The MM 2018 only has two(2) USB3 Ports which presents a problem in hooking-up my wired keyboard,Bose Speakers,Wireless Mouse connection and my Epson printer. So,what is the best way to solve this problem?
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USB3 Ports
- Thread starter tibas92013
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A USB-C Hub like this for example. You can keep the 2 USB3 ports on the Mini free and get more 3 USB3 ports
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Kamaolas, thanx for your reply! Also, trying to decide on the MM 2018 configuration as what to upgrade:
Since I can add more Ram at a later date should I go for the MM 2018 i7 3.2 GHz 6-Core with 512 GB SSD Storage or just go with MM 2018 i5 16 GB Ram and 512 GB SSD Storage?
Since I can add more Ram at a later date should I go for the MM 2018 i7 3.2 GHz 6-Core with 512 GB SSD Storage or just go with MM 2018 i5 16 GB Ram and 512 GB SSD Storage?
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I bought a MM2018 late last year. Like you, I had a number of items to plug into it so I used my existing USB3 hub from Anker, which I previously used with my 2012 MBP. I'm sure a USB-C hub would also be a great choice.
The MM seems a little more temperamental with USB than the MBP but I have everything working well. I have my wired Das Keyboard in one USB3 port and the hub off the other with numerous devices attached. I found I needed to have the keyboard directly attached if needing to boot to the EFI boot menu and sometimes it simply wouldn't register when attached via the hub(unless the hub was power cycled). I still think Apple have bugs they need to address with the MM USB as I've never had issues with the MBP similarly connected.
In terms of the model to purchase, I went with the i7, 8GB RAM and 512GB storage. Personally I would buy the best of what you can afford in terms of storage as you're not going to be able to upgrade that. I bought aftermarket 32GB RAM and installed that myself for a fraction of the price Apple charge for it.
The MM seems a little more temperamental with USB than the MBP but I have everything working well. I have my wired Das Keyboard in one USB3 port and the hub off the other with numerous devices attached. I found I needed to have the keyboard directly attached if needing to boot to the EFI boot menu and sometimes it simply wouldn't register when attached via the hub(unless the hub was power cycled). I still think Apple have bugs they need to address with the MM USB as I've never had issues with the MBP similarly connected.
In terms of the model to purchase, I went with the i7, 8GB RAM and 512GB storage. Personally I would buy the best of what you can afford in terms of storage as you're not going to be able to upgrade that. I bought aftermarket 32GB RAM and installed that myself for a fraction of the price Apple charge for it.
"The MM 2018 only has two(2) USB3 Ports which presents a problem in hooking-up my wired keyboard,Bose Speakers,Wireless Mouse connection and my Epson printer. So,what is the best way to solve this problem?"
No, you have SIX USB3 ports available to use.
2 of them are USB3a.
4 of them are USB3c (if you wish to use them for USB).
I use this to connect my old USB keyboard to one of the USBc ports:
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Adapter-USB-C-Inches/dp/B00UUBQ0U8/ref=sr_1_21?crid=2RPNO849D6PB4&keywords=usbc+to+usba+female&qid=1554512146&s=gateway&sprefix=usbc+to+usba,aps,137&sr=8-21
No, you have SIX USB3 ports available to use.
2 of them are USB3a.
4 of them are USB3c (if you wish to use them for USB).
I use this to connect my old USB keyboard to one of the USBc ports:
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Adapter-USB-C-Inches/dp/B00UUBQ0U8/ref=sr_1_21?crid=2RPNO849D6PB4&keywords=usbc+to+usba+female&qid=1554512146&s=gateway&sprefix=usbc+to+usba,aps,137&sr=8-21
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While Fishrrman is correct, I understand you are looking for Type A ports, not Type C ports.
I purchased a TB3 dock which gave me 5 more USB 3 Type A ports to use. The back of my monitor has 2 and I have a much older USB 2 hub (connected to the dock). Over on the external drive table there is an Amazon Basic USB 3 hub (connected to the doc).
No problems noted yet. It worked with the TB2 doc I've had since 2017 without an issue and is working well with the TB3 dock.
I purchased a TB3 dock which gave me 5 more USB 3 Type A ports to use. The back of my monitor has 2 and I have a much older USB 2 hub (connected to the dock). Over on the external drive table there is an Amazon Basic USB 3 hub (connected to the doc).
No problems noted yet. It worked with the TB2 doc I've had since 2017 without an issue and is working well with the TB3 dock.
Yesterday,I pulled-the-trigger in purchasing a Refurbished MM(2018) i5 3.0GHz 6-Core Processor, 8GB Ram, 256SSD from the Apple On-Line Store and off Amazon.com I purchased the Anker 3.0 Hub. Thanx to all who responded to my thread!
Question, do I really need a Thunderbolt 3.0 cable to connect a mouse, Epson printer, Bose
Speakers to the Thunderbolt port or can I use a regular USB Cable? The Thunderbolt Cable costs around forty(40) dollars in the Apple On-Line Store.
Oh, I qualified for entry into the Apple Military and Veteran On-line Store in which my Refurbished MM 2018 cost me one-thousand($1,000) dollars which included Apple Care+ and taxes.
Question, do I really need a Thunderbolt 3.0 cable to connect a mouse, Epson printer, Bose
Speakers to the Thunderbolt port or can I use a regular USB Cable? The Thunderbolt Cable costs around forty(40) dollars in the Apple On-Line Store.
Oh, I qualified for entry into the Apple Military and Veteran On-line Store in which my Refurbished MM 2018 cost me one-thousand($1,000) dollars which included Apple Care+ and taxes.
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The mini has 2 USB type A ports that are USB 3 compliant. You can connect a standard USB hub to one of the USB type A ports and work just fine.
If you want to get a docking station, that can help but only if you think you need or want it. I use OWC's Thunderbolt 3 docking station and before that their TB2 docking station.
If you want to get a docking station, that can help but only if you think you need or want it. I use OWC's Thunderbolt 3 docking station and before that their TB2 docking station.
Not sure about the current state, but in the beginnings of USB3 many (if not all) USB3 hubs could be a bit flakey at times. As you seem to only have low-bandwidth devices to connect via USB, maybe you still have an old USB2 hub around that you could try first. USB3 is backwards-compatible.