New Ports

Carol just bought a new computer. What was interesting about this computer was that it only has 3 ports, and they are all the same. Her laptop has 3 USB-C ports. These ports are different, but they all look alike. The difference is mostly in the power. What it generally means is that she will need an adapter to connect her mouse, her keyboard, her printer, another monitor. That’s not entirely accurate, but it makes a point. I gave her a Bluetooth mouse to use, at first. Then I ordered an adapter from Amazon. The adapter has 3 USB 3.1 ports, an HDMI port, and a slot for reading SD cards.
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Our friend Stan got a new computer a while back, it was a Macbook, and I think it only had one port, a Thunderbolt 3. The Thunderbolt 3 port is the same size as a USB-C, and Intel created both of them. There was a time when it seemed the Thunderbolt might take over as the dominant port, but it now seems they are converging. Both ports provide adapters for USB ports, video, and other things, so nothing of this era will be lost. If there’s something really old, then who knows.
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While I do like the simplification, it does mean yet another adapter in our lives. Saying that brings up the point that most devices we use can be wireless. Our printer is wireless, on our network. As I said, a keyboard and mouse can be Bluetooth, and you can cast video to a TV, so there are alternatives to wires.
If you’re thinking about getting a new computer, the ports are something to give some attention to. You can read more about the USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports HERE.
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