40 Chapter 3
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
Your PowerBook comes with two USB ports ( ), which you can use to connect many types of
external devices, including printers, scanners, digital cameras, game pads, joysticks,
keyboards, and floppy disk drives. USB makes it easy to connect external equipment. In most
cases you can connect and disconnect a USB device while the computer is running. Once you
connect the device, it is ready to use. You don’t need to restart or reconfigure your computer.
Using USB Devices
To use a USB device with your computer, simply connect the device to the computer. Your
computer automatically loads the correct software whenever you connect a new device.
Note: Apple has already included software to work with many USB devices. When you
connect a USB device, if your PowerBook cannot find the correct software, you can either
install the software that came with the device or follow the onscreen prompts to use the
Internet to locate, download, and install the correct software.
USB Devices and Battery Power
USB devices, such as joysticks and keyboards, that get power from the USB connection
instead of a separate power adapter can be used with your PowerBook. However, these types
of USB devices can cause your PowerBook battery to become depleted faster. If you are
going to connect a device for an extended period, it is a good idea to plug the PowerBook
into its power adapter.
®
LL2222.Book Page 40 Friday, December 13, 2002 12:11 PM