Instructions on adapters and Apple ports for Mac, iPhone

If you check out Apple's Power & Cables site, you'll be greeted with lots of fun cables, along with indecipherable abbreviations. What is DVI? What is the difference between Thunderbolt and Lightning?

The following article is a complete analysis of the types of adapters available on Apple's website at the time of writing.

Instructions on the cables and their meanings

First, dig deeper into the different cables and what they are used for.

Mac cables

MagSafe and MagSafe 2 : MagSafe power adapters work by using magnetism to keep the power connection in place. The benefit of this is that if you stumble or suddenly pull out the cable, it will disconnect from the computer and cause no harm to the charging port.

Apple is removing MagSafe in favor of USB-C, which allows charging from any port.

5K DisplayPort : Some high-performance third-party monitors use this display standard to connect. They also require an adapter to connect to a Mac.

Mini DisplayPort : An old Apple standard for connecting monitors. Although it has the exact same shape as Thunderbolt 2, Mini DisplayPort cannot transmit data. You can tell the difference between Mini DisplayPort and Thunderbolt 2 with the port icon.

Thunderbolt 2 : A super-fast display and data connection standard, Thunderbolt 2 is as fast as a PCI Express connection. This means that theoretically, the hard drive connected via Thunderbolt 2 has the same transfer speed as the internal hard drive. Therefore, having these ports greatly enhances your Mac's future ability to upgrade.

Thunderbolt 3 : The latest standard on Macs, improved on Thunderbolt 2, although the ports are not the same. You can use Thunderbolt 3 to transfer data, connect a monitor and charge devices.

Although the Thunderbolt 3 ports use a USB-C cable, not all USB-C ports support the Thunderbolt 3 standard. For example, a 12-inch MacBook has a USB-C port, but it does not work with Thunderbolt 3. .

FireWire : Before Thunderbolt, FireWire was Apple's fastest data transfer standard. Apple has removed it on all current Macs, but still sells adapters.

IPhone and iPad cables

Lightning : The current wired standard for all iPhone models. However, based on the new iPad Pro, Apple will soon switch to USB-C for all future iOS devices.

1. 5 reasons why Apple should ditch the Lightning cable

30-pin: This standard was removed when the iPhone 5 was released in 2012. However, this adapter is still available on Apple's website, if you're using an iPhone 4S or an older model.

The cables are not Apple

USB-C: The latest USB standard. It's a small cable that can be plugged in on both sides, almost the same all-in-one standard as we used to have with USB. Therefore, it is not surprising that most new Mac laptops only have USB-C ports. Most adapters on the Apple website are USB-C-to-.

USB 3 and 2 : USB-C is the physical connector type, and USB 2 and USB 3 are the standard connection. As you would expect, USB 3 is much faster. You can tell the difference between them by the colors inside the connector. USB 3 is blue, while older USB 2 cables do not.

3.5mm audio : Standard headphone jack cable.

SD, miniSD and microSD : SD stands for Secure Digital. These are basically small flash storage drives. Adapters available in the Apple Store will allow you to connect these drives to your Mac. Some of them require an additional adapter, depending on the type of SD card you have.

VGA, DVI and HDMI : The three most common display standards.

VGA, short for Video Graphics Array, is the oldest display standard. It is an analog video signal. DVI, or the Digital Visual Interface, is newer and has a higher resolution. A lot of computer monitors use it.

HDMI, or High-Definition Multimedia Interface, is the latest standard. You almost certainly have some HDMI ports on your TV and computer monitors can also support HDMI. It is also the only standard that can carry both video and audio signals, so no additional cables are needed.

Ethernet : If connected to a wired Internet, this is the cable you use. Mac laptops have removed this port, requiring you to use an adapter or connect via WiFi.

Which port does your Mac have?

Take a look at the edge of the laptop or the back of the iMac. Then take note of the available ports. This will vary based on the model you use.

