If a regular part of your day is searching the depths of your laptop to find that all-important bank statement, contractor estimate, or slide deck you received yesterday only to realize that you actually downloaded it on your desktop computer, you’re not alone. People own an average of 2.3 PCs these days, according to Intel, and unlike the average number of children they have (1.94 and decreasing), that figure is going up.So what’s a multi-PC owner to do to maintain sanity? Existing options—finicky KVM switches, den-devouring desks with enough space for two computers, and just plain emailing stuff to yourself—leave a lot to be desired. That’s why you’ll be relieved to find out that another, simpler way is about to enter the picture. You’ll soon be able to connect your laptop to your desktop with nothing more than a Thunderbolt cable, grab that slide deck with the mouse connected to your desktop, and go about your business. Thunderbolt Share Syncs PCs With EaseThis dream scenario is thanks to a new technology called Thunderbolt Share, which will be available later this year on PCs, monitors, and docking stations from the likes of Lenovo, Razer, Belkin, and Kensington. The idea is that you’ll plug each end of a Thunderbolt cable into your two computers (or plug both of them in to a docking station) and install the Thunderbolt Share app on them. You’ll then be presented with a few different options.
(Credit: Intel)
The most attractive option for the scatterbrained among us is the ability to drag, drop, and even automatically sync files between the two connected computers. Thunderbolt Share will let you use the Windows File Explorer to simply drag that slide deck from your desktop to your laptop and be on your way. The app will also let you assign certain folders to sync automatically, so their contents are the same on each computer. (True, you can already set up similar syncing with any number of excellent cloud storage and file-sharing services, so perhaps this feature isn’t as useful unless you’ve got no internet connection).
(Credit: Intel)
The second Thunderbolt Share feature is for power users, and it lets you control one computer from the other, and vice versa. This is essentially a replacement for a KVM switch, a piece of kit that’s been around for decades but can require a fair bit of technological know-how to set up and use. With Thunderbolt Share, you can access the other computer’s desktop, and share its keyboard, monitor, mouse, and other peripherals.
(Credit: Intel)
The final option Thunderbolt Share offers is for people who just bought a new computer and want to transfer everything over from the old one. Various solutions have existed for this over the years, including Windows’ own Easy Transfer Utility, which now occupies the tech trash heap, but similar to KVM switches, none has been particularly all-encompassing or user-friendly. If Thunderbolt Share upends this status quo, it could become the preferred method for setting up a new PC.
(Credit: Intel)
How Do I Get Thunderbolt Share? “OK,” you’re probably asking at this point, “I’m sold! How do I get my hands on Thunderbolt Share?”As with many computer features that have the Thunderbolt name attached to them, this is where things get a little murky. Any PC with a Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 port is compatible with Thunderbolt Share, according to its maker, Intel. But officially, you can only use it if you meet one of two additional criteria. Either one of the two PCs you’re connecting together has to have the Thunderbolt Share logo, or you can connect both PCs to a Thunderbolt hub or docking-station monitor that has the Thunderbolt Share logo, which looks like this:
(Credit: Intel)
If you meet one of these two criteria, you should be good to go. Simply download the Thunderbolt Share app, connect the cable or cables, and start syncing and sharing. But it doesn’t take a PC power user to spot the wrinkle here: Thunderbolt Share is probably going to cost you big bucks. Regardless of whether you buy a new computer or a hub or a docking-station monitor, you’re going to be spending more than you would on a non-Thunderbolt Share-compatible option. Thunderbolt technology simply isn’t available on the cheapest PCs, docking stations, or monitors. Expect to spend $100 and up on a compatible docking station, $500 and up on a compatible monitor, or $1,000 and up on a compatible laptop or desktop computer. And the Mac-minded among us have probably guessed at yet another wrinkle with Thunderbolt Share: it only works with Windows PCs. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, since Intel and Apple had a high-profile falling out a few years ago over some silicon. But it does sting a bit, considering that all Macs have Thunderbolt ports, and plenty of people who hit that 2.3-PC average likely have one Mac and one PC. Existing Alternatives to Thunderbolt Share“OK,” you’re now wondering, “if I’ve got a Mac or don’t want to shell out big bucks for some new tech to use Thunderbolt Share, what are my options?” The first is to wait. Intel declined to comment on whether it plans to broaden Thunderbolt Share support to let devices that aren’t officially sanctioned use it (again, the official blessing is the Thunderbolt Share logo). But two things point to this being a real possibility. First, the requirement that only one device in the chain actually have the Thunderbolt Share logo suggests that the limitation is software-related rather than hardware-related, so it could be removed with a future software update.
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Second, Thunderbolt itself has a history of gradually broadening support. These lighting-fast ports were originally only available on Macs, then expanded to PCs whose makers paid Intel for the privilege, and now can theoretically be added to any device.Your second option, especially if you’re itching to solve the problem of your files being all over the place on your various PCs as soon as you can, is to use an existing cloud solution that doesn’t require a Thunderbolt cable. The obvious option if you’re using Windows is Microsoft OneDrive (which also works on Macs, too). It’s built directly into the operating system, and lets you store documents, photos, and other files online and sync them across multiple computers and devices. You can also share any files on OneDrive with other people, though you’ll likely have to shell out a few bucks a month if you’ve got more than 5GB of stuff. Check out our OneDrive guide to get started.
(Credit: Kyle Cobian)
And if you’re a power user struggling with your old KVM and you’re interested in Thunderbolt Share to replace it, you don’t have a lot of other good options, except that you might find a silver lining here if your primary goal is saving money on your dual-PC setup. As it turns out, modern KVM switches are actually a cinch to set up, and all the ones we’ve tested recently have worked flawlessly, which is surprising given that many of them cost less than $50. If you’re in the market for a new keyboard or mouse, you could also pick up a Logitech one that supports Logitech Flow, which moves the mouse cursor between the screens of two devices by swiping the touchpad to the edge of one, just as if it was one computer with multiple monitors. Flow also lets the two systems share copy/paste buffers, so you can move text, images, and even files with Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. It’s available even on Logitech’s budget keyboards and mice. On the other hand, if you’ve got a sky’s-the-limit-type budget or are planning on buying a new computer this year anyway, check back soon once we’ve had a chance to test and review a few Thunderbolt Share-equipped PCs, which are scheduled to go on sale in the second half of the year. Until then, carry on emailing stuff to yourself, with our sympathies.
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