Many versions are "nano" or "mini" dongles, barely protruding from your USB port—perfect for laptops.
Due to its compact size, the internal antenna often has a limited range compared to larger adapters with high-gain external antennas. Troubleshooting Common Issues realtek rtl8188cu wireless lan 80211n usb 20 network adapter
Security researchers sometimes use these legacy adapters because they lack Bluetooth coexistence and have simple, well-documented firmware for packet injection (though not as good as Atheros chips for hacking, it works for basic monitoring). Many versions are "nano" or "mini" dongles, barely