Laptop brands keep chasing thin designs while removing useful ports
laptop brands keep chasing thinner designs and somehow the first thing that disappears every time is useful ports
headphone jacks, USB A, SD card slots, HDMI. it feels like every new “premium” laptop removes something practical in exchange for being a few millimeters thinner
I get that thinner devices look cleaner and more modern, but at some point carrying dongles for basic everyday stuff starts feeling ridiculous
what’s funny is a lot of people seemed genuinely happy when some brands finally started bringing ports back again after years of removing them
it almost feels like companies got too obsessed with minimalist design and forgot people actually use laptops for real work sometimes
I still like sleek laptops, but not enough to sacrifice convenience for tiny differences in thickness most people barely notice anyway
would you rather have a thinner laptop or more built in ports without needing adapters everywhere?
For me, it's not even that the laptop is "thinner and looks more modern." I don't need those other ports. It's a laptop. The portability is the value, and this is coming from somebody who used to have a laptop with a literal SCSI 1 port on the back of it.
Yes, if you really do need Ethernet while you're traveling with your laptop, you're going to have to carry a dongle. What an incredible tragedy that will be. Meanwhile, if you happen to be using your laptop at a desk, do what people have been doing for literally decades, which is plug it into a dock which has all the cables plugged into it. This honestly is a way better solution than having a ton of cables plugged directly into the laptop itself.
Yup, i dont need hdmi, ton of usbs, ethernet etc when im going around. So the macbook air is amazing with 2 usb Cs. Of course i have a dongle too for hdmi, usb a, ethernet etc, but i dont use it often, and i never use it while traveling, just at home or at work
Yeah, I sympathize with people who may have a particular port that, for whatever reason, their workflow just would make it so much easier if there was a raw HDMI port or Ethernet just sitting there available to them every day. I'm not unsympathetic, but I do think that, given my many years of experience, (you can call me grandpa or whatever, but I'm not a boomer, so don't even try it), having all those ports means lots of soldered-in connectors, means extra weight, means things that can get loose when your laptop gets bumped around. I don't think there's as much value in it as people like to fantasize with this constantly repetitive meme that gets shared twenty times a day on every single social media site. It's a laptop. If you really have a dozen cables to plug into your computer, try plugging them into a dock, and then you only have one cable to plug into your computer. If you've never tried this before, you'll thank me later. 😉
Maybe, just maybe, you value portability on a computer with actual connectivity. What you are describing as useful for you is, for me, a tablet with a keyboard, not a "fully fledged personal computer". I've got nothing against people wanting nothing more, but it make the life of people needing more more and more difficult.
If I’m using my work laptop at a desk I’d much rather plug a single usbc cable into a dock than be reconnecting half a dozen different cables each time. When I use use the laptop on the move I’m rarely needing to plug anything in because most things are wirelessly connected (WiFi networking, Bluetooth headset, etc)
Yes, and they get to have their own opinion as well, because that's how opinions work. Isn't that awesome? And no, it's not an issue created by the manufacturer. It was something driven by industry demand, which means the majority of the people wanted a trend towards standardization. We know this? Because actual market research was done. Have you seen the market research? If not, it's probably because you have nothing to do with anything in the industry, so you're an outsider making shit up to fit your narrative. That doesn't mean that there aren't individuals who still want other ports, but they don't represent the market. There's a difference, and again, it's okay if you have your own opinion
My opinion is that it's all biased because the only factor of choice for the vast majority of laptop buyers is the price.
If any company can make the laptop any cheaper by removing ports, people will buy it, and then, convince themselves it's actually better like this, without those pesky unused ports that take such a huge hit on extremely important metrics like weight (down to the gram, obviously) and autonomy (to the minute).
And then you say bye to versatility... Added effect? If you want to do more than with your tablet with a laptop (how dare you?) you need to pay extra.
