I’ve used many laptops over the years, and they’ve varied greatly in size and versatility. A long time ago, laptops used to be big and bulky, and then, like all technology it seemed like, they slimmed down in size. Your laptops and phones both became thinly sliced pieces of tech, and I thought it was great. I wasn’t a fan of having to stuff a big laptop into my backpack at college, so I welcomed the thin options.
Now, it feels like the pendulum is swinging back, and our phones and laptops are getting bigger again. That’s not the case with everything, and there’s something that we lost when the laptops got thinner, and it doesn’t feel like it’s coming back. One of the first laptops I ever had came with a variety of ports ranging from HDMI and Ethernet to USB-A and a headphone jack. There used to be so much value baked into a laptop, but now, it’s not like that.
It’s not uncommon to come across a laptop that costs about $2,000, or even $1,000, and see it only boasts a handful of USB-C ports. I’ve been using a Dell XPS 14 for a few weeks now, and while I’m a fan of it, it only has three USB-C ports and nothing else. For something to be so expensive, it doesn’t make much sense for there not to be some more versatility. It almost feels insulting that I have to rely on an external device, such as a USB hub, to get features that used to come standard.
Apparently, I took basic features such as ports for granted.
Laptops are expensive and do less than before
Not a good path to be on
When you spend a good chunk of cash on something, you expect it to do the things you want to. If I could use TVs as an example for a second, it feels like they cover a lot of bases. Your modern smart TV comes with USB ports, HDMI ports, digital optical ports, Ethernet ports, and some of them even have support for older composite inputs. There’s a lot that you can plug into your TV, and they’ve gotten much slimmer over the years, too.
When you look at laptops, it’s just a mixed bag of what’s on offer. The Dell XPS I’m talking about just has three USB-C ports, and when you’re charging the laptop, that means you just have two extras. If you want to get an Ethernet connection, you’re required to buy an external USB hub. If you want to connect a second monitor, you either need one that supports USB-C or you need to get a hub with an HDMI port. I don’t think things should be like that, especially when you can find those ports on laptops that aren’t as expensive.
A lot of gaming-centric laptops come with more ports than this. Sticking with Dell, the Alienware 16 Aurora laptop comes with these ports I was just talking about. You get an Ethernet port, an HDMI port, a plethora of USB-C ports, and you even get an RCA headphone jack. This is a laptop that starts at about $1,500. I understand a gaming-focused laptop needs more connectivity like this, since you have all sorts of peripherals you might want to plug in, such as external hard drives, a mouse, a controller, and maybe even a keyboard. I get all that, but it’s still annoying to see all of that offered on one laptop and not with the other. It’s not even like that Alienware laptop is super bulky, either.
I wish we could get back to a point where your laptop has all the ports that you need. I have an Acer Chromebook Plus 515 that I use sparingly, and since I don’t like to use the trackpad, I grabbed a mouse that connects via USB-A and use that. I don’t have the luxury of using that same mouse on the Dell XPS 14, despite that Dell laptop costing almost 10 times the price — although that’s partly because I grabbed the Acer laptop from eBay through Acer’s refurbished store.
You just have to be more picky
Can’t have it all, apparently
I’m happy with my Chromebook right now, and I don’t use a laptop often enough for it to truly be a problem for me, but I can see this being an issue for other people. I don’t like that you aren’t guaranteed the same features as other laptops in the same price range. It feels like there’s always some sort of limitation. Using the Dell XPS 14 and Chromebook Plus 515 as examples again, each has its pros and cons. The Dell’s screen is miles better than the Chromebook’s, and it’s also a lot more responsive. On the other hand, the Chromebook lets me plug in more things, which allows it to feel more like a workstation without having to buy a hub.
As is the case with many devices, you just have to know what you’re looking for. It’s not as simple as walking into a store, buying a laptop, bringing it home, and hoping it works just like every other laptop. You need to be aware of the specs, the screen, the ports, etc., and it’s a lot of burden to put on the average person.
In a lot of ways, it’s why I think things like game consoles have remained as popular as ever despite PCs arguably being the better option. There’s just so much that has to go into buying a PC or laptop that sometimes it’s just easier to walk into a store and buy a PS5. In 2026, we also have to take price into consideration, and despite the price hikes, a PS5 is still way cheaper than building a PC.
For simple web browsing, it seems like any old laptop will do. You don’t need a powerhouse for that, so in that way, buying a laptop is just like walking into the store and picking out anything. Having to rely on a dongle for your mouse might not be an issue either if you use Bluetooth. I guess I’m just behind the times because I use USB cables for a lot of my stuff still, so grabbing something without the proper ports is a dealbreaker, at least for right now.
I just wish we got more for the price we paid for these laptops. I don’t understand why it almost feels like a necessity to go out and buy a hub for my $1,000+ laptop just to get the most out of it. It’s especially tough when some of these hubs can be expensive on their own. I don’t know if things are going to change any time soon, with the way RAM prices are, so I’ll just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.
