Nearly all Macs requires an adapter cable to connect to a monitor or video projector. For presenters using Keynote or PowerPoint it is essential that you be able to connect to any configuration.
If you have a standard VGA monitor adapter connector, then it is an analog video signal coming from your Mac (even though the computer itself is digital). I suggest carrying multiple adapters so you have backups and options to connect to nearly any projector. It is not uncommon for an adapter cable to go bad. Since they are not commonly found in the PC world, it’s good to have another on hand. A digital signal would be output from a HDMI or DVI adapter (see below).
To determine what kind of adapters you need, first find out what video port is available on the side of your MacBook. It will be one of the following male connectors:
1. Thunderbolt (newest)
2. Mini Displayport
3. Micro DVI
4. Mini DVI
This apple article describes them all. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3235
The other end of the adapter would be a female:
1. VGA – Video Graphics Array.
2. HDMI – High-Definition Multimedia Interface. (Used for most new TVs…also a standard port on the MacMini. This cable can also transmit audio…but may not do so automatically from the Mac.)
3. DVI – Digital Visual Interface.
This end of the adapter will connect to the video projector cable itself. I suggest that you have one of each on hand (VGA, HDMI, and DVI) and an extra VGA since that is the most common.
Tim Cimbura – CEO and Software Engineer
Tim is an expert in creating custom business solutions that make businesses more effective, productive, and profitable. He specializes in rapid application development with the Claris platform including FileMaker and WordPress. He also knows Apple macOS technology inside and out.