Apple's support site has a handy section that helps you identify ports on your Mac. This page has pictures of all the ports and shows you what they look like. Reference at:

 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201736 

The following are adapters on the Apple website and how you can use them.

Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C adapters

USB-C to SD Card Reader : Connect an SD card to a Mac via USB-C.

USB-C to USB Adapter : Connect old USB-A devices to your Mac via USB-C. Reviews show that this adapter does not work with USB 3, which means that the USB 3.x device will connect at USB 2 speed.

USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter : Connect an HDMI display to the Mac's USB-C port, and give you another USB-C port to charge, plus one more USB-A port.

Belkin USB-C to HDMI Adapter : This third-party adapter converts HDMI to USB-C, with no auxiliary ports.

Belkin USB-C to VGA Adapte : If you have an old monitor or TV, this adapter will allow you to connect your Mac's USB-C to it.

USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter : This cable connects the VGA device to the Mac's USB-C port. It also provides another USB-C port for charging, along with a USB-A port.

Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter : Connect old Thunderbolt 2 devices to the new Mac Thunderbolt 3 with this adapter.

Moshi USB-C to DisplayPort Cable : This cable allows you to connect Thunderbolt 3 Mac to a DisplayPort 5K display. Do not confuse it with Mini DisplayPort!

The Belkin USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter : Connect your Mac's USB-C port to the Ethernet port.

PROMISE SANLink3 N1 NBASE-T Ethernet Adapter : If you work in an environment that uses Ethernet 10 Gigabit or faster, you can use this adapter to connect to your Mac Thunderbolt 3 and maintain that lightning speed. .

Thunderbolt 2 adapters

Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter - Apple : Connect Ethernet port with Mac Thunderbolt 2.

Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter - Apple : Although FireWire is not popular right now, you can still use it on an old Mac with this adapter.

Other Mac adapters

Apple HDMI to DVI Adapter : If your Mac has an HDMI port, you can convert the cable to DVI. Remember that audio will not be transmitted.

MagSafe to MagSafe 2 Converter : If you still have a MagSafe compatible Mac, you can convert your old charger to MagSafe 2 with this adapter.

Lightning adapters for iPhone and iPad

Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter : iPhone 7 has removed the headphone jack. Bring it back with this Lightning adapter.

Belkin Lightning Audio + Charge Rockstar : This adapter splits the Lightning port into two parts, allowing you to charge and listen to audio files at the same time.

Belkin 3.5mm Audio + Charge Rockstar : Similarly, this adapter splits the Lightning port into a headphone jack and another Lightning port.

Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader : Connect an SD card to an iPhone or iPad to quickly import photos or files.

Lightning to Micro USB Adapter : This adapter will convert Micro-USB charger, to work with Lightning port.

Lightning to USB Camera Adapter : This adapter converts the Lightning port to USB-A, for connecting digital cameras.

Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter : This adapter works with USB 3 ports. It also has a Lightning port so you can charge your iPad or iPhone at the same time.

Lightning to VGA Adapter : Use this adapter to connect an iPhone or iPad to an old TV or monitor via VGA.

Lightning Digital AV Adapter : Use this adapter to connect your iPhone or iPad to a TV or monitor via HDMI.

Belkin Ethernet + Power Adapter with Lightning Connector : Connect Internet directly with Ethernet cable to iPhone as well as iPad for a faster and more stable connection.

Non-Lightning adapters for iPhone and iPad

Apple 30-pin to VGA Adapter : If you still have an old iPhone or iPad, you can use this adapter to connect to the old VGA monitor.

Apple iPhone TTY Adapter : If your iPhone or iPad has a headphone jack, you can use this adapter to connect to a Teletype.

Belkin Audio Splitter (3.5 mm-M / 2 × 3.5 mm-F) : Use this adapter to divide the headphone jack into two separate jacks.

Apple's adapters are expensive, but the quality and reliability are worth it.

Wish you find the options you like!