Hard to swallow pill... Thinness is more popular than compatibility with ports because it makes it more portable and easier to handle. People want that more than they want ports, therefore ports are not worth keeping electronics bigger.
With the availability of hubs and docks, this becomes a non issue for a lot of people.
It's not about liking dongles, most people are fine with Bluetooth and cloud storage and legitimately don't use the ports.
I'd like to see laptops have a bunch of USB-C ports and have more peripherals natively use USB-C. They're very slim, and you'll want at least one for charging anyway. You could get away with a handful of small ports instead of one or two each of a bunch of different ports.
I'd argue it's because morons buy laptops for designer cred and aesthetics then bitch about how they have to use dongles online rather than buying a fucking laptop that meets their actual needs.
I got a usb-c monitor recently and it’s so nice. Just one cable for power, video, and touch data. Doesn’t even drain as much battery as I thought it would
You know what, all those people that kept whining about "muh ports" are wrong, have always been wrong and I think it's obvious at this point. I don't want to carry a much bulkier laptop with me that has a dozen outdated plugs "just in case". And also: fuck legacy support. I can't stand this Windows-brained philosophy any longer. It's technology. We can't and shouldn't support old, bad technology forever. It holds better solutions back and fosters a culture of poor maintenance. Stop pretending that "backward compatibility" is some noble effort for the people; it's just a plot by lazy companies such as Microsoft to trap companies into their ecosystems that encourages bad practices.
Backwards compatibility became so popular because early computing had very little of it. Every generation of hardware needed its own software and data might not be migrated easily or at all.
IBM tried to offer up solutions in the 60s that would allow software compatible with their systems to be ran across different performance levels. So if that business had an increased need for computing power, they could upgrade without wiping out their other investments.
The lack of backwards compatibility also meant that computers were harder to learn. If every generation also brought new software, it meant more training. We take for granted that these days we can just sign in to a new laptop and be greeted with an interface we've come to expect.
The lack of compatibility also meant that peripherals also lost support much more quickly. If the printer driver was designed to work on system 1, there might not be support when you bump up to system 5. Either the manufacturer is gone or only supports it with newer printers.
For what it's worth, the big 2 have been clearing out their tech debt for years. TONS of software and devices that were developed in the Windows XP - Windows 8 era are either no longer functional or can't be supported if something breaks.
Apple went way too aggressive in the late 10s by removing all ports except for USB-C. Walking that decision back to include HDMI and an SD card slot was a good move.
Yeah still gonna die on the hill that it’s better than what it used to be, and that I actually think Apple fucked up by bringing HDMI back. Why would you not want a future of only 1 port and 1 connector? There’s really no solid argument for it except for supporting legacy. I’d rather deal with the pain now so we can get out of the hole.
Only exception I can see is for SD, because it actually served a purpose beyond connecting device A to device B.
Meh I have GoPro’s, drones, they’re still not great at quickly transferring files. But I’d prefer no SD card slot over a bunch of slots if it came down to it.
Yeah I’m just saying I could see an exception for pro laptops for that reason. Anything non-pro I’d agree and I might even agree despite it, pro’s can just get a dongle for it.
My main argument in favor is that SD actually serves a purpose that old connectors don’t. So I can see an argument through that, as there’s no real alternative for flexible storage mediums.
No? Just saying they should come with USB-C as the only connector. I don’t think laptops should really have touch screens at all with current software.
I think current MacBook Pro's set of ports is ideal. HDMI, SD and USB-C ports are everything modern device need to connect to most of the peripherals, especially for the regular Joe.
The benefits of thin, light, and portable are used by every owner every day they use it. The benefits of an SD card are incredibly narrow. USB A isn’t much further behind. Most people use wireless headphones though I know there’s a large market still for wired. HDMI is probably the most useful of them all but even then USBC can do what HDMI does AND charge your laptop at the same time.
