change these settings by going into the "Show Hidden Icons" on the bottom right corner of your desktop screen. Here you'll find the Wormhole application. Opening it will allow you to set new preferences, like turning the clipboard share options on or off, how you transition into the other computer (via mouse moving to the edge of the screen, specified hot area, or using a hot key, like clicking the mouse middle button), and other settings.

Using the edge of a screen as a transition to the other system was quite smooth. I only ran into trouble when the cursor was hovering close to the edge, when clicking an icon for instance, sometimes it would jump to the middle of the other screen. But this issue is minor; you'll just have to be aware when you're trying to open an application near the edge of the screen.

Performance
According to j5 Create, the JUC100 Wormhole KM Switch can transfer files in 480 Mbps (60 MBps). However, in a drag and drop test, it took the JUC100 Wormhole 24 seconds to transfer a 55.9MB file, which translates to 18.63 Mbps (2.32 MBps)?not quite as fast as advertised. You won't be able to take open browser windows or open applications from one system and drag them over to another like you would in a dual-monitor setup, but this limitation is true for all sharing utilities. You can use one mouse and keyboard connected to one of the systems to navigate, type, and cut/copy/paste text from one computer to the other without issue. There wasn't any lag between keystrokes or mouse movements on the secondary computer, or any missed keystrokes.

If you're thinking of using this utility to play game on one system and work on your thesis paper in another, think again. For some reason? and this issue is the same for all computer syncing utilities?the mouse sensitivity gets rammed up when playing a game. I loaded up Portal 2, for instance, on my Alienware M14x R3 and I was either looking at the ceiling, the floor, or seeing a blur of everything in between for the entire opening sequence.

The j5 Create JUC100 Wormhole KM Switch is the easiest way to directly connect and sync two PCs. It's a great way to transfer data and multitask without having to switch from using one computer to another. However, if you're more tech savvy, there are wireless free solutions out there, like Mouse Without Borders, which is just as good as the j5 Create JUC100.

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