How do I connect an external hard drive to a macbook Air

tonidoll wrote:

I just got a macbook air, but it only gas two strange usb ports.

Those are USB4 / Thunderbolt 3 ports. They have USB-C connectors and they support USB, DisplayPort, and Thunderbolt 3 accessories.

Everything else I have uses the old UsB HOOKUPS like those on my old iMac.

What cables do I need to connect stuff. Or should I send the Air back.

You need USB-C to USB-A adapters. These come in various forms:

• Cables like the Apple one
• Inline plug adapters
• Inexpensive USB-A hubs that have four or more USB-A ports, but plug into a computer using a cable that has a USB-C plug on the end of it
• USB-C and Thunderbolt docks that can add all sorts of things (including USB-A ports)

Look for adapters and adapter cables that support USB 3 speeds and that aren't for charging only.

You will need an adapter to convert the MacBook Air USB-C ports to USB-A. An Apple version of the adapter is shown below.

USB-C to USB Adapter - Apple

There are less expensive ones out there. Just do a search on Amazon for USB C to USB A adapter, and you'll see lots of them.

While the majority of them will work fine, I'd only buy from brands I've heard of before.

tonidoll wrote:

setting up the Air is daunting. I am really considering returning it. Are there any macbooks that just have old fashioned ports? thanks

Apple went all-in on USB-C / Thunderbolt ports several years ago. No current or recent Mac laptops have USB-A ports. Mac Mini and Mac Studio desktops have a couple of USB-A ports, but there again, the main expansion is via USB-C / Thunderbolt.