Use a regular PC keyboard on a Mac G3?

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W. D. - 24 Jan 2006 05:41 GMT

Hi folks,

I am a PC guy, trying to see if I can get a Mac G3 running
and need a keyboard. How can I use one of my many PC
keyboards on the Mac?

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Dave Stanton - 24 Jan 2006 06:27 GMT

> Hi folks,
>
> I am a PC guy, trying to see if I can get a Mac G3 running
> and need a keyboard. How can I use one of my many PC
> keyboards on the Mac?

Not if their PS/2, G3 can only take USB. And even a pc USB keyboard most
likely wont talk Apple to the G3.
Lots of reasonable priced keyboards on Ebay.
One other thing, if you have the mac keyboard you can plug a USB potical
mouse into it as I have done with my G3. I find its better than the mac
single button. ( no flames plse)

HTH

Dave

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W. D. - 24 Jan 2006 06:35 GMT

> > Hi folks,
> >
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> Dave

Thanks, Dave.

Is there some kind of converter cable that would allow a PC
keyboard to work?

I don't recall seeing any USB ports on this computer. It's
a tower, "Power PC".

If there is a USB port, what brand of keyboard should I
buy? Don't want to spend much--just get this computer
to work cheaply.

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Andre Berger - 24 Jan 2006 10:54 GMT

* W. D. (2006-01-24):

[...]

> > > I am a PC guy, trying to see if I can get a Mac G3 running
> > > and need a keyboard. How can I use one of my many PC
> > > keyboards on the Mac?
> >
> > Not if they'er PS/2, G3 can only take USB. And even a PC USB keyboard most
> > likely wont talk Apple to the G3.

I've got an IBM PS/2 PC keyboard and a Logitech 2btns+wheel PS/2
mouse attached to an iMac G3 using an "active" (sic!) USB-PS/2
converter.

[...]

> Is there some kind of converter cable that would allow a PC
> keyboard to work?

There's always USB; the question is rather how to get the keys to
work as expected. Logitech keyboard and mouse drivers come with PC
keyboard layouts ("Logitech <yourlanguage>"). In conjunction with
System Preferences : Keyboard & Mouse : Keyboard : Modifer Keys set
to Caps Lock/Command/Option/Control from top to bottom, the PC
keyboard works quite nicely on Tiger. YMMV.

-Andre

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Dave Stanton - 24 Jan 2006 20:40 GMT

> I've got an IBM PS/2 PC keyboard and a Logitech 2btns+wheel PS/2
> mouse attached to an iMac G3 using an "active" (sic!) USB-PS/2
> converter.

Now I learn something, did not know they existed.

Dave

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Bill - 24 Jan 2006 13:31 GMT

> > > Hi folks,
> > >
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> buy? Don't want to spend much--just get this computer
> to work cheaply.

Early Mac G3s did not have USB ports. In those old computers, the
keyboard hooked up by a special connection called "ADB" which stands for
Apple Data Bus. Neither a USB keyboard nor a PS2 keyboard will work with
it.

If the G3 you have is that old, it may not be a lot of use to you. It
can probably be forced to run OS X, but only with some specialized setup.

If it does have USB ports, than any USB keyboard will probably work.

Bill

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W. D. - 24 Jan 2006 15:32 GMT

> Bill wrote:
> Early Mac G3s did not have USB ports. In those old computers, the
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Bill

Thanks, Bill.

What about adapters like these?

http://tinyurl.com/9q5hz

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Ben - 24 Jan 2006 19:14 GMT

>> Bill wrote:
>> Early Mac G3s did not have USB ports. In those old computers, the
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> http://tinyurl.com/9q5hz

Sorry, these are all the wrong way round, they convert the USB port to
ADB, you cannot (as far as I know) convert a USB keyboard to ADB.
Ben.

NB there are converters from PS2 to ADB, they are used on KVM switch
boxes, however last time I looked they were over £70.00 +VAT (UK), a LOT
more than an old ADB keyboard would cost you.

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Anders Eklöf - 24 Jan 2006 21:28 GMT

> >> Bill wrote:
> >> Early Mac G3s did not have USB ports. In those old computers, the
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> ADB, you cannot (as far as I know) convert a USB keyboard to ADB.
> Ben.

But you can put a PCI card with USB ports into the G3, and then connect
a USB keyboard - or optionally a USB-to-whatever adapter - to it.

We _are_ talking of a beige G3 tower here, right W.D.?

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to those whom I don't mind billing by the hour

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Bill - 24 Jan 2006 20:34 GMT

> http://tinyurl.com/9q5hz

I have not used them. They may work fine.

Bill

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spudnuty - 24 Jan 2006 19:42 GMT

> Bill wrote:
> If the G3 you have is that old, it may not be a lot of use to you. It
> can probably be forced to run OS X, but only with some specialized setup.

I have 3 G3s running Panther here in the house. It WAS a bit of a pain
to set up but using XPostFacto not too bad and way worth the trouble.
Esp if you're on the net a lot. Just the time I save on my TV programs
site used to take a minute to load in 9.2.2 now only a few seconds.
BTW here's a site with pinouts on keyboards and such:
http://www.networktechinc.com/technote.html
but you're gonna need a switching network to make them compatable, I
think.
Richard

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Gregory Kleverlaan - 27 Jan 2006 14:24 GMT

> Hi folks,
>
> I am a PC guy, trying to see if I can get a Mac G3 running
> and need a keyboard. How can I use one of my many PC
> keyboards on the Mac?

I recall from a recent search that any USB Keyboard and Mouse from an IBM PC
can be used on a mac.
http://www.macwindows.com/keytips.html

But some of the keys will obviously be missing so an extension will have to
be loaded to allow key remapping.

see below on one such pc keyboard extension for mac.
http://lowendmac.com/musings/04/0526.html

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Anders Eklöf - 27 Jan 2006 21:11 GMT

> > Hi folks,
> >
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> I recall from a recent search that any USB Keyboard and Mouse from an IBM PC
> can be used on a mac.

You haven't seen the rest of this thread, have you ?

3 days ago "W. D." wrote:

>> I don't recall seeing any USB ports on this computer. It's
>> a tower, "Power PC".

It's most likely a first generation ("beige") G3. No USB.
Unless you put a USB card in one of the PCI slots.

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I recommend Macs to my friends, and Windows machines
to those whom I don't mind billing by the hour

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Mac Forum / General / Hardware / January 2006

Use a regular PC keyboard on a Mac G3?