Yes, some of them are tiny and take up barely more space than a cable; they are powered by the USB connector itsef in most cases.
The audio/mic inputs on laptops even if yours have been provided with separate jacks have typically not been of high quality. It is not just the wiring and the jacks... the analog to digital converters in laptops typically have had low quality components. I cannot tell you how many USB audio adapters that I have purchased over the years. Before that I purchased expensive sound cards for the desktop PCs I put together. Even the Sound Blasters were way better than what comes in laptops these days.
Currently, decent little M-Audio and other USB audio interfaces that you can plug a stereo line out or a decent mic or set of mics into can be purchased for around $50; the Behringers and others are cheaper than that. There are many ways to go with this. You can also buy inexpensive mics with USB cables and A/D adapters built in as well. Nearly all of them outperform the recording capabilities of a laptop.
https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-U-CONTROL-UCA202-Ultra-Low-Interface/dp/B000KW2YEI
Yes, good point - I’d buy refurbed high end business laptops to get a decent audio converter in the thing. Now that laptops just have “Mic in”, no wonder none have converters of any quality at all.
That Behringer UCA202 looks pretty good...
BTTT!!!