Published Oct 24, 2026, 4:30 PM EDT

Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech.

Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart , Listverse , and MakeTechEasier . However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics.

If you take a long, hard look at your motherboard, you'll notice that it comes with some legacy ports on them, such as Serial (COM), Parallel (LPT), and PS/2 headers. It can be really tempting to assume they're there because the motherboard companies are lazy, but in fact, there's a good reason they're there.…