Apple Wired Keyboard USB Low Power ! Error Message

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Dino1956 Author

Level 1

67 points

Apple Wired Keyboard USB Low Power ! Error Message

Ok, I just bought the new Apple Aluminum Wired keyboard for my Mac Mini. I plugged my Thumb Drive into the KB USB Port and it gives me a USB Low Power! error message. This is suppose to be USB 2.0, right?? A similar thing happened when I plugged KB into my hub, so now I have the KB plugged directly into the Mac Mini. And yes, I did the update. What's going on? The main reason I bought the KB is so I can plug my Thumb Drive into it, instead of going into the back of the Mini. Help !
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Mac Mini Intel 1.83 Intel Core 2 Duo, Mac OS X (10.5.2), One Gig Ram

Posted on May 23, 2008 6:57 PM

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Answer 1

Dino1956 Author

Level 1

67 points

Jun 7, 2008 10:33 PM in response to Dino1956

Update: Just purchased a Corsair Flash Voyager 4GB Thumb Drive & it works perfectly with my Apple Aluminum Keyboards USB 2.0 Ports. The Sandisk Cruzers did not work. Interesting.

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Answer 2

Dino1956 Author

Level 1

67 points

May 23, 2008 8:32 PM in response to damfair

I had an old Mac KB with USB 1.0 that my Thumb Drive & my Ipod worked fine with, except it was slow. This KB is advertised as USB 2.0 & does not work period. I would settle for Slow vs. not working at all. In my opinion, this is a major screw up on Apple's part. Again, I have seen no warning or limitations of features in Apple's documentation. They just brag about it being USB 2.0. So when I was making my purchase decision, that was the main reason I bought the KB in the first place.

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Answer 3

Boece

Level 5

6,274 points

May 24, 2008 4:17 AM in response to Dino1956

As the other poster has stated, this is a power-draw issue, not a usb 1 vs 2 issue. The keyboard and this thumbdrive are drawing too much power to be used together.

Just get a cheap usb extension cord and plug it in one of the four usb ports in the back of the Mini. Use that to attach your thumbdrive. Will work fine.

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Answer 4

Dino1956 Author

Level 1

67 points

May 24, 2008 6:30 AM in response to Boece

Ok I understand. But what are the ports good for? Just the Mighty Mouse & A Printer? Makes no sense at all, when I had an old Apple KB with USB 1.0 Ports that worked perfectly with ANYTHING. Apple does not say anywhere in their documentation of KB, that it can only just be used for Mighty Mouse & A Printer. That is totally bogus & extremely underhanded in my opinion. A USB 2.0 Port should be A USB 2.0 Port, like any other. It should work with ANY USB device. The situation is what it is. A very disapointing realization for people that use their KB USB ports for Thumb Drives because of the ease & location of the KB. Again any USB Port I ever had, worked, period. Wether it was slow or fast were the only differences. And yes, I hooked an extension and have it hanging from my Mini. I guess I have no choice. I love all the other aspects of the KB, I just hate being mislead & lied to.

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Answer 5

Boece

Level 5

6,274 points

May 24, 2008 6:48 AM in response to Dino1956

Again, usb2 has nothing to do with whether or not there is enough power for any two devices (the keyboard and the thumbdrive).

The usb standard only supplies a fixed amount of power on a port (500mA). The keyboard doesn't magically increase the amount of power available. You'd need a powered-hub to do that.

Since the keyboard is not a powered hub, you will, of necessity, be limited to no more power than a usb port can supply. The keyboard and thumbdrive must together not exceed that total power.

+"A USB 2.0 Port should be A USB 2.0 Port, like any other. It should work with ANY USB device."+

But there is no way to guarantee that unless a powered hub is used. That extra "ANY USB device" you speak of might conceivably need the entire power that a usb port is spec'ed to supply. But the keyboard needs power, too ...

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Answer 6

Dino1956 Author

Level 1

67 points

May 24, 2008 4:45 PM in response to Boece

Maybe I should have read the fine & not so fine Print on Keyboard

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

Oh well, I'm still disappointed but I'll stop whining now. 🙂

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Answer 7

damfair

Level 2

230 points

May 23, 2008 7:10 PM in response to Dino1956

If your flash drive is not small ( 1Gb or larger ) keyboard USB ports are not suitable for powering them. Even then it depends on the type of USB flash drive, some require more power than others.

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Answer 8

Dino1956 Author

Level 1

67 points

Oct 11, 2008 10:55 PM in response to Dino1956

I realize not all Thumb Drives will work with the KB. I found a Corsair Thumb Drive that woks Perfectly.

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