But Ethernet isn't included on many laptops anymore...
This rush to be "thin" has required changing the physical ports, and has contributed heavily to this issue.
For a few years there will be confusion as cables/connectors/standards shake out, but it's gonna be awesome after that when we have super thin laptops that just use one connector.
I bet it has more to do with the amount of use these ports get (i.e. less and less people using ethernet). And besides, when I get to work, I hook up my laptop to a plain old USB hub which has an ethernet connection.
Exactly, anyone sitting down at a desk would prefer to plug in one cable that include power, ethernet, keyboard, mouse, and external display. These thunderbolt cables are the dream, it's just going to take a couple years for the peripheral market to catch up (surprisingly the iPhone is included in this).
This rush to be "thin" has required changing the physical ports, and has contributed heavily to this issue.
For a few years there will be confusion as cables/connectors/standards shake out, but it's gonna be awesome after that when we have super thin laptops that just use one connector.