That's a Lenovo E480. There are two other USB-A and a USB-C and HDMI on the other side, plus you can't see behind the dongles but there's an ethernet port on the laptop as well.
I only have two complaints with what I'm looking at. One is there's probably not enough power for whatever you have connected to all of those USB things. And two, there's not enough support for the port that you're plugging this into to resist the weight of all of the dongles, which could damage the motherboard.
The worst one was the pre Raspberry Pi 3 boards. The early ones used an on board Ethernet chip set that was slaved directly to the USB controller. It was USB 2.0 so it could negotiate 100, but really run much less than that.
Then, if you put in a keyboard, mouse, and a USB thumb drive the USB host would multiplex over them and your bandwidth for data transfer would drop precipitously.
I was so happy when they moved to a real Ethernet chip instead of a USB adapter. The new limitation became the microSD... Of course they also introduced the grounding reset issue on the USB port, but just don't plus or unplug anything and it'd be fine.
Depends. Modern keyboards, mice and controllers use just a few milliamps and the laptop must be able to supply 500 mA. However, just about anything that charges will use the whole 500 mA or even try to negotiate more. There are even non-compliant devices like heating pads that draw 2 A without asking.
Not always. Some laptops use a daughterboard for ports on one side. It might be connected over USB 3.0 and contain one or more USB ports, a SD reader and even audio jack.
Ehhh I deploy a lot of these thin and light machines in place of desktops. The goal is to use a dock and have the IO that is needed at a desk but also have the portability of the small laptop that can do work remotely. The benefit is that you don't have to remote into your work PC.
Portability? If you want a desktop replacement laptop, don't buy one with a single USB port. If you want a machine you can easily carry, has a keyboard and can run a slide deck? 1 USB port and Bluetooth will get you there.
I wish.. unpopular opinion but I love Apple's approach with the MBAir. I want a skinny device with 2-3 C Ports max.
I'm done with USB A, on the rare occasion I need it I gladly use an adapter to improve portability the other 90% of the time.
Any hardware made for Linux by non-US companies has several A ports, a few C, ethernet, HDMI, SD card... nope, I got a tower with all the ports. My portable should stay portable.
And luckily there are plenty of options out there for people who want to attach peripherals to their laptops.
I'm just not one of them.
My ideal device has two C ports on each side and a solid trackpad like the mac books do, just without all the apple bullshit of locking stuff down. @tuxedocomputers, pretty please 👀
Good to know Dell makes these. I am running CachyOS on the 2020 Intel MacBook Air and it's okay.. she runs a bit hot, so battery life is about half of what I would get with macOS.
As much as I like the look of Apple hardware, I despise them locking everything down. I'm glad there are smart people out there, like the Asahi project, cracking those macs open.
The Dell I have (few years old; I don't keep up with models) looks very much like a MBA. It works great, and I'm glad it runs Linux well (so far). I'm thinking about moving to CachyOS on my desktop.
Asahi is great for putting fedora on the Apple silicon macs. But there are quite a few limitations (e.g. steam won't work) so I would not recommend anyone to buy a mac for linux
Probably not a ton, the controller can handle a quite a bit. Really depends what you are doing with each cable. If all are transferring data to a separate thing on each cable then yes it could be bad. Power is more of the problem, only has so much juice per slot. If those are all phone charger cables, possible hardly any of them actually charging a device.
USB can handle 127 daisy chained items. However, there's like an absolute maximum of the amount of data and power that can go over any one USB port.
Assuming this is USB 3, that would typically be capped somewhere around 5 gigabits per second and usually, 5 to 15 watts of power, so they would all have to divvy up that between themselves.
USB is pretty smart, so it probably won't automatically divide down based on the number of attached items like Wifi used to and instead the controllers should dole out the in-out requests on an as needed basis.
I really wish there was a way to find where someone legitimately has a need to nest, like, 16 levels of USB devices and find out WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THEM. But also what possible legitimate need might force such a nightmare. lol.
I know a degraded binary search tree when I see one. Stop inserting presorted data you yabbos! Otherwise, you'll need to pull out a Red-Black tree and nobody's got time for those kinds of rotations.
