Thinking of replacing my old 2014 iMac with a newer one.
The old one had USB ports used for printer, ext hard drive, numberpad and CD/DVD disc drive.
The new one will not have as many (if any) USB but Thunderbolt ports.
Any help on the best way of still being able to use the same peripherals would be helpful.
Thanks in advance.
The Thunderbolt ports on 24” M4 iMacs are actually multi-purpose USB-C ports that support USB 2/3, USB4, DisplayPort, and Thunderbolt. They adapt to use the appropriate protocols for whatever compatible devices you plug in.
I would strongly recommend getting a version of the M4 iMac with four Thunderbolt ports (the cheapest ones have only two, and make other compromises).
You can get powered USB-A hubs that give you four or more USB-A ports and that plug into a USB-C port (either directly, or with the aid of something like an Apple USB-C to USB adapter). They’re not very expensive. Make sure they have their own power supplies … unpowered USB hubs often had issues with connected devices trying to draw too much total power even before USB-C came along.
More elaborate USB-C hubs and Thunderbolt docks tend to have a mix of ports and card slots that includes some USB-A ports.
There are also adapters like the Apple USB-C to USB one that take up one USB-C port to give you one USB-A port.
The Thunderbolt ports on 24” M4 iMacs are actually multi-purpose USB-C ports that support USB 2/3, USB4, DisplayPort, and Thunderbolt. They adapt to use the appropriate protocols for whatever compatible devices you plug in.
I would strongly recommend getting a version of the M4 iMac with four Thunderbolt ports (the cheapest ones have only two, and make other compromises).
You can get powered USB-A hubs that give you four or more USB-A ports and that plug into a USB-C port (either directly, or with the aid of something like an Apple USB-C to USB adapter). They’re not very expensive. Make sure they have their own power supplies … unpowered USB hubs often had issues with connected devices trying to draw too much total power even before USB-C came along.
More elaborate USB-C hubs and Thunderbolt docks tend to have a mix of ports and card slots that includes some USB-A ports.
There are also adapters like the Apple USB-C to USB one that take up one USB-C port to give you one USB-A port.
The new iMacs still support USB.
You can use simple USB-A to USB-C plug adapters like these or a short cable adapter like the Apple USB-C to USB adapter to plug your USB peripherals into the USB-C ports on the iMac. Or you might consider replacing your USB cables with new ones that have a USB-C plug on one end.
Or you could get a USB hub ... just make sure it's a powered hub and also has USB-A ports so you can plug in your existing cables.
If your peripherals have detachable cables, another possibility is to buy replacement cables. E.g. if your printer has a full-size USB-B port and connects to your old Mac using a USB-B to USB-A cable, you could get a USB-B to USB-C cable, instead of plugging the old cable into an adapter.
Portable, bus-powered drives often have crimped USB 3.0 Micro B connectors on the drives themselves, and come with USB 3.0 Micro B to USB-A cables. Those could be replaced with USB 3.0 Micro B to USB-C cables.
Lots of ways to do things - it's just a matter of figuring out what's most convenient and cost-effective.
If budget is a concern consider this setup:
1 - a Mac Mini M4 with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD storage.
2 - a 27" 4K 3rd party monitor.
I got the Mini with a 32" LG 4k monitor w/speakers for $650 less than a similarly configured 24" iMac would cost. The Mini setup cost $1417 whereas the iMac would have cost me $2065. It has in front: Ttwo USB‑C ports, headphone jack and in back: three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, Gigabit Ethernet port.
Just some food for thought.
Many thanks for all your replies.
Have copied them all to help decide what I need to do as Big Sur is the end of the road for my current machine.
Ken
Connecting USB peripherals from a 2014 iMac to a 2024 iMac - How?
