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Product:
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VL System Touch One Switch |
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Price:
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$26 (CAN) / $19.95 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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VL System
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Author:
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Shennon
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Date:
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July 29th, 2004
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The included white wire connects the motherboard power switch header and to the controller card. It measures
approximately 40 cm and should provide enough clearance inside a standard case. VL System has included a piece
of double sided tape which will assist with keeping the Touch One unit stationary. A single zip tie is used to
secure the power input to the 20-pin power connector. A single instruction sheet along with a reference diagram
is also provided to simplify the installation process.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Installation is straightforward and can be completed in less than 30 minutes. The process starts with the 20-pin power
connector and the power input cables which are grouped together so that the purple and black wires match each other.
The other end connects to the controller card which can be installed into any free PCI slot. The Power Switch lead has
one end which is connected to the motherboard and the opposite end is connected to the controller card. The white wire
lead from the card to the motherboard header finishes off the remainder of the wiring process. Users may want to route
the wiring behind the motherboard to keep the interior clean. Securing the controller card to an empty PCI expansion slot and
plugging in the touch switch finishes off the installation.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Once installed correctly, the base of the touch switch should glow, whether the computer is on or off. There is not a lot of
pressure required to get this switch to complete the task of turning off or powering on a computer system.
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Conclusion:
Using the included reference sheet allowed the installation of the Touch One switch to be completed very easily. After
extended tests I did run into problems where the back of the controller card would have to be pushed in order for the system
to work. This suggests that there may be grounding issue with this product or it might be the chassis I was using or the card
itself. One thing that was apparent while I was testing the switch was that when it was touched to turn the computer off,
any unsaved data was lost. While some machines do this naturally, some of the newer machines and software will try and get
the user to save data first. I am hard pressed to think of a situation where this could come in handy, with the exception of
a broken power switch, security option or someone who is physically impaired where pushing the power button is a task unto itself.
While the L.I.S. and its follow-up the L.I.S.2 products from VL System received great reviews here at MTB, the Touch One Switch
doesn’t live up to the expectations and almost seems like a re-invention of the wheel. Most consumers will be very hard pressed
to actually find much usefulness with this product. Overall, I am rating the VL System Touch One Switch a final rating of
5 out of 10. If you have any questions regarding this review be
sure to visit the VL System website
for more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Ability to power ON/OFF a computer system
- Simple installation
- Beneficial to the physically impaired
- Replacement for a faulty switch
- Alternative security solution
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Cons:
- Touching the button will shut the machine down without saving any data
- Questionable usefulness
- Re-invention of the wheel
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