USB 10-key pad not recognized

[mattwolfmatt]

I have a MacBook Pro (2.4 GHz) running Leopard. I just got an external USB 10-key pad. The brandname is GFM (I can't find anything on this brand online). Granted, it was pretty cheap.

When I plug it in, the num lock key on the pad lights up. I get a message saying that the computer can't set up the new keyboard that was just plugged in. To aid in this process, I should press and hold the key just to the right of the left shift key.

Of course there is no shift key on my numeric keypad. Pushing other buttons doesn't work. Any ideas? Did I just buy a toy calculator for my 2 year old?

 

[brand]

Anywhere on the packaging did it specifically say that Macs were supported? If not then it is probably not supported.

 

[mattwolfmatt]

Anywhere on the packaging did it specifically say that Macs were supported? If not then it is probably not supported.

Isn't USB UNIVERSAL? If Leopard can recognize that it is connected, why can't it figure out what it is?

 

[Mindflux]

Isn't USB UNIVERSAL? If Leopard can recognize that it is connected, why can't it figure out what it is?

The connection, yes. The actual hardware requires software support. It's clear OSX doesn't provide that for this particular device
.

 

[infitom]

Getting a 10-key to work with Macbook in Bootcamp (and possibly OSX)

To clarify--I've got one of the older MACBOOK 15" Pro's and wish that it DIDNT have this option, or there was a BIOS patch that would allow me to turn it off. This way I'd be able to use the 10key options of an external keyboard properly.

IN BOOT CAMP: I finally hit on using INPUT REMAPPER to redirect the 10-key in an external keyboard to their number equivalents when NOT IN NUMLOCK mode. This way, instead of the number [2] on the 10-key pad generating an [DownArrow], it generates an "2" character. Because these scancodes are different from the [@2] key above the letter [E], and not the same keyscan code as the [K] key, it will type numbers now (forced numlock for the 10-key keyboard) and my arrow and letter characters.

This also fixed my issue with a stand-alone 10-key added to my MacBook--it allows me to use the built-in keyboard for letters and numbers along the top edge of my macbook, but use the 10-key without having to toggle the [NumLock] key on and off all the time.

I'm sure I can find a similar remapper for OSX, and will now look for that as well.

Just a suggestion for people that HATE the numeric-keypad emulation that Apple only partially implemented on their Macbook Pros. If they did it like every other laptop manufacturer, when you numlock, it changes the keys on the built-in keyboard only--not on any external keyboard plugged into the laptop.

Oh well--they've done so many great things on this laptop, I can forgive them this one flaw--now that I know how to work around it.

I hope this helps someone else with their desire for a true 10-key on their macbooks.