Just a little bit of a fun topic, how do you normally have your expansion slots laid out? Do you have any additional ones you have on standby you don’t normally have plugged in but use occasionally?
I’ll start, and I’ll number them the same as this link here.
USB-C, usually used for charging.
USB-C, usually used for plugging my phone in for tethering
3.5 mm audio jack
USB-C, also sometimes used for charging.
USB-A
USB-A, usually have a mouse plugged into this one
As for additional cards, I have another USB-A, and a microSD card slot. Probably would swap them out with the audio if I need them, or any of the right hand side ones. I just mostly avoid USB-A in 1 and 4 since that says “higher power comsumption” on the aforementioned link.
USB-A (sometimes i plug a Logitec Bolt dongle here for my keyboard & mouse)
This way I typically have a USB-A and USB-C ready to plug something, and there’s always an option to swap one of them out for a HDMI/DisplayPort or Audio Jack module that I also have.
This way I can charge/dock from either end and also plug in a usb stick or similar from both sides. HDMI barely gets used, but it is nice to have it when needed.
Coming from a MBP with only USB-C ports it is very nice to have USB-A without a dongle again.
If I travel, in my bag I have a micro SD card, a 3.5mm audio jack card, and an ethernet card. With my normal config, I can be charging and still have access to two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and an SD card reader. When I travel, I can swap one of the ports for a headphone jack, and have access to ethernet and micro SD if needed.
(1.) USB C (4.) USB C
(2.) Card reader SD (5.) Storage 1 TB
(3.) Audio Jack (6.) USB A
I used to have HDMI on slot 2 but I never used it, I always seem to have USB C docks when I need external screens. And the card reader saves me time getting things of my dslr etc.
USB-C - used for charging if this side is more convenient
Micro-SD
250 GB Expansion
USB-C - used for charging if this side is more convenient
USB-A
Extra Cards for me are:
another 250 GB for Backup of the plugged in 250 GB Expansion Card with pictures
a 1 TB Expansion Card for Backup of the internal 1 TB SSD
Those Cards will normally plugged in to the SD-Card-Reader Slot. I don’t need the SD-Card that often, but for safety reasons the backup expansion cards are obviously normally not plugged in.
I guess I will get a HDMI Card if I run into a situation I would have needed one and did not have it, to never run into the situation again after owning it. Two new 250 GB cards will be ordered in case the existing ones are almost full.
i generally swap around a lot but the one i mostly use is:
1 - usb c for charging
2 - usb c which i plug in the displayport expansion card to (because i use that to effectively have a usb-c display out for other devices too)
3 - audio jack
4 - usb c for a usb-c hub that has an ethernet port and a 2.4GHz mouse dongle in it (will sometimes swap this and the charging one depending on which side is closer to a plug
5 - usb a
6 - 250gb storage
have a couple extras i will sometimes swap in. i dont have a display out on it really because i mostly use it standalone
1 and 4 are almost always USB-C.
3 or 6 has USB-A for my mouse.
The rest I change every few days or weeks depending on what I’m doing, what I’m connecting to, and who I need to collaborate with. I have a little baggie with all of my bench warmer cards.
Both USB-C are for charging on whatever side is more convenient
HDMI is soon going to be a full sized SD-card, used to swap it with an Ethernet card when I’m at home until I realized I can just plug it in the USB-C above
double USB-A is mostly for a RTL-SDR dongle and a step-up converter for a LNA
Completely rational people leave their Ethernet card in full time, right? (mine lives in position 6 and gets slightly more use than the 3.5mm card in position 3).
I thought about getting an Ethernet card, but figured if I ever actually need a hardwired connection like that I can get a USB to ethernet adapter. I mostly use mine tethered to my phone, though.
Ethernet is connected to the docking station, as are three monitors and a mouse. Additionally, depending on location, a 3D mouse or a DVD drive. The connectors on the right side are mostly blocked by the mouse. I don’t use the touchpad.
HDMI for connecting to TV or Projector, since port 5 doesn’t have display out, this is the only side where you can have a display out port while still being able to dock with USB-C on both sides
Headphone jack, in case I ever need to get on a call outside the house
USB-C for docking on the right side, actually use it every day with a single cable dock for work
Full-sized SD card for the camera SD and Raspberry Pi fun
USB-A for all of the USB-A needs
Before writing this post I’ve had Headphone jack and SD card modules on standby, but realized I can exchange dummy USB-C cards in slots 3 and 5 for them and not lose any functionality I currently use. So it was actually useful to write out what I use the cards for! And now I only have a couple USB-C cards on stand-by.
Want to acquire to complete my collection, but can’t justify spending money:
