Building a serial and VGA "everything console"

The author is building a portable serial and VGA console system using a used IBM 1U rack-mount console ($120) with a 17" LCD screen and keyboard, combined with a terminal emulator device from Tattler Solutions ($86) to replace cumbersome old CRT terminals for accessing systems with serial consoles. The setup includes an IBM USB keyboard with integrated pointing device and hub, connected via a folding arm to the console, though the terminal emulator has a limitation in not supporting combo USB devices like the keyboard.