Vaio, the laptop brand revived last year by the namesake company after Sony spun it off in 2014, has announced the SX12, a new ultraportable notebook with a lot of I/O ports. The diminutive laptop, although sporting a 12.5-inch screen, offers three USB-A ports, one USB-C (for charging), HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack, Ethernet, SD card slot and - like a blast from the past - even a VGA port. The SX12 can be configured with Core i5 or i7 processors and an optional LTE module. 


Regardless of technical specs, it’s clear that Vaio is positioning the new product as a bold statement: it’s a notebook that despite its size and weight (888 grams) can still offer all sorts of I/O options, instead of a few USB-C ports you have to expand with a dongle. It sounds like an enticing proposition, especially for professionals who need to always have at least a few different dongles with them. 

And yet, is this really a pain point anymore in 2019, with so many well priced USB-C adapters on the market? In other words, is compromising a laptop design based on the very opinionated voice of a niche of high-end users a smart move? Just take a look at the picture above with all the ports of the SX12 filled and you’ll tend to agree that no, it isn’t really worth it if you compare it with a nice slim laptop you can charge from every USB-C and expand thanks to an unobtrusive dongle without turning it into a Southeast Asian utility pole.