Two-computer-in-one-emulator?

[DrAwesomePhD]

Alright, well downstairs i have a computer set up with two actual computers , a laptop and a desktop, with one of those Keyboard, Video, Mouse (KVM) switches, so it allows me to press ScrLk + ScrlLk + 2 to see my second computer on the screen, and ScrLk + ScrLk + 1 to see the desktop on the main screen. Essentially, both computers are running independently and i have a switch, plugged into my monitor, keyboard, and mouse, that allows me to switch between which one i view on a given screen and use the same keyboard/mouse. just sends the monitor signal from both computers to 1 monitor and you manually switch which one you are looking at...

 

OK , that aside, im wondering if there is a way that I could do a similar thing, except only ONE computer. If i could get some software that could emulate two computers with only one computer. I'm sure it'd be extremely stressful to the computer, but id atleast like to try it. I have two monitors, so id like to be able to see both of them, and switch which screen the keyboard/mouse are controlling (if that makes any sense). So lets say on one screen im drawing a picture in paint, and on another im surfing the web... my mouse is set to the paint screen, so i am edditing my picture, but i can still see the webpage on the other screen. By pressing a set macro on the keyboard i switch to control of the other screen and can go to a different website, but the two are independent of eachother.

 

Is there any software that anyone knows of that can help me out here I think my idea is a little farfetched, but i dont see why its not possible

[spazmire11]

i dont belive ther is software like that however you can get close with just a dual moniter setup then your mouse can just go over to the other screen without any button preses

[gouber5585]

as spazmire11 says, just go with a dual monitor setup. Thats what i got and it is wonderful. I have IRC in one window while i'm playing my games in the other. When i see something interesting in the chatroom, i alt tab out and chat for a little

[MasterRex862]

I dont think so, man. Your current setup seems pretty cool enough to me though. Want what you have got....!

[DrAwesomePhD]

Hmm well the dual monitor setup i dont like because i want to run the same game twice use my friends account and mine, and run em both at the same time, is my plan...

 

Anyway to do this? it doesnt work if the montior #2 is simply an extension of monitor #1

[Nemo]

What you're talking about is setting up two virtual machines. This is perfectly feasible if you want to pay for two OSes. Check out VMWare. You can even run Linux and Windows simultaneously.

[cybergrunt69]

From what it looks like you're requesting is just what Nemo answered. If I read it right, you want to have more than one OS run on one computer. In order to do this, you can run one of several virtual machine apps. These apps take a chunk of disk (you allocate how much), and use a portion of CPU and memory (as needed), and they have "pass-through" drivers for the hardware, and can emulate as many NICs as needed.

 

There is:

VMWare for windows and Linux/Unix that can run any X86 OS

http://www.vmware.com/

VirtualPC (from MS) that runs Windows PC OSs

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx

VirtualServer (from MS) for the MS Server platforms

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversyst...er/default.mspx

Pear (open source) that allows you to run a MAC OS on a X86 box

http://pearpc.sourceforge.net/