Why the dc power jack of your laptop may soon disappear

The computing device industry seems to be moving towards two accessory connectors: USB-C and the Lightning port preferred by Apple. There is an advantage with the USB-C port in the sense that is very dynamic; it can handle both data and power, which means that it will likely replace the DC jack found in most laptops, netbooks, tablets, and older smartphones.

While the idea of a single port for everything sound promising, there may be an issue with regard to powering a device. If the USB-C port used for power is connected to a single root hub controller, this could pose a problem if the hub fails.

LAPTOPS OF THE FUTURE

Laptops and notepads are not usually expected to last as long as their desktop counterparts, but this is mostly a matter of upgrades. Tower desktops are meant to be completely upgraded while laptops can only handle a few upgrades. Not many laptop owners consider upgrades because they tend to be swayed by new, sleek models every couple of years; users who hold on to their laptops know that they will likely be in need of repairs as the years go by.

The first laptop components to fail are usually the LCD screen, USB ports, DC jack, and the hard drive. It is worth mentioning that USB port issues usually happen before the DC jack is compromised, and thus this could be an issue when power is managed by a single USB root hub.

USB-C AS CHARGING PORTS

Ideally, new laptops that feature USB-C ports as a power option will run separate root hub controllers, similar to how DC jacks are connected to the motherboard. One issue affecting the sole root hub in a laptop would cause the USB-C port used for power to malfunction.

Just because USB-C is a new port standard in computing does not mean that the problems associated with DC jacks will go away. This component fails due to frequent inserting and wiggling of the male power connectors, and this is not something that is going to change with the new USB-C port. As long as the power port is not controlled by the same root hub, this will not be a problem.