Look on the side of any MacBook or PC laptop, and you’ll see a Swiss-cheese-like array of holes. They’re all interface ports for plugs of various shapes and sizes. Mini DisplayPort. HDMI. 8P8C. FireWire 400. FireWire 800. DVI. VGA. WUXGA. And good old USB 2.0. They’re all there for connecting peripherals — mice, monitors, hard drives, MP3 players, cell phones, and even weird little things like flexible gooseneck lights for working in the dark. These ports have evolved over the years, changing in size and spec.
