Ah, so 2012 was the year they brought retina displays to the MacBook Pro. The port reductions didn't bother me much because when I'm docked, I've got so many peripherals that I'd need the edges of the laptop to be nothing but USB-A ports to fit them all. So, all I ended up needing to do was replace my hub with one that uses USB-C and has ports for Ethernet and displays. The biggest upside of this arrangement is that I only need to plug in one cable at my desk instead of six.
> I also do not like that Apple has removed the Ethernet and microphone jacks. Both jacks are still useful to have on modern computers
Ethernet is available over the ports via fairly cheap adapters if you need it. There's so much bandwidth on a thunderbolt port that it can do that and a display or two at the same time.
I also do not like that Apple has completely removed all USB type A ports on the newer MacBooks. USB type A plugs are still very common and I wish Apple left one or two on the newer MacBooks in addition to the USB-C ports. Yes, you can use USB-C to USB type A adapters but it is annoying.
I also do not like that Apple has removed the Ethernet and microphone jacks. Both jacks are still useful to have on modern computers. I'll make an exception for removing the Ethernet jack on the MacBook Air to accommodate a thinner chassis but wish the MacBook Pro chassis was kept thick enough to accommodate the Ethernet jack.