Q About Connecting IPod Nano to Keyboard USB

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Hi. I just ordered an Ipod Nano which I should receive next week. I did

look at the manual, though, and it says that "The USB port on most

keyboards doesn?t provide enough power. Connect

iPod nano to a USB 2.0 port on your computer."



I have a 24" IMac from 2007 that has a 2.4Ghz processor with a keyboard

that has USB 2.0 ports. Should the USB ports of my keyboard be powerful

enough to connect to the Nano? Is the warning only for keyboards with

USB 1 ports? Or is there a difference in power between the USB 2 ports

on my keyboard and the USB 2 ports on the back of my IMac?



I have used the USB port on my keyboard to connect an Epson printer and it

worked fine. I also connected an IPod Shuffle with no problems.



Thanks

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 3
    Those are exactly the ports it was referring to... it may not work on the keyboard ports.



    The shuffle doesn't draw as much power... so it works usually.

    The Nano may try to draw too much and the computer will not mount it.

    The printer works, because it gets its power from the wall.



    You won't hurt anything trying it, but you'll probably end up needing to plug it into a full-power port (like on the back of the iMac, or on a Hub.)



    In other words, yes, there is a difference in the amount of power your iMac delivers to the keyboard ports... enough to enable communication but not enough to power backlights and CPUs and such. The full-spec ports on the motherboard provide more power.
  • Reply 2 of 3
    eckingecking Posts: 1,588member
    Ports can be can considered USB 2.0 without supplying enough power to power hard drives, ipods etc. The biggest difference between USB 2 and 1 is the speed of the transfer, not the power. I've got the aluminum keyboard and the side ports won't power my ipods, but I think they'll power usb keys.
  • Reply 3 of 3
    as per the instructions, Connect

    iPod nano to a USB 2.0 port on your computer, yes it would make a difference and would be harmful for the iPod, which itself is a very fragile gadget
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