Keyboard, mouse, wacom tablet, external hard drive, another external hard drive thing, plasma lighter charger, ... Yup, that's what I have here... already got that many, before needing more space for pendrives.
Though, I use a single 1-6(or more) expander hub. I'm sensible like that.
Plus a wired game pad, secondary gaming specific keyboard, a phone charger, a wireless phone charger, a thumb drive, a gaming specific mouse, a racing rig, and a little usb fan.
3000€, 1000 GB HDD, 32GB RAM, 15" screen, 1 port.
I hate laptop manufacturers.
That's a Lenovo E480. There are two other USB-A and a USB-C and HDMI on the other side, plus you can't see behind the dongles but there's an ethernet port on the laptop as well.
I only have two complaints with what I'm looking at. One is there's probably not enough power for whatever you have connected to all of those USB things. And two, there's not enough support for the port that you're plugging this into to resist the weight of all of the dongles, which could damage the motherboard.
What if they're external drives with their own power supplies? I've done things nearly this convoluted, but used self powered devices.
Then you're just constrained by the data bandwidth
I'm quite familiar with that one.
The worst one was the pre Raspberry Pi 3 boards. The early ones used an on board Ethernet chip set that was slaved directly to the USB controller. It was USB 2.0 so it could negotiate 100, but really run much less than that.
Then, if you put in a keyboard, mouse, and a USB thumb drive the USB host would multiplex over them and your bandwidth for data transfer would drop precipitously.
I was so happy when they moved to a real Ethernet chip instead of a USB adapter. The new limitation became the microSD... Of course they also introduced the grounding reset issue on the USB port, but just don't plus or unplug anything and it'd be fine.
Depends. Modern keyboards, mice and controllers use just a few milliamps and the laptop must be able to supply 500 mA. However, just about anything that charges will use the whole 500 mA or even try to negotiate more. There are even non-compliant devices like heating pads that draw 2 A without asking.
It's plugged into the USB port not the motherboard.
The USB port is attached to the motherboard.
And the leg bone connected to the knee bone.
There is a generic leg bone?
Yup totally it probably just means femur, tibia, or fibula.
duh, do you not know the song? idiot
(I'm kidding) <3
Ohh! Now I get why my knees hurt when I stomp my feet!
No that’s because you’re old.
But then shouldn't it just be my foot that hurts?
What does it have to do with my knee?
It is yet to take an arrow.
Not always. Some laptops use a daughterboard for ports on one side. It might be connected over USB 3.0 and contain one or more USB ports, a SD reader and even audio jack.
What do you think will break first with enough downward force? The port, or the motherboard solder joints holding the weight?
No this is a schooner.
I hope you're remembered like Ken M. I always find these funny, even when, or perhaps especially when, they don't land well in the thread.
I will never not upvote the ‘Fart
Hey it's fine if you have a docking station which totally defeats the purpose of a laptop.
Ehhh I deploy a lot of these thin and light machines in place of desktops. The goal is to use a dock and have the IO that is needed at a desk but also have the portability of the small laptop that can do work remotely. The benefit is that you don't have to remote into your work PC.
Portability? If you want a desktop replacement laptop, don't buy one with a single USB port. If you want a machine you can easily carry, has a keyboard and can run a slide deck? 1 USB port and Bluetooth will get you there.
For over 17 years or so, I've envisioned a laptop (and, later, also SBC) design where the entire sides are jam packed with usb ports.
Your hate reinvigorates this idea, knowing other people also hate the shortage of usb ports on laptop designs.
You guys got 32 gigs of memory?
I wish.. unpopular opinion but I love Apple's approach with the MBAir. I want a skinny device with 2-3 C Ports max.
I'm done with USB A, on the rare occasion I need it I gladly use an adapter to improve portability the other 90% of the time. Any hardware made for Linux by non-US companies has several A ports, a few C, ethernet, HDMI, SD card... nope, I got a tower with all the ports. My portable should stay portable.
USB-C isn't a straight upgrade of USB-A though. Both have their pros and cons.
USB-C has much higher bandwidth and allows more power draw. 2 nice features, but totally useless on something like a mouse.
