MacBook Air: External ports
Summary
This article describes the the external ports on the MacBook Air family of products.
- On the MacBook Air (Original), the headphone jack, USB 2.0 and Micro-DVI ports are located on the right side of the computer, inside the port hatch.
- On the MacBook Air (Late 2008) and MacBook Air (Mid 2009), the external Micro-DVI video port was replaced with a Mini DisplayPort connector.
- Both products have a MagSafe power port on the left side of the computer.
Note: You may find that when inserting some peripherals, especially for USB 2.0, that it may be convenient to lift the right side of the MacBook Air and support it with one hand, while gently inserting the cable with the other.
Products Affected
MacBook Air
I/O Ports
Figure 1 Micro-DVI port only applies to MacBook Air (Original)
| The ports (front to back) and what they do | |
MagSafe power port  |
Plug in the included 45 W MagSafe power adapter to recharge your MacBook Air battery. |
Headphone jack |
Connect external speakers or headphones. The analog headphone / line output uses a standard audio cable with 3.5 mm metal plug. |
USB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0 port  |
One Hi-Speed USB 2.0 (Universal Serial Bus) port. Connect an external optical disk drive, USB to Ethernet adapter, modem, iPod, mouse, keyboard and more to your MacBook Air. You can also connect both USB 1.1 devices. All of the USB ports use USB Type A connectors, which have four pins each. The USB 2.0 ports support low-speed, full-speed and high-speed data transfers at up to 1.5 megabits per second (Mbit/s), 12 Mbit/s and 480 Mbit/s, respectively. |
Micro-DVI (video out) port  |
Connect an external display, projection device or TV that uses a DVI, VGA, composite, or S-video connector. Depending on the type of external device you're connecting to, you can use the included Micro-DVI to DVI adapter or a Micro-DVI to VGA adapter. The Micro-DVI to Video adapter, which provides composite and S-video support, is sold separately at the Apple Online Store. The video output port allows video mirroring. This allows you to see the same image on your MacBook Air display and on an external monitor, television, or projector. It also allows extended desktop where the second display gives you additional desktop real estate. You can use your MacBook Air with the lid closed if the computer is connected to an external display, keyboard and mouse. |
MacBook Air (Late 2008), MacBook Air (Mid 2009)
Figure 2 MacBook Air (Late 2008) and MacBook Air (Mid 2009)
| The ports (front to back) and what they do | |
| MagSafe power port |
Plug in the included 45 W MagSafe power adapter to recharge your MacBook Air battery. |
| Headphone jack |
Connect external speakers or headphones. The analog headphone / line output uses a standard audio cable with 3.5 mm metal plug. |
| USB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0 port |
One Hi-Speed USB 2.0 (Universal Serial Bus) port. Connect an external optical disk drive, USB to Ethernet adapter, modem, iPod, mouse, keyboard and more to your MacBook Air. You can also connect both USB 1.1 devices. All of the USB ports use USB Type A connectors, which have four pins each. The USB 2.0 ports support low-speed, full-speed and high-speed data transfers at up to 1.5 megabits per second (Mbit/s), 12 Mbit/s and 480 Mbit/s, respectively. |
| Mini DisplayPort (video out) |
Connect an external display, projection device or TV that uses a single or dual link DVI or VGA connector. Depending on the type of external device you're connecting to, you can use the Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter or a Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter. The adapters are sold separately at the Apple Online Store. The video output port allows video mirroring. This allows you to see the same image on your MacBook Air display and on an external monitor, television, or projector. It also allows extended desktop where the second display gives you additional desktop real estate. You can use your MacBook Air with the lid closed if the computer is connected to an external display, keyboard and mouse. |