Kensington Computer Products Group announced that at the end of this month they will be releasing ShareCentral, a USB peripheral sharing device that will allow sharing of up to five USB peripheral devices between any two computers.

The ShareCentral devices will come in 3 models. All three of the devices promise to provide instant and effortless device sharing with just the flip of a button. The units are also supposed to eliminate cords and cables and be much easier on the eyes by integrated all parts into an attractive desktop or wall-mounted unit.

All three units will also have no need for network software (everything is plug and play). ShareCentral 2 and ShareCentral 5 will have automatic print sharing in which the device will automatically detect and switch to any computer on the network requesting a print job.

In a press release, Kensington revealed that over 40% of all households contain 3 to 4 computers, and that a staggering 70% of these have only one standard computing area for their needs, 50% of them alone only a single printer. Obviously, Kensington sees a need for a product like the ShareCentral.

ShareCentral 1

The ShareCentral 1 is the most basic of the three devices. It contains one USB port and offers the Plug-n-play features offered in all models. It can be had on Kensington’s website for $39.99. It also can be pre-ordered on Amazon for $31.99.

ShareCentral 2

ShareCentral 2 is a 2-USB port device that offers the basic features plus automatic printer sharing for computers running Windows XP or  Vista. It retails on the Kensington website for $59.99 and on Amazon for $46.99.

ShareCentral 5

The only difference between the ShareCentral 5 and the ShareCentral 2 is the number of USB devices that can be plugged in. As the name implies, it can handle 5 devices instead of 2, which can be handy if you have a lot of hardware. This model could be great, however, if you are using two computers in the same workspace and do not only want to have a printer set up, but also a mouse and keyboard. I know when I am using more than one computer at the same time, it is annoying when I have to have 2 different sets of mice and keyboards in the same workspace. This is probably the best one out there for us tech junkies who have more than a few USB gizmos. It retails on the Kensington website for $79.99, but can be found on Amazon as well for $62.99.

All of the models also come with a 2-year warranty.