I don't buy it. Laptops have had fold-out Ethernet ports for half a decade now, and you can have a USB port that's as thin as the internal "tongue" of the female USB connector if you don't mind the fat side of the male connector floating out there and an extra circuit to avoid connecting power to data if you brush something conductive.
A standard USB A port is 4.5 mm, or just under 3/16". If your laptop is thicker than 3/16", you can fit a USB A port.
The tongue of a USB A port, which can be inserted into a male USB A connector is just under 3/32. Non-standard implementations have literally just been the tongue sticking out, though I've never seen it in a laptop.
I don't buy it. Laptops have had fold-out Ethernet ports for half a decade now, and you can have a USB port that's as thin as the internal "tongue" of the female USB connector if you don't mind the fat side of the male connector floating out there and an extra circuit to avoid connecting power to data if you brush something conductive.
I think most people would mind that.
Those people can just not use the USB A port and carry around an adapter for the USB C port.
But that non-standard design is the absolute lower limit, at just under 3/32". People have stuck USB A ports on business cards.
If your laptop is thicker than 3/16", there's no excuse for not having a standard USB A port.
Huh
A standard USB A port is 4.5 mm, or just under 3/16". If your laptop is thicker than 3/16", you can fit a USB A port.
The tongue of a USB A port, which can be inserted into a male USB A connector is just under 3/32. Non-standard implementations have literally just been the tongue sticking out, though I've never seen it in a laptop.