The lack of ports...
Thats...controversial.
Personally, I'd probably only need a serial port, now and then.
But I'm not sure I'd want to buy a laptop in 2015 that actually has one - given the fact that my ten years old laptop has more resolution than a typical laptop sold today.
(Hm, there's this one:
http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/la...7404-laptop/pd - tempting, but I think I'll pass nevertheless).
Ports probably make the PCB layout more complicated and less... clean. ;-)
If you're a ports-guy (or ports-gal), Apple laptops aren't for you.
The MBP-line has some more ports but most Apple laptops are sold under the assumption that if it ain't Thunderbolt or USB, it ain't worth making a port for it...
;-)
I do use USB-sticks from time to time - but really not that often.