Apple’s MacBook Air intoduces Micro-DVI
Posted by bitguru on January 15, 2008
Apple introduced a new thin notebook today. They call it the MacBook Air. They had to do some interesting things to make it so thin. It lacks an optical drive, but that’s no big deal in the subnotebook segment. A slightly bigger deal is the new Remote Disc software utility that allows a MacBook Air (or any Mac?) to borrow an optical drive from a willing Mac or PC donor.
An ethernet port would have been too large to fit, so it lacks one of those also. Apple figures most will use 802.11 wireless networking, but for the rest they sell a $29 USB-to-ethernet adapter. (The adapter’s system requirements suggest it works only with the MacBook Air. Do you suppose that’s actually true?)
Most surprising to me is that Apple plutoed the mini-DVI connector in favor of micro-DVI. Even the mini-DVI connector must have been too big for the MacBook Air.
I searched the web for information on micro-DVI but didn’t find much. Apple sells micro-DVI to DVI, micro-DVI to VGA, and micro-DVI to Video adapters. (The first two of those are included in the box with the MacBook Air.)
Mini-DVI was pretty much an Apple-only connector. Perhaps micro-DVI will gain wider industry support.
mini-DVI to DVI adapters and anagolg signals « bitguru blog said
Mini-DVI is an Apple-specific port they use on products (such as their 12″ and 13″ laptops) where a full-size DVI port would take up too much space. [update: The 13" MacBook Air, announced today, would seem to use micro-DVI, not mini-DVI.] …
MacMacken » 21 × MacBook Air-Macken said
[...] Micro-DVI-Anschluss – Für externe Bildschirme steht ein Micro-DVI-Anschluss zur Verfügung. Da dieses Format [...]
Alan Cole said
Who’d a-thunk the computer companies, etc., would have come up with so many varied gzinches of incompatible sizes & shapes for their various electrical connections?
Apple’s new laptops employ Mini-DisplayPort « bitguru blog said
[...] laptop lines used different display connectors. The MacBook used mini-DVI, the MacBook Air used micro-DVI, and the MacBook Pro used vanilla DVI. I thought Apple might standardize on a single display [...]