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Madferret · May 24, 2006, 01:02 PM

I just bought an A4 Tech Ultra Slim Ultra compact keyboard to use with my old lime iMac. Tiny keyboard for it since it's going to be a server, tucked somewhere not visible. Anyway, it has a power button like the original keyboard (which is now toast, btw), but pressing it does nothing. It also has forward, back home, mail, and search 'internet' keys. Is there a driver I can d/l that can 'learn' my keyboard so I could make use of these buttons?

Thanks!

Madferret · May 24, 2006, 05:23 PM

Helloooooo........

ghporter · May 24, 2006, 06:00 PM

Didn't something come with the keyboard? Like a disc? Have you Googled that particular model to see if the manufacturer has something for it online?

tooki · May 24, 2006, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by FrankeniMac

Helloooooo........

Don't bump threads any sooner than several days after the original post, if at all. If someone knows, they'll post. If nobody knows -- or if a question is lacking necessary info -- then they won't. Bumping won't change that.

tooki

slugslugslug · May 24, 2006, 10:37 PM

Lots of companies make keyboards with some extra keys, for internet or media or whatnot. Only a select few make Mac drivers for any of these keyboards: Microsoft, Logitech, MacAlly, and maybe Kensington are the ones that spring to mind, but there may be some other obscure ones. As far as I know (and I've looked around, but in a cursory manner), there are no 3rd-party programs to let you assign extra keys on any old keyboard. The guy who makes "USB Overdrive once acknowledged that he's gotten requests to implement such a feature, but called it a low priority and has since taken any mention of it off the page.

So unless Googling your particular manufacturer and model number has turned anything up, you're probably SOL. And for what it's worth, I should add that I would have noticed your thread and replied had you not bumped it within 4 hours.

Madferret · May 25, 2006, 11:40 AM

So that's a negatory? It's an A4 Tech keyboard....

Diggory Laycock · May 25, 2006, 11:55 AM

You could try installing Proxi or QuickSilver - and try setting up a keyboard trigger - when it asks you for the key - press the extra key on the keyboard.

If it's recognised then you've got a go - otherwise the key isn't recognised by the OS at all..

Madferret · May 25, 2006, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by Diggory Laycock

You could try installing Proxi or QuickSilver - and try setting up a keyboard trigger - when it asks you for the key - press the extra key on the keyboard.

If it's recognised then you've got a go - otherwise the key isn't recognised by the OS at all..

More info please?

Diggory Laycock · May 25, 2006, 07:28 PM

Download Proxi from:
http://proxi.griffintechnology.com/index.html

Set up a new 'Trigger' (of th Hotkey Monitor variety.)

Press the 'set' button - then try out your extra keyboard buttons - see if they send normal keyboard signals.

tooki · May 25, 2006, 07:49 PM

They never send normal key codes. Some of the keys, like volume and mute, are standardized and understood by OS X without special drivers. But the rest will do nothing without the drivers.

tooki

Madferret · May 25, 2006, 08:00 PM

But they have to send something. How come there isn't a program that can just see whatever actions those keys are and assign them a new function?

tooki · May 25, 2006, 10:13 PM

There is: the keyboard driver. It's just a problem when they don't make Mac drivers...

tooki

ghporter · May 26, 2006, 09:27 AM

Computers, in general, ignore key codes they don't recognize. They learn to recognize key codes from drivers. No Mac driver means key codes get ignored. That's the whole story. If one of the apps mentioned above (Proxi or Quicksilver) might do the trick, or they might not. Unless you buy a keyboard that STATES it supports Macs (and thus provides a driver) you're wandering in the dark.