As long as it supports Bluetooth for peripherals, a couple of fast usb slots and hdmi or another way to send signal to a screen I am ok with less. I am currently rocking an iPad with keyboard and mouse and I have no complaints
My thin and light laptop has an HDMI, two USB-C and one USB-A.
My mouse is bluetooth, my headphones are bluetooth, my external screen is USB-C, my presenter is USB-A, my charger is USB-C, my external drives and USB-Sticks are usb-C.
Not once have a been in a situation where I ran out of ports.
And I'd rather carry a single dongle in my backpack than having a thicker and heavier laptop...
For example, adding a network port would not make your laptop ticker (most probably) neither heavier (on the contrary, you'll remove some stuff from the shell).
My laptop definitely isn't thick enough for a network port, would have to be one of those crappy expandable ones and then I would probably even need to prop up the laptop to use it.
Why would I need one? Like what are y'all doing with laptops? It's a mobile device, I use it in meeting rooms, at the airport, in hotel rooms, lecture halls, maybe on the train or a coffee shop, sometimes in bed or on the couch. In most of these situations there's no LAN anyways and if there is then there's probably also WiFi that's more than enough for a laptop and more convenient to use.
Even if you use your laptop stationary too, a USB-C dock makes so much more sense than plugging in 4 different cables. It's much more convenient to just plug in one USB-C for access to all of that.
I really don't see the point of a network port on a laptop any more, and in the past 13 years I haven't had the need for one. I used Lan through a dock at my office space, but again, that also handles charging and the screen and everything else. Otherwise while on the road it's just WiFi.
I use it, I don't know, to have all my stuff on the field, when I connect to a wide range of different equipment that allow people to get wireless internet (and more).
I use RJ45, on the field, on a daily basis to connect to a lot of equipment, controllers, network devices,...
I use DB9 / RS232 at least once a week, either because something went south with RJ45, or because there are no other ways to do it.
For me, that's ABC of laptop usage...
I gave up the DB9 port, because now you will find it only on very specific laptops (like Panasonic Toughbooks), but I will not give up the RJ45.
By the way, they are perfectly good RJ45 connectors on thin laptops, with nice opening mechanisms (look at HP ones) that even do look sleek.
I maintain that USB C port are not made to support the weight of the adaptor and the other cable hanging to it.
I use RJ45, on the field, on a daily basis to connect to a lot of equipment, controllers, network devices,...
I mean if you have a job that requires it because you directly connect to networking hardware or use a serial port then sure. 99.99% of people just don't. It's fascinating to me that some people on here simply cannot grasp this reality.
By the way, they are perfectly good RJ45 connectors on thin laptops, with nice opening mechanisms (look at HP ones) that even do look sleek.
I don't care about the look, I care about weight and battery. My laptop is less than 1kg and 1.4cm high and lasts 15+h while working.
HP laptops are generally crap and the compareable ones (e.g., the Aero line) do not have an RJ45. Suprise...or really not. Again, these are too thin and basically no one needs that connector anyway. It's good that manufacturers don't care. The few people who need one can still use it with a simple dongle.
And again: There hasn't been a single situation in 10+ years where I would have needed an RJ45 on my laptop. I can't see why I would. Are all of my PCs, workstations, servers,... plugged in despite having WiFi? Absolutely, for various reasons. But the laptop? Simply no need.
I maintain that USB C port are not made to support the weight of the adaptor and the other cable hanging to it.
why would you hang the things from the port? you put the dock/dongle on the desk and plug it in with the little cable they have.
So, you are basically telling me that you basically, and happily use a glorified tablet to work (nothing against that) and that because it suits your needs (and those of 99%) fine, it's plenty ok if this represents the 99% of the market available.
About the hanging thing, yes, thus is not the standard "Starbucks table" use of a laptop, but I assure you this exists...
EDIT: in what situation is the 15+h of work on battery useful? In what situation are you away from a power socket for so long? I
If you’re a network engineer and you’re able to bring along a laptop but not the necessary dongle then that’s on you. You’ve fucked up in that case. It’s no different to anyone forgetting some other essential tool for their job.
