Mac OS X Leopard - ARCAism

Connecting Other Peripherals
Besides printers, extra storage, and general Bluetooth devices, there are lots of other things available
to plug into your computer for various reasons. Although it’s impossible to cover each
possible device here, we’ll end this chapter with some general advice as well as a few specific
instances where something unique will happen that relates to Leopard.
Whenever you connect a device to your computer, your computer must be able identify and
communicate with the device. Most of the time your Leopard system will at least be able to identify
the device; however, it may have no idea how to communicate with the device or how to
make it work. A driver generally handles this communication process, and although Leopard
ships with a large number of drivers and knows how to communicate with a large range of products,
there are a large number of items that will need you to install a driver for them to work
correctly. Usually, any device you purchase will include not only any necessary drivers but also
supporting software and instructions on how to get your device working with your computer.
Occasionally there will be a product that will work well without an additional driver but
certain features won’t work (common among certain multifeatured mice and keyboards). In such
a situation it’s up to you whether to install the manufacturer’s driver; in general, if you bought
something for the features, then you probably want them to all work.
The following types of devices will require a driver to function properly:
• Scanners
• Input tablets
• Audio/MIDI interfaces and controllers
• Screen calibration devices
• Multifunction mice and keyboards
• Certain video interfaces
• Some printers
On the other hand, a large number of devices should work immediately after plugging them
in (though some configuration or special software may be needed to do much with them):
• Digital cameras
• Video camcorders with a FireWire link
• Most Apple hardware
• Speakers and microphones (including USB headsets)
• Some USB/MIDI keyboards and adapters
• Storage devices
• Many standard mice and keyboards (including multibutton mice with a scroll wheel)
• Many printers
Occasionally some special action occurs when you connect a particular type of device.
Digital Cameras
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Every type of digital camera we’ve ever connected to OS X has immediately been recognized. Additionally,
when you connect a digital camera, you will be prompted for a specific action. By
default, on a clean install of Leopard, when you attach a camera, the Image Capture application
(Figure 5-21) will launch and walk you through options for copying images from your camera to
your computer.