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Apple hasn’t always done a good job with port offerings on its computers. Thankfully, the Mac Studio is a wonderful exception to that rule.
The Mac Studio is an impressive computer in more ways than one, and in an unusual move for Apple, part of that is thanks to a generous selection of ports. For the last few years, it seems like Apple’s been on a mission to remove as many ports from its devices as possible. It killed the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone in 2016, and in that same year, it redesigned the MacBook Pro and gave it nothing but a handful of USB-C ports. This has made devices slimmer and sleeker than ever, but it’s also removed crucial functionality.
Thankfully, it seems like Apple is gradually reversing this mindset. The 2021 MacBook Pro was the first real example of this. After the USB-C-only days of earlier MacBook Pros, the 2021 model was a huge breath of fresh air. Both the 14 and 16-inch models come with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, SDXC card reader, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and MagSafe charging. That comes at the expense of a thicker design, but it’s well, well worth the trade-off.
In a similar fashion, the Apple Mac Studio does the same thing. If you took the body of the Mac mini, made it taller, and added a crazy powerful M1 Ultra chip, that’s essentially what it is. In addition to ridiculous horsepower, the Mac Studio also has a huge variety of ports. It all starts with the front of the Mac Studio. The M1 Max version includes an SDXC card reader and two USB-C ports capable of 10Gb/s transfer speeds. The M1 Ultra has the same SDXC card reader on the front, but it swaps out the two USB-C ports for two Thunderbolt 4 ports — capable of much faster 40Gb/s speeds.
Other Ports On The Mac Studio
But that’s just the front of the Mac Studio. When you flip the machine around and look at the back, the port selection becomes even more impressive. Here is where you’ll find four Thunderbolt 4 ports. Each one is capable of 40Gb/s speeds and works with USB-C adapters/dongles for extra functionality if you need it. Next to those is a 10GB Ethernet port, followed by the Mac Studio’s power input in the middle. Next to that are two USB-A ports (each capable of 5Gb/s performance), an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. These rear ports are identical regardless of whether you buy the M1 Max or M1 Ultra Mac Studio.
Simply put, this is one of the best port setups on any Mac in recent history. There are plenty of USB-C/Thunderbolt ports for devices that require that much power. But if you just need a simple HDMI port, SD card reader, or 3.5mm headphone jack, those things are also there. Even without Thunderbolt 4 on the front of the M1 Max Mac Studio, it’s difficult to be disappointed with either configuration. Well done, Apple.
Source: Apple
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