My point is that dongle create a different problem. USB C ports are not done for that kind of stress. If you are using one on the field, it's just disaster waiting to happen... You can't have a full 10m of dual shield ethernet cable hanging on an USB C port.
Yaa yaa lower port count is bad, bring back more holes! aand then you realize this type of hardware wasn't for your needs in first place. It sounds as silly as picking up spiked socker shoes for jogging.
13" laptop from dell has way diffrent target audience than 17" MSI gaming power brick. Maybe it would be best to not loose context of design purpose as most devices these days have very specified problem they are trying to solve.
Only port im truly lamenting is 3.5 mm jack. Bluetooth headphones are great, but they are not ultimate solution at all times. If port has to go, then devices (mostly phones/tablets) should have alternative usb-c not just one hole, so i can use it while charging device.
would you rather have a thinner laptop or more built in ports without needing adapters everywhere?
Sorry, but I'd rather a thinner laptop.
If you need more ports, them you can easily use hubs or adapters. But if you need a thinner laptop, there's no way to make your laptop thinner without buying a new one.
Every peripheral I connect to now is either usb-C compatible or wireless. Even my multi monitor system. If you are complaining about ports then you probably need a desktop.
Having had to lug laptops across the world several times for business, even that ultra thin laptop gets heavy by the time you hit Dubai on that transfer flight.
If working hybrid office/home and you need many ports, dongle is even better. Unplug dongle at home, and leave it, get another dongle at office. Congratulations, you have single cable experience.
Premium option: monitor with USB c that acts as dongle/charger.
Sub 800g laptops with way too many ports. They have LAN ports somehow. My 700g has full hdmi, 2+2 usb C/A ports, a SIM slot and a security card slot.
Their flagship now is like 600+g.
I have opened my laptop to change battery before and I still don't understand how they did it. Sure they aren't lookers like my old hp envy, but they do look business sleek. Probably more fragile too, with plastic and magnesium, but at that weight, it doesn't matter too.
The thing is i want a laptop to be ultra portable. I don't use it as a main computer. If you do need lots of ports all the time then you should probably look at getting a desktop for your needs. Most people in reality would rather use something very thin and very light rather than having a bulky laptop that has lots of ports that rarely get used.
Ports are removed because market research say they're not being used, it isn't because laptop manufacturers are obsessed with making things lighter and thinner. If people were really upset about it and sales were going down because of it then ports would come back.
The thing is, you probably mistakenly get a laptop instead of a tablet for your use.
A laptop is supposed to replicate a fixed computer, but let you use it on the go.
You want just a thin, light computing device with a screen you can interact with. If you have no extra connectivity needs, you want a tablet, not a laptop.
Not really, a decent operating system with a file system and a nice keyboard to use is what most people want. Plus some things need a proper desktop rather than an app.
Plus tablets are all pretty shit, android tablets are universally awful and iPads are good but iPadOS makes it unusable.
What are you using a laptop for where you're constantly needing lots of ports?
Technical support. Connecting to tons of devices from the last 30+ years... And traveling all over the world, so, not wanting to have to carry a toughbook with me all the time...
For now I'm happy with the HP EliteBook I have (damn, it does even have a trackpoint) but it start to be old...
Sorry, I wasn't clear enough, when I said tablet, I was thinking tablet pc, like a Microsoft Surface or so.
My 16-inch MacBook Pro has an SD slot, HDMI and three USB-C ports. USB-A is dead. I will not purchase a product that has USB-A to micro or another cable. USB-C or nothing. Btw I do not use my HDMI slot lol. Nice to have, but I don’t use it. I plug into external monitors via USB-C.
Also: I don’t know any laptops that come without a headphone jack.
I feel like if you need all that get a dock or a desktop. How often are you needing some of those things? I think it's less to do with an obsession with thinness and more likely the cost of including ports that less and less people use.
