One Mouse and One Keyboard for Two PCs with Mouse Without Borders

Hello everyone,

Today, I wanted to talk about a tool I recently discovered that could be extremely useful in my everyday life: Mouse Without Borders.

Controlling Several PCs with One Mouse and One Keyboard

If you use two Windows computers, this tool allows you to control both of them with a single mouse and keyboard. You simply need to install the software on each computer and connect them together.

The two PCs only need to be connected to the same local network, either through an Ethernet cable or the same Wi-Fi connection. Once everything is configured, you can move the mouse cursor from one screen to the other, as if both computers were part of the same workspace.

The software can be downloaded directly from Microsoft’s platform and is available for free. The setup requires a few steps, especially when pairing the two machines, but it remains fairly simple.

Once the computers are connected, I can switch from one to the other without constantly changing my keyboard or mouse. This is especially convenient when working with two machines at the same time, for example:

• one main PC for work or gaming;
• a second PC for hosting services;
• a computer dedicated to development;
• a machine used for monitoring or automation;
• a PC running scripts or automated bots.

In my case, this should make it easier to use my second computer, which is already running my small automated curation bots.

Copying and Pasting Between Two Computers

One of the most useful features is the ability to copy and paste text between both PCs.

I can copy a sentence, a command, a piece of code or any other information on the first computer, and then paste it directly onto the second one. This avoids having to send information to myself by email or messaging app, or using a USB drive.

However, I have not yet managed to transfer files easily using a simple CTRL + C / CTRL + V command. Maybe this feature is not supported in the same way, or perhaps it requires some additional configuration.

I will continue looking for a convenient solution to transfer documents between my two machines. There are probably other tools that allow files to be shared over a local network without having to add yet another cable to my desk.

A Workspace That Is Starting to Feel Crowded

Of course, I could also use a transfer cable between the two computers. But honestly, I already have far too many cables lying around on my desk.

I really need to take some time to improve my cable management and make my workspace cleaner and more comfortable. Between power cables, chargers, USB devices and different accessories, the desk fills up very quickly.

The lack of space is also a problem in my apartment. We live together in a space of around 30 square meters, which means that every area needs to be used intelligently.

Just on my side, I already have:

• two computers;
• a tablet;
• several screens and peripherals;
• various computer accessories;
• equipment that could probably be stored more efficiently.

I should therefore think about reorganizing everything, possibly replacing some furniture with more practical pieces that are better suited to small spaces. In a small apartment, it is important to choose compact and modular furniture, preferably with built-in storage.

I Am Also Continuing to Work on My Small Incremental Game

At the same time, I am still learning development by working on a personal project: an incremental clicker game.

The goal is not to immediately create a professional game or publish it online. For now, I am mainly developing this project for fun and to gradually learn how to code.

This kind of game is interesting because it allows me to work on many different aspects:

• resource management;
• buying and selling;
• upgrades;
• automatic income;
• real-time calculations;
• saving progress;
• balancing the economy;
• user interface design;
• managing several types of currency.

For the moment, the game will probably remain offline. I might eventually host it on my second computer if the project becomes interesting enough, but it would not be able to support many simultaneous players.

This PC is already being used to run my automated curation bots, so I should not expect it to handle a large number of connections or a complete multiplayer game at the same time.

Managing Different Types of Currency

The part that caused me the most difficulty was managing the different currencies.

In an incremental game, I wanted to use several levels of resources with a conversion system. For example:

• 100 Bronze = 1 Copper
• 100 Copper = 1 Gold
• 100 Gold = 1 Platinum

On paper, this seems fairly simple. However, you need to think carefully about how the program stores the values and performs the conversions.

The player starts with 500 Bronze. Once they reach 100 Bronze, the game can automatically convert that amount into 1 Copper. The challenge is to avoid calculation errors, especially when part of the currency remains after the conversion.

For example:

• 250 Bronze should become 2 Copper and 50 Bronze;
• 1 Copper and 75 Bronze should remain displayed correctly;
• purchases must remove the correct amount of currency;
• automatic income must be added in real time;
• conversions must not make resources disappear.

This is exactly the kind of detail that seems obvious to a player but requires much more thought when you have to explain it to a program.

How the Professions Work

I am also working on the profession system.

As in most incremental games, each profession should gradually become more expensive. In return, it should also generate more resources.

For example:

Profession	Initial Cost	Income
Beginner Miner	100 Bronze	1 Bronze per second
Experienced Miner	250 Bronze	3 Bronze per second
Blacksmith	1 Copper	10 Bronze per second
Merchant	5 Copper	1 Copper per second

Each time a profession is purchased, its price increases. This forces the player to make choices and prevents progression from becoming too fast.

The player starts with 500 Bronze, allowing them to buy their first upgrades right from the beginning. After that, they must wait for their professions to generate enough resources to invest in new improvements.

The goal is to create an enjoyable progression system, with a satisfying feeling of growth, while avoiding a game that becomes either too easy or too slow.

Managing Resources in Real Time

Another important feature is making sure that resources are calculated correctly in real time.

The game must be able to:

• automatically add the resources being produced;
• update the display every second;
• take several professions into account at the same time;
• perform currency conversions;
• deduct the cost of purchases;
• prevent the player from buying something if they do not have enough resources.

This requires creating a kind of game loop that regularly checks the state of the resources and updates the interface.

Even though this is only a small project, it helps me better understand how timers, events and automated calculations work. It is a good way to learn in a practical manner, because every new feature creates a problem that must then be solved.

A Shop System

I also want to add a shop where the player can buy and sell different resources.

The shop could offer several features:

• buying Bronze, Copper or Gold;
• selling excess resources;
• checking current prices;
• exchanging one currency for another;
• purchasing upgrades;
• unlocking new professions.

I will also need to think about price balancing. If selling provides exactly the same value as buying, the player could easily create resources or exploit a flaw in the system. There should therefore probably be a difference between the buying price and the selling price.

For example:

• buying 100 Bronze: 1 Copper;
• selling 100 Bronze: 0.8 Copper;
• purchasing a profession: an increasing price;
• selling a resource: a slightly lower value.

Conclusion

Between discovering Mouse Without Borders, reorganizing my workspace and developing this small incremental game, I have several projects in progress.

Microsoft’s tool should make it easier for me to use both of my computers without needing additional peripherals or adding even more cables to my desk.

The incremental game, meanwhile, allows me to learn programming gradually by working on concrete features such as currencies, professions, resources, purchases, sales and automatic progression.

It may only be a small personal project, but it helps me better understand programming logic and improve step by step. And who knows? Maybe, over time, this simple clicker game will become complete enough to be hosted on my second PC and shared with a few people.

For now, I am mainly experimenting, fixing my mistakes and learning as I go.