Different kinds of Apple's ports

Different kinds of ports

  •  MagSafe port: On a Mac notebook, this is where you connect the MagSafe power cable.
  •  USB port: A wired external keyboard or mouse connects to your computer's USB port, as do many printers and USB flash drives (wireless keyboards, trackpads, and printers do not need to use a USB port—these use wireless Bluetooth or Wi-Fi technology). Learn more about using USB devices with Mac computers here.
  •  Thunderbolt: Connect a Thunderbolt display, or connect a Mini DisplayPort to DVI, VGA, HDMI, or DisplayPort adapter. Also connect storage devices, video capture, firewire, and gigabit ethernet adapters directly to your Mac's Thunderbolt port. Got a new Thunderbolt display? See which Macs can connect to it.
  •  Audio ports: Connect your Mac to an audio system or to connect headphones or speakers using the audio ports.
  •  HDMI port: You can use this port and an HDMI cable to connect to an HDTV's HDMI port, and use the TV as an external display. Note: You can also use an Apple TV and AirPlay Mirroring to turn your HDTV into an external display.
  •  Ethernet port: If you connect to the Internet without Wi-Fi, you probably have a modem or router connected to your computer's Ethernet port. If your Mac doesn't have an Ethernet port but you need one, you can use the Apple USB Ethernet Adapter.
  •  FireWire port: Some Macs come with FireWire 400 or FireWire 800 ports for connecting peripheral devices such as external hard drives.
  • Some Macs include a card reader slot ("SDXC card"), which makes it easy to transfer photos to and from your computer.
  • A Kensington lock slot is available on certain Macs.
Back of iMac (Mid 2011)