Hi guys.. I have a dell 1905F LCD monitor.

Since I'm buying a new computer, I was wondering if I could use the new computer and old one with the same monitor.
Using one's DVI cable and the other's VGA cable.

I was thinking of getting a KVM switch but they are quite expensive with DVI ports.

So, somebody told me that the monitor will detect both computers and let me switch between them. Since I don't have both computers here yet, I can't try this.
I see that if I have 1 computer on at a time, this setup would work, but what happens if I have both systems running at the same time? Does the monitor use the first port (or system) it detects and block the other one (if I happen to turn it on later)?



Does anyone have any experience with something like this?

Thanks..

If it has both video ports, there's probably a way to switch between sources.  Is there a button anywhere that looks like it does that? 

 Hi Crisis Causer...

 

Yes, it let's me select the input, analog or digital. 

If I press it it waits for an analog signal (it's connected to dvi now), until I press it again and goes back to digtal.

 

Since I don't have the 2nd system yet, I can't try this out, but do you know if I can switch between systems on the fly? I mean, with both systems running at the same time.

 

I read over at the dell forums that the monitor will "lock" itself into the mode of the system it booted with, saying soimething like if you connect with dvi, but switch to vga, the pixel clock will be off, giving weird images. They said that dvi will be fine because it is digital..

 anyways.. I just wanted to know if it could handle 2 systems at the same time and not fry on me...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 i had a friend who had a dell tv that he would use picture in picture to use two computers or watch tv on one side

 i am thinking of doing the same thing . Plz keep this post updated.

If the guys over at the dell forums are saying it will lock up, then it's best to follow their advice considering they have the monitor and have tested it. But give it a shot, it won't necessarily hurt your monitor, and you'll be able to find out for sure ^_^.