Your problem is the drive, not the Powerbook. The USB specification only allows for 0.5 amps MAX one a single port. Only low power drives can use this adapter, as most use something like 0.6-1.2 amps, at spin-up anyway. If you got the same drive to work on a different computer, the hub or adapter you were using had VERRY sloppy power management. That is why most USB 2.5" adapters use a pigtail cable to siphon more power from other ports. Many of these adapters have a way to use a PSU with them, contact your manufacture to see if they offer one.
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What you really want is this neat USB-to-IDE adapter:
http://www.usbgeek.com/prod_detail.php?prod_id=0208
but note that the 2.5" side unfortunately won't work on a laptop that does not provide adequate power via USB *cough*PowerbookG4*cough*
Your problem is the drive, not the Powerbook. The USB specification only allows for 0.5 amps MAX one a single port. Only low power drives can use this adapter, as most use something like 0.6-1.2 amps, at spin-up anyway. If you got the same drive to work on a different computer, the hub or adapter you were using had VERRY sloppy power management. That is why most USB 2.5" adapters use a pigtail cable to siphon more power from other ports. Many of these adapters have a way to use a PSU with them, contact your manufacture to see if they offer one.