Review: Access Pro Lets You Share a Monitor, Keyboard & Mouse between Devices

Apple is making the iPad Pro look like a regular computer more and more every day. But if you are still using a computer and wish you could share your computer's accessories with your iPad Pro, you might need an accessory like the Access Pro ($199.95) from IOGear, I tried a review unit and it does what it promises. It acts as a KVM (keyboard, video, monitor) Switch, letting you share a keyboard, mouse and 4K UHD 3840x2160 at 30 Hz monitor among two devices. The Access Pro supports Windows, Mac or iPad Pro with USB-C.

IOGear

The good news is that the Access Pro is plug and play; there is no software or driver to install. It's not cheap, especially since it doesn't include a power supply, so factor that in. I try to keep my power adapter in a go bag, so that would mean acquiring and using an additional USB-C power adapter and IOGear recommends a 100 watt charger. That way, one port can distribute 75 watts of power, suitable for most laptops, and the other puts out 10 watts, for a tablet. There's a six-foot wired receiver that can be plugged in so you can control the switching from far away.

IOGear

Pros

  • Supports 4K UHD 3840x2160 at 30 Hz
  • Plug and play, no software or driver to install
  • Works with iPad Pro, Mac and Windows

Cons

  • Power supply not included
  • Expensive

Final Verdict

If you want to share your monitor, keyboard, and mouse across Windows, Mac and iPad Pro, try the Access Pro from IOGear.

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Author Details

Todd Bernhard's picture

Author Details

Todd Bernhard

Todd Bernhard is a bestselling (6+ million downloads) award-winning (AARP, About.com, BestAppEver.com, Digital Hollywood, and Verizon) developer and founder of NoTie.NET, an app developer specializing in Talking Ringtone apps including AutoRingtone. And his profile photo is of the last known sighting of Mr. Bernhard wearing a tie, circa 2007!

An iPhone is almost always attached to his hip or in his pocket, but over the years, Mr. Bernhard has owned an Apple Newton, a Motorola Marco, an HP 95LX, a Compaq iPaq, a Palm Treo, and a Nokia e62. In addition to writing for iPhone Life, Mr. Bernhard has written for its sister publications, PocketPC Magazine and The HP Palmtop Paper.