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LittleBastad · Feb 5, 2007, 02:51 PM

Hi, all.

Though we can't really afford it, the continued downward spiral of our PC is giving my wife and I the opportunity to switch to Mac. We're going to buy the 20 inch iMac, but I have a concern about the number of USB ports available.

According to Apple's website, there are 3 USB 2.0 ports on the back of the machine and 2 USB 1.1 ports on the keyboard. If I'm understanding correctly, two of the three USB ports on the back of the machine will be taken up by the keyboard and mouse, which leaves us with only one USB port. The problem is we have two USB devices that we'd like hooked up all the time, and a third we'd like to hook up either all of the time or fairly often.

- Epson Printer
- Kodak Camera/Camera Dock
- LG External DL Lightscribe DVD Burner

I also have a game controller that I may hook up from time to time, but I figure I can use one of the ports on the keyboard for that. And my iPod uses Firewire, so that's not a concern.

So, is there any such thing as a USB-to-Firewire converter that I could use to take advantage of my spare Firewire port? And is there any way for a USB 2.0 device to hook up to one of the USB 1.1 ports on the keyboard?

One final question: could you conceivably hook the Mighty Mouse into the keyboard and free up a USB port that way?

::maroma:: · Feb 5, 2007, 03:18 PM

I'll try to answer some or all of your questions.

1) USB-to-Firewire converter? - Yes I believe these exist. You'll just have to do some searching around to find it. (I'm far too lazy at the momment)

2) USB 2.0 devices can be used in USB 1.1 ports. You should be fine there. BUT, your Keyboard ports are not bus powered, so some USB devices wont work when plugged into your Keyboard USB port. You can go ahead and try to plug them in, and you should get an error message popping up telling you that the device needs to be plugged into a powered port.

3) Yes you can, and probably should, hook up your mouse to your Keyboard USB port. It gives you more cable room to play with, and frees up a port in the back of your Mac.

Also, if you're hurtin for USB ports, you can always spring for the wireless Keyboard and Mouse option. Or you could invest in a nice small USB hub. Some are so small you don't even see em, as they plug into the back of your Mac and hide nicely behind it.

yaroldb · Feb 5, 2007, 03:28 PM

I say bite the bullet and get the wireless keyboard and mouse. It's a $59 upgrade and it will free up all 3 USB ports on the back. I am not familiar with a firewie to USB converter. I have a 20" iMac and bought a 7 port USB hub. MicroCenter sells them for about $20 bucks. They are ugly, but I bolted it to the bottom of the desk. Out of sight, out of mind.

sray · Feb 5, 2007, 03:35 PM

The easiest way to solve this problem is to buy a small USB hub and plug that into the back of the iMac. The mouse is typically plugged into the USB port on the keyboard (the mouse cord isn't long enough to reach to the back of the iMac). The keyboard is plugged into the iMac.

The USB ports on the keyboard won't support USB 2.0 devices (like USB drives).

Btw, my wife has the same setup. 20" iMac with printers, keyboard, mouse, Nikon camera and an USB iPod. We use a cheap un-powered USB hub in the back of the iMac.

Have fun .... you'll love your iMac.

LittleBastad · Feb 5, 2007, 04:12 PM

Thanks, everyone. Well, it sounds like plugging the mouse into the keyboard will solve my immediate issue (because then I'll have two ports to play with), so I'll probably go with that for now. I'm hesitant to go with the wireless keyboard and mouse because of some things I've read and my mother-in-law's constant trouble with her wireless mouse. A cheap $20 hub might work too, though.

Now that I think about it, if the mouse cord really isn't long enough to reach to the back of the iMac, I might still have a problem because of the way the desk is set up. We have a retractable keyboard shelf, but it doesn't have enough room for a mouse on it, so we have our current mouse sitting up on the main portion of the desk... Hard to describe.

Anyway, I guess I'll have to see what happens once I get the machine on my desk. I'm hoping that'll be as soon as next weekend. My wife wants to get the taxes started first, to see if our refund will help us out at all. I'll get to that on Wednesday, and hopefully be far enough along by Saturday to warrant a trip to the local Apple Store.

Rosieo · Feb 5, 2007, 04:19 PM

When I purchased my 20" iMac I upgraded to the wireless keyboard and mouse and just love it. I have not had any problems at all with it. You might want to try it.

peeb · Feb 5, 2007, 04:25 PM

A cheap USB hub will solve all your problems.

Sherman Homan · Feb 5, 2007, 04:48 PM

I love the wireless mouse and keyboard; but, years from now when you have to do repair stuff (boot from the installer DVD, safe mode, single user

) you will need a real live USB keyboard. I would go for the powered USB hub.

