> We feel that the machine also needs at least one USB-A, a fold-down Ethernet socket, and a mini DisplayPort or micro-HDMI socket.
I agree that a USB-A port would be nice. Ethernet, maybe, but it's a stretch to ask for that in a thin fanless form factor. But asking for mini Display port or micro HDMI is insane. If you're going to need a dongle to connect to your monitor anyways, then using Type-C for the display output makes way more sense. DisplayPort alt mode is way more common and useful than the miniature versions of dedicated DP or HDMI ports.
The X13s is only a bit slimmer than my cheap-ass work Dell, and it has one.
My £35 Raspberry Pi 4 (I got in early, OK) has not one but two mini-HDMI ports. So does my 2nd hand RP 400. It's why I own a mini-HDMI to HDFMI adaptor.
This stuff is not hard, it's not expensive, and it's not difficult. It's standard in cheap laptops.
If you only have 2 USB ports at all, using one for power and one for screen means that's it. You're out. No wired keyboard or mouse or network for you.
You can't pass a screen or charging through a generic USB 2 hub, the sort of thing most of us have lying around immediately to hand.
4 USB-C ports, and I might say OK to this: one for power, one for screen, one for network, and one with a hub with the legacy kit plugged in.
If it had plenty of ports, then OK, but it doesn't, it has two, and you can't use them both for non-USB type jobs like power or display and still use anything else.
No matter how far up the price range you go, smart card slots in a laptop remains a very niche feature. Especially since many smart card capabilities are easily handled by USB dongles like Yubikeys.
I agree that a USB-A port would be nice. Ethernet, maybe, but it's a stretch to ask for that in a thin fanless form factor. But asking for mini Display port or micro HDMI is insane. If you're going to need a dongle to connect to your monitor anyways, then using Type-C for the display output makes way more sense. DisplayPort alt mode is way more common and useful than the miniature versions of dedicated DP or HDMI ports.