I have for many years asked why modern laptops have a PC Card (PCMCIA) and more recently the ExpressCard slots. Years ago, the PC card slot was the only way to add functionality like a WiFi card, and sometimes even basic networking, but today (and for many years) most laptops come stacked with so much built in (networking, modems, Wifi, USB, FireWire, multi-monitor video out) that the inclusion of an expansion slot seems just like a waste of money and space in an environment that has limited space to begin with.

Despite the limited usability of the slot, nearly all laptops continue to come with the ports, even the MacBook Pro includes an ExpressCard/16 slot despite the fact that it has the sort of port connectivity that would make most desktops blush.