Jacke · Feb 5, 2007, 05:41 PM

Doesn't the keyboard have two USB ports?

I have a similar setup, with a printer, MIDI keyboard and a camera I want hooked up. I've got the computer keyboard, digicam cable and the MIDI keyboard hooked up to the three main USB ports on the eMac, and then the mouse and the printer from the keyboard. Since the printer has its separate power I can hang it off the unpowered keyboard hub. (I guess the DVD burner *could* be connected to the keyboard if it has its own power, but that would probably just give you a 1.1 connection which is a lot slower than USB 2.0.)

Tenex · Feb 5, 2007, 06:59 PM

There are no USB to Firewire converters, they are different technologies.

Consider a Logitech S530 keyboard and mouse instead of the Apple (I think its superior) which will use one USB port. If ports are a concern buy a hub. IOGear have some nice vertical white models USB or combo.

I use a Belkin firewire hub and a couple of USB hubs with my iMac I keep meaning to buy a Belkin 7 port USB so it would come down to only one hub.

JKT · Feb 5, 2007, 07:15 PM

Personally, I recommend one of these. Not only a USB and Firewire hub but also has the added bonus of being an external hard drive too.

mduell · Feb 5, 2007, 07:44 PM

Plug the mouse into the keyboard, the DVD burner into the iMac, and the printer/camera into a USB2 hub that's connected to the other USB port.

vmarks · Feb 5, 2007, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by LittleBastad

Now that I think about it, if the mouse cord really isn't long enough to reach to the back of the iMac, I might still have a problem because of the way the desk is set up. We have a retractable keyboard shelf, but it doesn't have enough room for a mouse on it, so we have our current mouse sitting up on the main portion of the desk... Hard to describe.

USB extension cable. These are fairly cheap and will make it reach. Heck, many flashdrives come with them, you might already find you have one around.

LittleBastad · Feb 6, 2007, 09:36 AM

Any recommendations on USB2 hubs? I'm not sure where to start (what brand, etc.).

Since the budget is tight, I'd prefer to spend money on a couple of pieces of software that we'll need (Quicken, iWork, and maybe Parallels). But if I can get a good USB hub that isn't going to break on me in six months (I've read some bad reviews, but I suspect I'm just looking in the wrong places), that's also cheap, then maybe that'll be an option.

LittleBastad · 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by Sherman Homan

I love the wireless mouse and keyboard; but, years from now when you have to do repair stuff (boot from the installer DVD, safe mode, single user

) you will need a real live USB keyboard. I would go for the powered USB hub.

Can you somehow convert an old PS/2 keyboard and mouse over to USB? I think I've seen (and might even own) such an adapter. If that's the case, then I could use the keyboard and mouse I have from my existing computer if I ever have to do this kind of maintenance, and I could spring for the wireless mouse and keyboard with the Mac to solve my USB port problem.

EDIT: I found this article on Apple's site, which suggests that a wireless keyboard and mouse wouldn't be a problem when it came to repairing stuff, after all (unless I'm reading it incorrectly). So maybe that's the way to go.

How many batteries do you go through with the wireless keyboard and mouse? Does it drive up the total cost of ownership significantly?

EDIT 2: Unfortunately, the wireless option isn't going to work for me because I need to run Boot Camp, and this article tells me that the wireless keyboard and mouse will not work with Windows. Oh well. I guess it's the USB hub for me (or just a USB extension cord).

Sherman Homan · Feb 6, 2007, 10:05 AM

Little B: Interesting article, I have never had any luck with older systems starting up with a wireless keyboard. I haven't tried it on a Mac with built in bluetooth though. Sounds like you would be OK with a new machine!

WOPR · Feb 6, 2007, 02:21 PM

Are you really sure you need the 20" ?

LittleBastad · Feb 6, 2007, 02:42 PM

We don't need the 20 inch screen, but we do need the bigger hard drive that comes standard with the 20 inch, and we like the added bonus of a bigger screen.

Why do you ask? Have you heard bad things about the 20 inch?

peterthorn · Feb 7, 2007, 04:58 PM

I have had a Belkin usb2 hub for about a year with no problems at all. The 20" iMac is a good model - just remember to get a lot of ram.

Enjoy!
Peter

ecking01 · Feb 7, 2007, 07:26 PM

Any usb hub will do, it's pretty simply technology so brand doesn't matter, the cheaper the better. I use one that is bus powered, I don't even know the brand because it came free with my printer, and I constantly run 2 external drives+ a mouse out of it with no problems at all.