Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Accessories from Apple
You've come to expect a certain level of excellence from Apple hardware and software, so you
should expect no differently when it comes to various Apple-branded accessories. That said, you can
find a variety of opinions on some of these products, so we recommend a visit to
ht-
tp://store.apple.com
, where you can read mini-reviews and pore over ratings from real
people just like you. They're not shy about telling it like it is.
Lightning connector versus Dock connector
Your iPad mini uses Apple's latest and greatest connector, dubbed the
Lightning connector.
(In the fig-
ure, the Lightning connector is on the left and the Dock connector is on the right.) It's smaller but more
capable than the old-school 30-pin Dock connector used with first- through third-generation iPads,
first- through fourth-generation iPod touches, and iPhones predating the iPhone 5.
The point is that your iPad mini requires accessories with Lightning connectors. If you have older ac-
cessories with Dock connectors you can still use many of them if you have one of the myriad of
Lightning-to-Dock Connector Adapters from Apple and third parties.
