


MagSafe connectors can be plugged in in any direction, and they don’t fall out thanks to the magnetism that exists between the connector and the MagSafe port. The MagSafe connector was what Apple put on the ends of its MacBook chargers until USB-C charging took over. This means it’s primarily used to connect MacBooks to TVs and computer monitors, but a few HDMI webcams exist as well and use this port to function. HDMI ports were designed to allow computers to stream audio and visual content to external displays. But SD cards that are typical in digital photo and film cameras pop right in and can be accessed on a MacBook the second they’re plugged in. The SDXC card slot lets a MacBook read and write on SD cards.Ī converter or adapter would need to be used for inserting miniSD cards into here. But despite this, and the speed issue, it was a major port on most MacBooks and Apple computers for a long time! With USB-A ports, the direction of cable insertion can’t be messed with-a cable must go in perfectly for the port to work. It can power some small microphones and USB accessories as well.ĭespite speed advantages over USB 2 and USB ports, the USB 3 port is not fast enough for connecting monitors or high-quality webcams. It also allowed iPhones, iPads, and iPods to connect to a MacBook for charging and data transfer or management. It supports a large number of computer accessories including flash drives, external hard drives, external CD/DVD players, and more. USB 3 ports are in a USB-A shape-the traditional USB shape you’re probably familiar with. But the port also supports external hard drives and other storage devices with faster speeds than USB, FireWire, and Thunderbolt 1 ports.

For these reasons, Thunderbolt 2 is best known for connecting external monitors and cameras to a MacBook.
