MacBook Air 11-inch, Mid 2013 won't boot with external USB keyboard

3rd party hardware issue,.....recommend buying a genuine Apple wireless keyboard.

I don't know why it shouldn't work. You could call Apple or take it into the Apple store. Maybe they could troubleshoot it.

If you do decide on a wireless, the Logitech Bluetooth Easy Switch Keyboard K811 is a GREAT little wireless keyboard. it has a postive on/off switch so it doesn't come on unexpectedly. It has three buttons for 3 different computers (or iPad or iPhone) to connect to. It has Mac specific keys. It has a light up keyboard. And the touch is superb, way better than Apple keyboards. Yet it is small and light. Not your choice I know. Your keyboard is definitely interesting looking.

Bringing it into the Apple store has advantages in that if only the new Air is an issue you can demonstrate that by plugging into other machines and showing that it works and only doesn't work on the Air. And they can plug it into other 2013 airs to see if it is a general problem or specific to yours.

did you like the Logitech Bluetooth Easy Switch Keyboard K811? I tried it and wanted to like it, but i thought it had a squishy keyboard stroke. Apples keyboard isnt perfect either, but its better than a lot on typing.........i wish the HP wireless worked with the Apple.

I like it very much. I use it on my iPad (and occasionally my iPhone). I'm kind of a keyboard snob actually. I tried the Apple wireless keyboard first. Apple keyboards have a short throw that hurts the tips of my fingers. They're very pretty but the on button turns on when I don't want it to and my iPad wakes up in my bag. Strike 1.

I went to a little keyboard called the Joy and it had a positive switch so I didn't have the wakeup problem. It worked well though after several months I wore it out and had to replace it with another one. I also didn't like how flat it sat and used rubber bumpers on the back. It too had a short throw that hurt my finger tips after a while but it was better than the Apple.

Then I discovered the Logitech bluetooth keyboard, the K811. This is a great keyboard. It switches between multiple targets with one press, it has a positive on/off switch, the keys light up, it's rechargeable and lasts a long time, and the slight cushioning on the keys keeps my fingers from hurting. I put the rubber bumpers on it though like the Joy because I like the keyboard to sit up a little. It's a tiny bit bigger than the other keyboards but I like it a lot, better than my MBA keyboard and better than my iMac wired keyboard. I'm trying out an after market keyboard on the iMac now but I'm thinking about switching to one of these for the iMac.

I have a HP USB Wireless keyboard QB467AA and it works fine with my Mac computers. Eventhough it is a Windows style keyboard. You just have to get use to the Windows key being the Command key. And it has a real Delete key on it.

PlotinusVeritas wrote:

.i wish the HP wireless worked with the Apple.

I was having the same problem with an older MBA (mid 2011). Based on a few other forums I connected my Kinesis keyboard (USB Kinesis Freestyle) to the thundrbolt display via a cheap USB hub (you can probably also try a USB extender). It seems to be an ok workaround so far.

I just upgraded from a Mid-2010 15" MacBook Pro to a 15" Retina MacBook Pro and am having the same issue. The laptop won't boot up if my Kinesis Advantage keyboard is connected. The keyboard works fine once the computer has booted, but somehow it's blocking the boot sequence.

Boot up is blocked when I connect the keyboard directly to the laptop, and also when I connect the keyboard via my non-Thunderbolt 27" Cinema display. It's going to be pretty annoying to constantly attach and disconnect my keyboard.

I wonder if this is Apple or Kinesis' issue. Does anyone have links to more information on this issue elsewhere?

Done. I also referred them to this thread.

I also have this issue with a (brand new) 15-inch, Late 2013 Macbook Pro on OS X 10.9 and a Kinesis Advantage USB Keyboard.

Plugging the keyboard into a retina display doesn't help. The only difference is that I never hear the bootup chime.

These keyboards are pretty ubiquitious in the developer community; I'm surprised that this hasn't been fixed by Apple.

Needless to say, it's incredibly disappointing to spend so much on a computer that has buggy USB firmware (among other issues).

Experiencing the same problem with the same configuration: (brand new) 15-inch, Late 2013 Macbook Pro on OS X 10.9 and a Kinesis Advantage USB Keyboard. Macbook won't boot, gets stuck repeating the startup chime. I can use the keyboard if I plug it in after booting, but the Macbook sometimes crashes and then gets wedged trying to restart. I have emailed Kinesis. Disappointing, yes!

Kinesis says:

"We recently learned of a problem with our USB Advantage keyboards and new Mac hardware. The problem is exactly as you report – when keyboard is connected the computer will not boot. We are currently working with Apple for a fix.

Unfortunately we do not currently have a fix, other than the work-around of unplugging the keyboard during boot and reconnecting after boot. If you have a powered USB hub handy it may be worth trying – the hub in theory could work as sort of a “buffer” between the keyboard & computer, although we have not verified this.

I will keep you updated as we learn more."

Looks like this still hasn't been resolved. I'm experiencing this problem as well with a brand new 29" iMac, OS X 10.8, Kinesis Advantage QD. I'm also getting stuck at startup with they keyboard plugged in. Gets to a white screen and plays the startup chime over and over. I have to unplug the keyboard and power cycle the machine to get it to boot. I'm OK to plug it in after I get to the Apple logo.