question about keyboards

[randycat99]

So I'm guessing, no amount of USB/PS2 adaptor chicanery can make PC and Mac keyboards interchangeable? Do they just work too differently to make this possible? I want to use my fancy clear Mac keyboard for my PC and Mac hooked up via kvm switch, but I don't think any way I can think of connecting it will make it work. Anybody ever have to deal with this predicament? I see the USB-to-PS2 adaptor in the store that would allow me to connect the USB keyboard to the PS2 port on the kvm, but am I just wishful thinking that the PC would be able to recognize the Mac keyboard, even if I did use the adapter to connect it?

 

[Bludd]

Are they so different?

What happens if you do plug it in? BIOS complains of no keyboard or does it just not work in the OS? Maybe there is a MackeyboardforWindows driver?

 

[Xmas]

Most if not all USB keyboards can operate in PS/2 mode. You can use a Mac USB keyboard with a PC, either plugging it into a USB port or using a USB to PS/2 adapter.

However if your Mac doesn't have a PS/2 port you need either a USB KVM switch or a PS/2 to USB converter. I don't know how expensive these are, but since they need a little bit of logic I guess they cost more than a simple USB to PS/2 adapter.

 

[randycat99]

Well this is encouraging news. I will give it a try then. I just wanted to hear from some people that have actually tried it, before I go out and buy this little adapter, find out it doesn't work, and then have to stand in line to return 1 stupid little part.

I guess it never even occurred to me to just plug my Mac keyboard into the PC just to see what would happen. Seems like simple enough test, eh? I just had my mind too focused on how to get it working with the kvm switch.

 

[the maddman]

So I'm guessing, no amount of USB/PS2 adaptor chicanery can make PC and Mac keyboards interchangeable? Do they just work too differently to make this possible? I want to use my fancy clear Mac keyboard for my PC and Mac hooked up via kvm switch, but I don't think any way I can think of connecting it will make it work. Anybody ever have to deal with this predicament? I see the USB-to-PS2 adaptor in the store that would allow me to connect the USB keyboard to the PS2 port on the kvm, but am I just wishful thinking that the PC would be able to recognize the Mac keyboard, even if I did use the adapter to connect it?

USB Keyboard to a PS2 KVM is most likely not going to work. The easy way to do this is to get a USB KVM so you can use the Mac keyboard.

 

[randycat99]

Well, I have a kvm that is halfway there! It expects input from PS2 keyboard and mouse and then controls 2 computers via USB ports. I've already verified that a USB mouse will work when an adapter is used to plug it into the PS2 mouse port. The part I am leary about is will a similar adaptor work to allow a USB keyboard to plug into the PS2 keyboard port. My spidey-sense says no...or maybe a USB keyboard will work, but only if the keyboard is originally for a PC (a USB keyboard originally for a Mac might not work the same). So I wonder. What is really so different between a USB PC keyboard and a USB Mac keyboard? Seems like something that should be ubiquitously universal by now, but to this day, I've never seen a USB keyboard that says on the packaging it is compatible with BOTH PC and Mac. It's always one or the other, but not both. So I wonder, why is it so difficult to make an agnostic USB keyboard?