[Leimi]

This is starting to be a really interesting choice compared to sticking to thinkpads.

The dream would be to have 6 expansion cards in the laptop 13. 4 really is a bummer for a work laptop, it's definitely not enough for me… And while you can easily carry other expansion cards and switch at will, it's kinda like carrying adapters, you easily forget them.

[bleep_bloop]

Are there any 13" laptops on the market with more than 4 ports? None that come to my mind. My macbook air has only 2 x USB C and I've never come across a situation where I needed more. For a 13" 4 ports is more than most people require and it wouldn't make sense for a small start up to only target extremely niche use cases.

[causi]

My ten inch Win Max 2 has 2x USB-C, 3x USB-A, HDMI, headphone jack, a full size SD card slot and a microSD slot, a 2280 m.2 slot and a 2230 m.2 slot.

Demand better of your manufacturers.

[JoshTriplett]

The X1 Carbon has two USB-C, two USB-A, a full-sized HDMI, and a headphone jack.

I don't personally feel like the framework 13 needs more than 4 expansion bays, but I'd love to see expansion cards that use Thunderbolt to offer (for instance) two USB-C ports, or a USB-C and a USB-A. (There are some experimental unofficial ones attempting this.)

If those were available, my four expansion bays would be one Ethernet, one HDMI, and two 2-USB port cards.

[codedokode]

The manufacturers do everything wrong. Why not add 10 ports to every laptop? Are USB-A sockets so expensive?

It surprises me especially that MacBooks seem to be targeted at professionals, like creators and creators always have lot of stuff with USB plugs - like MIDI keyboards, MIDI controllers, external audio interfaces, mouse, drawing tablet, external hard drives - but MacBook only has like 3 sockets, despite being super expensive.

[Leimi]

thinkpad x13, hp 835 g9, dell latitude… and if you go for a 14" laptop, connectivity is even better while still having a small device.

I'm not sure more than 4 ports is _extremely_ niche use case especially for a work device, but yeah I get that most people would be okay with it and I understand Framework's choice.

[planede]

I have an Acer travelmate spin b3, which is a 11" convertible laptop.

Left side: * barrel jack charging port * HDMI * microSD slot * USB-C (also usable for charging) * Gigabit ethernet

Right side: * USB-A * 3.5mm jack

Even discounting the microSD slot and the barrel jack, this is 5 ports. On a 11" laptop.

Granted, it's not exactly thin, but I really don't care.

[goosedragons]

4 ports total or 4 USB C ports? A ThinkPad X13 has two USB C, two USB A and an HDMI port. Not that hard to use all of them without a hub. One USB C for power, USB A for keyboard/mouse, HDMI for monitor and the other USB C for external SSD.

[kuschku]

My T470 has on the left side:

1x charging port, 1x Thunderbolt/USB-C, 1x USB-A

And on the right side:

2x USB-A, SD-Card reader HDMI, headphone/microphone jack.

On a 14" laptop.

[t344344]

It is not a laptop, but Asus PN53 has 1kg with 7 USB port, 2x2.5 Gb ethernet, 4x4k@60Hz displays, 64GB RAM and 3xSSD. I use it as a docking station while traveling.

[asymmetric]

For me the main difference (and comparative advantage of ThinkPads) is the extended, on-site warranty options.

For a work laptop, I can't wait for a replacement part to arrive from who knows where, I need a technician next day at my place.

[tbrock]

I want framework to succeed and they are targeting folks who want sleek and customizable computers (which they’ve nailed) but compared to a thinkpad the build quality isn’t great.

[imiric]

To be fair, ThinkPad quality from Lenovo doesn't come close to what it was when IBM was making them. I've had everything from screen backlight bleed, to coil whine, to recently, key caps popping off and switches breaking. This is on top-of-the-line models. At the end of the day, it's just plastic. Nice plastic, but plastic, nonetheless.

After decades of sticking exclusively to ThinkPads, these new Frameworks look very appealing. I'm not expecting Apple-like build quality, but the customization and repairability is unparalleled in the market. I'm willing to give up the TrackPoint and nice keyboard for that (pretty much the only reasons I stuck with ThinkPads for so long), and I'm almost certain there will be a TrackPoint module somewhere down the line.

[buildfocus]

Disagree. I switched to Framework from a Thinkpad X1, I've actually been very impressed by the quality - feels super sturdy, keyboard is a significant improvement, it's great.

[rvense]

I wish there was a single module with two USB-A ports, but I don't think they're wide enough.

[bleep_bloop]

That would be an extremely niche use case. Can't imagine any scenario needing more than 2-3 x USB A ports outdoors. In any case it would make much more sense to use a dock.