USB-A is soo much cheaper and more sturdy. A much better connector for simple peripherals like mouses and keyboards.
So a laptop with only USB-C is quite dumb. It costs nothing to add a couple of USB-A ports, and it will save you a lot of money.
And luckily there are plenty of options out there for people who want to attach peripherals to their laptops. I'm just not one of them.
My ideal device has two C ports on each side and a solid trackpad like the mac books do, just without all the apple bullshit of locking stuff down. @tuxedocomputers, pretty please 👀
My dell is that. Runs Mint rn
Good to know Dell makes these. I am running CachyOS on the 2020 Intel MacBook Air and it's okay.. she runs a bit hot, so battery life is about half of what I would get with macOS.
As much as I like the look of Apple hardware, I despise them locking everything down. I'm glad there are smart people out there, like the Asahi project, cracking those macs open.
The Dell I have (few years old; I don't keep up with models) looks very much like a MBA. It works great, and I'm glad it runs Linux well (so far). I'm thinking about moving to CachyOS on my desktop.
I'll look into Asahi project!
Asahi is great for putting fedora on the Apple silicon macs. But there are quite a few limitations (e.g. steam won't work) so I would not recommend anyone to buy a mac for linux
Me stacking my deck with 'Draw 2 cards' with no damage or money cards in my hand
Pot of Greed, Pot of Greed, Pot of Greed, I ASSEMBLE EXODIA. I WIN.
EXODIA?! I-IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!
NO ONE'S EVER BEEN ABLE TO SUMMON HIM!
Stairway to USB heaven
I'm not usually that kinda guy, but 5 volts is 5 volts.
Voltage drop is a thing. That’s why powered hubs exist
I'm a power bottom, thanks. It's a little dehumanizing to call people, "hubs".
Yes, but their point is any port in a storm will suffice.
Until voltage sags below 4.7 and stuff starts acting weird or sags below 4.4 and just stops working ig
So does each successive one become slower or how does that work?
Probably not a ton, the controller can handle a quite a bit. Really depends what you are doing with each cable. If all are transferring data to a separate thing on each cable then yes it could be bad. Power is more of the problem, only has so much juice per slot. If those are all phone charger cables, possible hardly any of them actually charging a device.
I imagine power is split evenly. I wonder if speed is split evenly or successively slower.
USB can handle 127 daisy chained items. However, there's like an absolute maximum of the amount of data and power that can go over any one USB port.
Assuming this is USB 3, that would typically be capped somewhere around 5 gigabits per second and usually, 5 to 15 watts of power, so they would all have to divvy up that between themselves.
USB is pretty smart, so it probably won't automatically divide down based on the number of attached items like Wifi used to and instead the controllers should dole out the in-out requests on an as needed basis.
I really wish there was a way to find where someone legitimately has a need to nest, like, 16 levels of USB devices and find out WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THEM. But also what possible legitimate need might force such a nightmare. lol.
The only two honest answers would be wartime measures and laziness
Well, 3. "To see if I could."
Not really, it depends on what each device is doing. There is a shared aggregate bandwidth to draw from. It’s not a 50/50 type of thing
The bus is shared so yes. Theoretically you can daisy chain 127 devices.
The problem here is not even speed, it is the current draw.
It's not even an balanced tree! What a monster!
I know a degraded binary search tree when I see one. Stop inserting presorted data you yabbos! Otherwise, you'll need to pull out a Red-Black tree and nobody's got time for those kinds of rotations.
This is art.
Would be a lot less cursed if they used a USBA extension so they could rest on a table.
Alright but what would you need this many for? I can't wrap my head around it
Keyboard, mouse, wacom tablet, external hard drive, another external hard drive thing, plasma lighter charger, ... Yup, that's what I have here... already got that many, before needing more space for pendrives.
Though, I use a single 1-6(or more) expander hub. I'm sensible like that.
Plus a wired game pad, secondary gaming specific keyboard, a phone charger, a wireless phone charger, a thumb drive, a gaming specific mouse, a racing rig, and a little usb fan.
Also HOTAS Rig for space sims.
Flashing firmware to many devices at once maybe.
Funny picture
I've seen that video
Ew. Where?