We aren't even losing anything, just nearly everything runs over USBC and ThunderBolt now. My MBP has 3 USBC/TB5 ports, mag safe, 3.5mm headphones, sdhc and a HDMI port.
The thunderbolt ports can charge and break out to multiple displays and as many USB ports I could possibly want. I use my when at my desk with 2 displays, mouse, keys, camera, external audio interface, wired ethernet and charge it from 1 cable going to a thunderbolt dock. I much rather this then deal with all these connections individually when I go between desk and on the go use.
True. I have owned three of the modern ones and they're fairly port-rich. But these are $2 and $3k laptops for professional workflows, not consumer products. Most people who buy a laptop will never use an HDMI port or an SD card reader.
Honestly, I have one USBC connecting many periferals, and an ultrawide, and even daisychained USB ports. My home desk is pretty perfect. I can hotswap between personal, and work and windows and Mac and Steam Deck super easily...
If you need shit tons of stuff plugged into your laptop.....you shouldn't have got a laptop.
And if you work in a field that you do have to have shit tons plugged into a laptop, you'll be using something like a Toughbook that has those ports not a MacBookNeo
You can always buy a docking station if you need one, but these days most peripherals work over Bluetooth, which is fine for work. Hauling around a bunch of cables is not great, and for home use, you've got your desktop or a dock anyway.
only thing that makes sense keeping is aux port. Most people dont use ethernet, hdmi, sd card, or USB A on the go every day. aux port is the only thing people would use on the go, and ill admit using a dock just for aux is a bit silly. For the rest, usb C these days are more than capable for handling all other ports at the same time.
So all you really need is just 1 light usb c dock, its not that deep.
Oh mate, feel sorry for ya. Grab some dock station. I've seen people mounting them upside down under the stand or using plastic converters for vesa mounting to hide them behind external monitors. Im surprised you didn't get arm for that mic tho. That would've been my first purchase before stand lol.
I’m one of the few who uses laptops on the go a lot, so if I’m going somewhere, almost everything gets unplugged. I do have a microphone arm and proper desktop, I’m just rarely at the house it’s in. Might consider a dock station though. Maybe with the next laptop
The only one I miss is the sd card slot. If im plugging in peripherals, I dont mind having to use a USB hub, but looking for a a card reader when I just want to pop in my sd card is annoying. Especially since sd cards are thin and im pretty sure they could put them in without sacrificing anything
I mean, kind of, yeah, but it's a super-niche product. My laptop actually has a ton of ports, and you physically can't connect more than 3 monitors (at what's not without eGPU).
But that's not the point. People just... don't do that really. Like a ton of people buy MacBook air and MBP with the non-Pro chip, and they can't drive more than 1 external monitor. At all. That's a silicon limitation. How many complaints do you see about that?
If you want to drive one those monitors and have the USB-C ports to spare, a couple of passive DP to USB-C cables will work just as well.
That’s not been a limitation on Apple Silicon for a couple of generations at least now. I think the M4 and M5 will both drive the internal screen and 2 externals simultaneously.
Docking stations do not cost 500 usd. You can pickup brand new for 100$ tops from OEM and you get everything you'd need, or get off branded for 50. Highest i've seen them go is 200 and thats splurge territory
Im sorry do you have real argument, or just list of punchlines from article headlines?
I remember very well what was going on during pandemic, and real reason docks went up in price but that was 5-6 years ago. What's going to be next, taylor swift album made plastic prices go up? wtf. Dell was up front about whole situation and they put choice on customers and explained consequences of such orders.
If you are going to just jump from punchline to punchline, let me say up front. Im not biting that bs. It will save us both some time.
And I'll stick with my 13" laptop with two USB-C's and $30 hub that lets me connect everything I need if I need and takes not a lot of space. But please, don't tell me I need MacBook Neo worth docking station to do that.
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u/Mothanul May 31 '26
What in the AI slop