Question 1: Does the USB 1.1 keyboard perform the same way the ADB keyboard on other Macintosh and Power Macintosh computers performed?
Answer: Although it's a USB--rather than an ADB--device and while it uses a USB cable and connects via the USB port, in every other way, it's a keyboard just like any other Macintosh keyboard.
Question 2: Can I use the keyboard or mouse from my earlier Macintosh model with a USB 1.1-equipped Macintosh?
Answer: Not directly. The keyboard and mouse that came with earlier models of Macintosh and Power Macintosh computers were Apple Desktop Bus (or ADB) devices and would require an adapter to connect to a USB equipped Macintosh.
Question 3: How can I use SCSI, ADB, LocalTalk, and other serial devices on a Macintosh without a serial port?
Answer: Beginning with iMac, Apple computers features support for USB, and many peripheral manufacturers are quickly transitioning to this new connection method. There are a multitude of adapters available for a variety of external devices. Check the Apple Products Guide at http://guide.apple.com for more information.
Question 4: What type of cable does USB require?
Answer: USB cables look slightly different from the cables you own now. Cables for all Macintosh peripheral devices have two identical connectors with five or more contacts. USB cables have new, universal connector cables: one side has a Type A plug and the other has a Type B plug.
The Type A plug connects to a host--like your iMac computer--or an upstream hub. The Type B plug connects to the USB device itself. These are the same cables that are used for USB devices for PC Compatible computers and UNIX systems.
Other USB FAQ's can be found in the following articles: