Why two power ports on a budget laptop??

[Arwen]

@gurk, Hmm, I just counted up my barrel jack devices in common use;

• New desktop, (it's a small one, larger than a NUC, but still not large)
  
• Broadband MODEM & router
  
• Media player
  
• Foot massager
  
• Pinebook Pro
  
• Old laptop
  
• Media server
  
• Remote console device for media server
  
• Cheapo weather station, (cheap & cheesy, but I like it)
  

That's not including any device currently powered off or boxed up. Like;

• External Blu-ray drive
  
• eSATA / USB external drive bay, (the really old one I need to get rid of)
  
• USB external drive bay
  
• eSATA / USB3 external drive bay
  
• Miniature computer, (my old media server)
  

Most are not compatible with each other.

One thing that can help with USB-C power adapters, is getting power only cables. Some devices won't need USB2 or USB3, or any of the other pins / functions. As much as it might be nice for my media player to have USB-C with data, I'd rather have a more flexible cable than my existing USB-C cables. (Which I bought WITH USB3 support, so extra wires.) That more or less applies to most of the above devices. Don't need data, extra wires. Just need 2 x power.

The exception I can see are, out right computers, like laptops. It would be nice for a USB-C power device to have:

• Gigabit Ethernet or better
  
• USB 3 device port(s)
  
• USB 2 device port(s)
  
• And of course power
  

So having a 6 to 8 port, USB-C power brick that can supply many of the items would be helpful. Some devices might draw too much power, (to allow other devices on the same power brick). But, hey they can have dedicated power bricks.

Gee, we can get a whole new generation of USB-C power bricks with builtin Ethernet ports, and switches. Meaning say 4 devices are powered from the USB-C power brick, and 3 are out right computer devices, (Pinebook Pro, etc...), they can see the Ethernet port. And SHARE it, like it was on a Ethernet switch. Reduce cabling! And, when my tablets or phone are plugged in to charge, they can drop WiFi and use wired networking. (Reduce the air wave congestion, which is bad in my apartment complex.)

I guess I am done with my opus :-(.