Mac 101: Ports and Connectors
Summary
On the sides of your Mac are a few small, geometric-shaped holes on your computer that may differ from one another. These are your computer's ports, which are used to connect other devices (aka peripherals) to your Mac. You've probably heard the words "FireWire" and "USB" tossed around at work or your local computer or electronics superstore, but what exactly do these terms mean? This lesson will tell you.
Products Affected
MacBook Pro (17-inch), MacBook Pro (17-inch Core 2 Duo), MacBook Pro (15-inch Core 2 Duo), MacBook Pro (15-inch 2.4/2.2GHz) , MacBook, Mac Pro, Mac mini, iMac, MacBook Air, Belkin, Kensington, Keyspan
This Apple MacBook has most of its ports located on its side—your port locations may vary.
Your keyboard and mouse are connected to your computer's USB ports. If you're connected to the Internet, you probably have a modem connected to your computer's Ethernet or modem port, unless you're connected wirelessly. As you progress through your Mac life, you'll probably get the burning desire to buy a peripheral or two—or 10. To help make your connection choices a little easier, let's take a look at the different ports your Mac may have.
iMac (Mid 2007)
MacBook
MacBook Air
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008)
MacBook Pro (17-inch) and MacBook Pro (17-inch Core 2 Duo)
Mac Pro
Mac mini
Help - I Don't Have Enough Ports!
Apple computers vary in the number of ports each features—more specifically, a MacBook, for example, has fewer USB and FireWire ports than a Mac Pro. But you may run into a situation where your Mac doesn't have enough ports to connect your growing peripheral collection. So how are you supposed to hook up all your gadgets and gizmos?
Easy. Get a hub.
There are plenty of third-party USB and FireWire hubs on the market. These hubs work in the same way that a power strip allows you to plug in more electrical devices into a single socket. Companies such as Belkin, Kensington, and Keyspan offer a wide variety of hubs. And if you're looking to create your own computer network, you'll find plenty of Ethernet hubs on the market too.
| ↑ Take me to Connect and Use Devices index | Take me to Lesson 2: Connect Your Printer → |
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