USB Low Power Notice?

Wow, I can't imagine a USB key using more than 100mA.

No USB key should trigger a low power notice even when used on an unpowered hub. I have not seen this happen before. It's probably an improperly designed key that's being flakey with the power consumption it reports to the system.

A normal USB port can provide 500 ma (2.5 watts), but ports on the keyboard are from a non-powered USB hub, and can only provide 100 ma (0.5 watts). That is not enough power for many USB drives, and most other USB devices that do not have their own power supplies. Some USB drives will work.

I have got the same problem with my aluminium iMac Intel and its aluminium keyboard.

It has worked few times though but one day it just stopped recognizing any iPod or USB key. Only the mouse can work. The iPod' battery starts to load though.

I haven't found any infos about that, and it's quite annoying because it is less than 2 month old...

it may work at your job, and that's fine. But it won't work on your mac, not because there's something wrong with your mac. that's just how it works. pretty much the only thing you can plug into the plastic apple keyboard is a mouse. if you get one of the new aluminum keyboards, you can plug your drive into that computer because it has powered USB 2.0 ports.

I have the same problem. Pen drive, intel mac mini, new alum keyboard. My pen drive works fine on my old clear/plastic mac keyboard, but I dropped $50 on the new aluminum keyboard and now I get a low power notice. This is really annoying.

I have noticed this problem on a number of Macs and with several different USB devices. Right now I got the message on my MacBook Pro with my iPhone connected to it. I was hoping to charge it, but it's not charging. I should say that it charges. I get the USB power message and it stops and then randomly starts a few minutes later.
I have also noticed it with USB flash drives (Kingston, iPod shuffle, and SanDisk) on the new keyboards. I think there's certainly a problem on the Apple side. I doesn't appear to be the flash drives.
If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them.

Power and other devices on same circuit? a wireless device nearby?

problem solved with Leopard 🙂

I have a first generation Macbook running Leopard 10.5.1 with a recently purchased aluminium keyboard. Anything other that a mouse plugged into the keyboard results in a USB low power warning. I have tried the keyboards direct into the Macbook and into a Belkin USB powered hub, always the same. All the devices that give a USB low power warning work fine either direct in the macbook or in the Belkin hub.
The supplied manual says nothing on the usb ports.
The apple web page for the new keyboard says:

"Two USB 2.0 ports enable you to easily connect your Mighty Mouse as well as a high-speed peripheral such as a digital camera or printer.*"

look down the page for the asterisk and we get

"*Devices that draw high power from the USB connection, such as iPods, hard drives and some flash drives, can only be used with the new keyboard when it is attached to the aluminum iMac."

Didn't mention that when I bought the keyboard. So I'm expected to buy a new iMac if I want the keyboard to work properly?

Things like this make we wish I had bought a microsoft keyboard.

A standard USB port can provide 500 ma. A keyboard running from such a port cannot provide 500 ma to each port, especial since the keyboard and internal USB hub need some power. The new iMac must be providing more than usual power on its USB ports so the keyboard can provide full USB power when used with the new iMac. Maybe the new iMac has USB PlusPower
<http://www.usbpluspower.org>

Things like this make we wish I had bought a microsoft keyboard.

Can it put out more power on its USB ports than it gets from the computer? Does it even have USB ports?