If you have purchased a laptop in the past few years or even explored the options available, you must have noticed how all the companies like Apple, Dell, Lenovo, and Asus are offering slimmer laptops. Marketed as sleek, slim, ultra-thin, or lightweight, these models are suddenly getting all the attention, whether on the official website or at third-party retailers.
While they offer convenience and comfort, especially for frequent travelers, these laptops fall short in some critical areas. These are aspects that really matter to the vast majority, but most people often don’t realize it. The reason, I believe, is that people have been conditioned to believe that thinner models are somehow superior to the slightly bulky laptops we had until a decade ago. This perception sets in quickly and people lose what’s important without even questioning the purpose of these ultra-thin and sleek laptops.
Fewer ports, more problems
You are forced to spend on adapters and hubs
One of my biggest complaints about these slim laptops is the lack of ports. For example, I have an Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024), which only has 2 USB-C ports, a 3.5mm jack, and a MagSafe port. Another one that comes to mind is the Dell XPS 16, which has 3 USB-C ports, a 3.5mm jack, and a MicroSD card reader. I understand that the USB-C standard is growing in importance, but a wide range of devices still have USB-A ports. If you want to connect one, prepare to spend on USB-C to USB-A adapters.
Other than that, we’re losing ground on HDMI and Ethernet ports. Many of us still rely on wired connections for reliability, but manufacturers are removing them. Again, you can get an adapter or connector for these, but that’s a workaround to a problem that shouldn’t have existed in the first place. When laptops worth over $1,500 ignore USB-A, Ethernet, and HDMI ports just to offer these ultra-sleek designs, it might be a good marketing move, but from a user perspective, it’s a disaster.
If you think it stops there, the 3.5mm jack is the next casualty in this aggressive push for thinner laptops. First dropped from smartphones to allow sleeker designs and free up space for other, more important components, it is now disappearing from laptops. While this change doesn’t bother most people, since Bluetooth headphones and earphones have become commonplace and are truly affordable, there is still a segment that values wired audio devices for their sound quality and reliability. Companies have recognized the impact on sound quality of using Bluetooth headphones for two-way audio, but they are still ditching the 3.5mm jack.
Scalability and repairability suffer
You are at the mercy of the manufacturers
It’s not just about fewer ports. Back then we had upgradeable and repairable laptops. And many of these improvements and repairs could be done at home without professional supervision. I still have a 12 year old laptop with a removable battery and removable back panel. I changed the battery once and it didn’t take more than a minute. Likewise, I added RAM sticks, cleaned the fan and did much more without any help. Because the components are all easily accessible.
With modern laptops, this is no longer the case. My other two, a Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 and a MacBook Air, pose a challenge in this regard. Even for the most basic repairs, I have to consult a professional. I know that with the right set of tools I could open them, but with the components so close together there is a lot of risk.
Then there are aspects like soldered RAM. While it’s faster and provides other space-saving benefits that enable these slim designs, soldered RAM hurts expandability. You can no longer just order a RAM stick and add it to your PC. This means you will need to buy a laptop with more RAM if you plan to use it for 5-7 years. This added expense and surrounding confusion could have been avoided if manufacturers had not pushed these ultra-sleek designs.
Thinner laptops are portable and convenient
But that’s not the only thing that matters
As I said earlier, thinner and ultra-thin laptops make sense for people who need to move them around. But there are others who don’t. Many have laptops placed at their workstations and rarely move them. Mine all three stay in the same position for weeks at a time. My main laptop is connected to an external monitor, so it’s largely stationary. The other two sit on their dedicated stands unless I’m traveling as well.
This begs the question: why do we sacrifice so much? Beyond aesthetics, portability, and convenience, they have little to offer that a slightly bulkier model doesn’t have. Let’s not forget how performing resource-intensive tasks can take a toll on resources, leading to overheating and thermal throttling. When components are packed tightly together, there is usually little room for hot air to dissipate. Although manufacturers are introducing advanced cooling technologies, overheating remains a concern, at least for now.
They are here to stay
Alternatives are diminishing rapidly
Considering how things have changed over the past couple of years, it looks like thinner laptops are here to stay. Not just the more expensive ones, even the budget models are getting sleeker and ditching ports. Although manufacturers and perhaps the majority of buyers have approved it, a few remain wary. People who still believe that laptops, while convenient, are only useful as an all-in-one package. As long as they don’t weigh more than 4 pounds and are less than 30mm thick, I don’t see a problem with it. And most of you shouldn’t either, unless aesthetics and portability overshadow actual usage.