I just got a brand new HP laptop at work.. it is a slim, mean, modern machine. Solid state hard drives etc. (only about 200 gigs, programmers do not need much, haha). I was very surprised to find a rs232 port on back of it. Serial port is very important for embedded programmer, but even when the laptop has a "genuine" serial port I still use my usb to serial converters because they give me 3v logic compatible signals and operating voltage for the microcontroller. I think serial port is going to live long as a protocol, but the physical standard serial port is going to vanish eventually.
Nice project mdanh.. btw