Instruction: Carefully assess the user's review for any strong expressions of sentiment, either positive or negative. Based on your analysis, select the most fitting sentiment option from the provided list as output.

Input:
There are an awful lot of reviews out on the Web for KVM switches.  Usually, more information is good, right?  In this case, I found so many contrasting opinions on any given switch or company that I was banging my head against the desk just trying to decide what to buy.  Usually, the head-banging doesn't start until the equipment has been received and the setup begins.

In this case, I found that most of the head-banging had evidently been paid up front.

I got the box, hooked it up to two computers (a third is on the way, and if that changes anything, I'll try to repost), and turned the computers on.  Nobody was happy with anything.  The first computer didn't seem to like the display and the second didn't seem to like the keyboard or mouse.  (Obviously, I couldn't tell whether the first liked the keyboard or mouse.)  The three keyboard lights were stuck on Num, Caps, and Scroll Lock, no matter which system had the KVM's focus.  Note that both systems had been verified as working alone with the monitor, keyboard, and mouse, prior to my receiving the KVM switch.

I tried disconnecting the mouse and keyboard individually from the switch and plugging them back in.  No effect.  I power cycled the "visible" computer, no effect.  I powered both down, powered both back up, and now everything seems fine.  Don't ask me -- I'm trying not to believe in gremlins or voodoo.

Possibly (ir)relevant detail:  When things started working, I realized that I had powered up the first, let it complete the boot cycle, and then powered up the second.  It may be that the KVM switch is unable to convince two machines that are simultaneously booting that everything is connected, although this is pure speculation on my part.  I'll probably stick to this sequence in the future (no, voodoo, no!) because I like to watch boot sequences.  Yeah, I'm a nerd.

System specifics:

o  System 1:  (The originally non-displaying system) Gateway G6-350, running Windows 98

o  System 2:  Dell Precision 330, running Windows 2000 Pro

o  Monitor: Gateway EV700.  Curiously, this is the monitor that shipped with system 1, which made the initial display problem even more puzzling.

o  Keyboard:  The standard PS/2 keyboard that shipped with the Gateway

o  Mouse:  Microsoft Wheelmouse Optical (2-button).  This is a USB mouse that came with an adaptor for insertion into a PS/2 port.  I bought it last week because the Dell didn't recognize the wheel behavior of the original Gateway mouse.  The software that came with the mouse was installed on the Gateway, but not on the Dell, by oversight.  No biggie -- everything that I need the mouse to do, it does.

Minor Feature Complaints:

o  As has been noted here and on other sites, the layout of the switch, with outputs on the two long sides, makes for a bit of an octopus.  If you want to have access to the switch, to change between systems without using hot keys, this might annoy you.

o  There is only one button on the switch, so you have to cycle among all ports every time you want to change active systems.  Not only will this be even more annoying when I hook up my third system, it's just plain annoying that the switch isn't smart enough to only switch between connected ports.  However, the hot key functionality makes up for this to some degree.

o  The ports are "numbered" internally such that 1 and 3 are on one side, and 2 and 4 on the other.  This seems a bit bone-headed.

o  The ports are not visibly numbered on the box (at least that I noticed, and if they are labeled, then the labels should be more obvious)

Conclusion:

I bought this switch because it seemed to be a good combination of price and features.  The Amazon markdown was almost scarily good; I hoped that it meant that Iogear had come out with something new, and everybody just wanted to clear inventory.

My research indicated that Iogear, D-Link, and Linksys were usually rated mostly okay by users, with Belkin somewhat below, and other, cheaper models not often discussed.  The Aten and Avocent lines seemed positively reviewed, especially by online magazines and the like, but you're talking a big price bump (they are usually eight-port switches).

I would have liked better switching, better cable routing, and an on-screen display, but these weren't deal breakers -- I knew what I was trading off to save money.  The hot key sequence to change systems is not annoying to me -- as a regular Emacs user, I'm used to "chording" -- but it may be, to others.

So . . . so far, so good.  Knocking wood, not because I believe in voodoo or gremlins, but because I'm Irish, and that's what we do.

Options:
A: very positive
B: positive
C: neutral
D: negative
E: very negative
Answer: B: positive