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Re: Keyboard question

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On 2025-08-20 21:02:15 +0000, Your Name said:

> On 2025-08-20 11:23:59 +0000, super70s said:
>> On 2025-08-20 07:30:12 +0000, Your Name said:
>> 
>>> On 2025-08-20 06:48:42 +0000, super70s said:
>>>> On 2025-08-20 05:32:36 +0000, Your Name said:
>>>>> On 2025-08-19 22:53:17 +0000, super70s said:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I use an Apple A1242 keyboard on a couple of my newer iMacs 
>>>>>> (hard-wired). I like them because they're about as compact as possible 
>>>>>> and seem to be pretty reliable.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I also use an old PowerMac G4 MDD pretty often which I've always used 
>>>>>> Apple M2452 keyboards with. Those keyboards don't have the best 
>>>>>> reliability and they're dust/hair/grit collectors and I'm always having 
>>>>>> to order (used, of course) replacements for them on eBay.
>>>>> 
>>>>> If it is only dirt under the keys, then you can pop the keys off fairly 
>>>>> easily (the longer ones such as the spacebar, shift, etc. can be a bit 
>>>>> of a pain to get back on, so perhaps leave those on).
>>>>> 
>>>>> If the dirt has gotten inside the casing itself, then it is more 
>>>>> difficult to do because of the plastic clip that easily breaks.
>>>>> <https://siber-sonic.com/mac/keyboards/M2452.html>.
>>>> 
>>>> The latest time this happened some of the keys just quit working, the 
>>>> "e" for instance. I know how to pop the keys and clean under them but 
>>>> it didn't make any difference.
>>>> 
>>>> I ordered a replacement (which the guy said was untested so it was 
>>>> relatively cheap -- those things usually go for around $30 postage 
>>>> paid) and all the keys worked OK except the spacebar was stubborn about 
>>>> coming back up, even after I cleaned the hell out of it in every place. 
>>>> So I used the old beanie and put a small piece of sponge under it so it 
>>>> would, lol.
>>>> 
>>>> I have two systems that use the M2452 so I'll just use this one as a 
>>>> backup. I try to have two working ones on hand in case the main one 
>>>> suddenly goes bad.
>>>> 
>>>>>> My question is would an Apple A1242 keyboard work on the G3? I would at 
>>>>>> least have to order a USB cord extension so it would reach all the way 
>>>>>> to the G4 tower (on the floor). But if I did that would it work okay? 
>>>>>> Never thought about doing this before but I'm sick of those old M2452 
>>>>>> keyboards going bad.
>>>>> 
>>>>> The Apple A1242 wired keyboard specs say it works with MacOS X 10.5.6 
>>>>> or newer. It may or may not work with older versions of the OS. The 
>>>>> simplest option would be to just try it on the PowerMac. Plug the 
>>>>> keyboard into the back and use it on the floor if necessary, to see if 
>>>>> it will work.
>>>> 
>>>> Damn, I'm running 10.4.9 on those two machines (even though I split the 
>>>> drive and do have 10.5.6 on them too but I never use that OS because it 
>>>> can't run Classic apps). But I will try the A1242 on them, it could 
>>>> work like you say. If it does all I'll need is the USB extension cord.
>>> 
>>> A USB hub with a long cable might be a better idea, since it would 
>>> allow you to plug in the keyboard, mouse, and provide easy access for 
>>> USB thumb drives.
>> 
>> I already have an old Belkin hub on the primary G4 for peripherals like 
>> the printer, scanner and extra CD-ROM, I guess I could just plug the 
>> keyboard directly into that. Although I never could get an external 
>> floppy drive to work with it, it fussed it wasn't getting enough power 
>> -- even when I gave the hub it's own power supply. I even plugged the 
>> floppy drive directly into the G4 and it still argued about not enough 
>> power.
> 
> You could try a double-USB plug so it gets power from two USB ports. 
> That's what my external DVD-burner uses. My external USB floppy drive 
> only needs one plug.
> 
> Neither likes working through the my USB hub, despite it being a 
> supposedly powered hub. The external USB-powered hard drives don't work 
> through the hub either, but the external wall-powered hard drive does.

Update: I plugged a A1242 keyboard into the older system's hub, got a 
"not enough power" dialog and it froze the machine. I was discouraged 
but then I plugged it directly into the G4 and it seemed to work fine! 
So I ordered another A1242 to use with this older system. I can ditch 
those dinosaur M2452 keyboards once and for all.

BTW where did you get those details about the A1242 keyboard, 
EveryMac.com? I often go there for info on different models (normally 
my own) but I didn't think to use it for Apple peripherals. I didn't 
think they'd have any info on keyboards further than what keyboard 
originally shipped with a particular model.

>>>>> Another option is any old cheap Windows keyboard which should work, 
>>>>> although you usually have to remap the Command and Option keys since 
>>>>> Windows has them the wrong way around.
>>>> 
>>>> Usually I'm Apple to the core, lol. But the Windows keyboards could 
>>>> probably be bought for a song, that's a good idea.
>>> 
>>> I've been using an wired Logitech K120 Windows keyboard and mouse with 
>>> this 2014 Mac Mini since I got it in 2018. Both are plugged into a USB 
>>> hub because there simply aren't enough USB ports on the computer for 
>>> everything. No problems and it cost me under US$20 for the set brand 
>>> new. It's obviously not as aesthetically nice as all Apple, but nobody 
>>> but me really ever sees or uses it anyway. (The screen is a Samsung TV 
>>> too.)
>> 
>> "Logitech K120 Windows keyboard," thanks I'll look for that on eBay. I 
>> was hoping for some direction in the Windows wilderness. I'm at the 
>> point on this older system where I don't care about aesthetics and 
>> branding, but since I have limited desk space I wouldn't want the 
>> keyboard to have a bigger footprint than the M2452 (about 15" x 5 
>> 1/2"). The A1242 keyboards are only 11" x 4 1/2".
> 
> The K120 is a fairly big keybaord with separate numberpad, curcos keys, 
> and page up / down cluster, all full-travel keys. The mouse is fairly 
> light with two-buttons and a scrollwheel. Apart from remapping the 
> Command and Option keys, everything worked with the Mac Mini's original 
> version of MacOS and with High Sierra (10.13) it runs now, without any 
> extra software installed.

I have gripes about Apple mice also, I use the old Apple Mouse M5769 on 
all my machines, even the newer iMacs. One time a Mighty Mouse A1152 
(or possibly a Magic Mouse variation) shipped with one of the used 
computers I bought, it seemed to cause problems with the system so I 
replaced it with a M5769. I never needed that scrollwheel function 
anyway (or was just too used to living without it).

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Thread

Keyboard question super70s <super70s@super70s.invalid> - 2025-08-19 17:53 -0500
  Re: Keyboard question Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2025-08-20 17:32 +1200
    Re: Keyboard question super70s <super70s@super70s.invalid> - 2025-08-20 01:48 -0500
      Re: Keyboard question Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2025-08-20 19:30 +1200
        Re: Keyboard question super70s <super70s@super70s.invalid> - 2025-08-20 06:23 -0500
          Re: Keyboard question Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2025-08-21 09:02 +1200
            Re: Keyboard question super70s <super70s@super70s.invalid> - 2025-08-20 16:27 -0500
              Re: Keyboard question Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2025-08-21 13:19 +1200
                Re: Keyboard question super70s <super70s@super70s.invalid> - 2025-08-20 22:31 -0500
                Re: Keyboard question Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2025-08-21 18:41 +1200

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