[causi]

Yes. I'm looking forward to the "framework 2". What's the point of having four interchangeable ports when my daily driver laptop already has 3 type-A, two type-C, an SD and microSD reader, and HDMI-out all at the same time?

Give me the cool shit, Framework. Gimme a module that's actually a bluetooth mouse. Gimme a module that's just a horizontal stack of like six USB2 ports. Gimme an ethernet port and a serial port.

[jerlam]

The customization ability of Framework, for my use cases, appears to be overblown. "You don't have to use hubs/dongles", they say. The laptop on my desk has six things plugged into it, two more than the number of customizable ports that Framework offers. And I would much rather plug/unplug one or two USB-C hubs than unplug four separate items on both sides of the laptop.

For someone with a smaller set of peripherals and working mostly mobile, it might be worth it - if they were fine with the non-customizable aspects such as the trackpad and keyboard. But I'm not one of those people.

[smoldesu]

Part of the point is that people can build this stuff themselves. Like, adding 4-6 USB ports onto this thing would be a weekend project if you already own a 3D printer. Bluetooth mouse one can probably be done with an off-the-shelf Alibaba kit, the Ethernet module exists already, and all 4 ports are serial by-default (but you could still add a SCSI port if you insist on being a villain).

Though I agree, for a device that's trying to cater to both Thinkpad and Macbook users alike, they're seemingly allergic to all the stupid things people actually pay big money for on those machines.

[humanistbot]

The expansion slots are too small to fit 2x USB-A ports in a single expansion card (edit: without an extended body, which will not work for me). They could fit 2x USB-C in one, but the fact that nobody has made one in the year this product has been out makes me wary of the promise of an entire DIY ecosystem.

[smoldesu]

They could fit 4 USB-C, or 6 MicroSD, or 12 headphone jacks!

But none of that really matters. The elegance of the original model is that you get 4x Thunderbolt 4-capable ports that can run at full-speed and easily interface with any standard USB device. Sure you could add more ports, but you're just diluting the speed of the interface and adding more steps between your device and the laptop's IO controller.

> the fact that nobody has made one in the year this product has been out makes me wary

Did you look?

https://community.frame.work/t/dual-usb-c-expansion-card-moc...

Same problems exist as-usual when you try multiplexing Thunderbolt connections, Alt-mode and PD gets really funky.

[humanistbot]

> Did you look?

I did look. Did you? That thread is a year of people speculating about if this would even be possible and a few prototype renderings. There is no evidence in that thread that anyone has even created a physical prototype, much less an actual working adapter.

> The elegance of the original model

I don't want elegance. I want sustainability, repairability, linux compatibility, and more than four ports.

Edit: I would have much preferred if they had maybe 1 or 2 TB4 expansion slots, then take those other 40Gbit/sec TB4 pci-e lanes and have a bunch of standard ports that are easily replaceable on the motherboard, which all together wouldn't even come close to saturating a single TB4 lane. Add up 3x USB-A/C 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps each, or 5Gbps for USB 3.2 Gen 1), 2.5Gbps ethernet, 100Mbps SD card, and you're still well under the bandwidth for one of the 4 lanes. Then have the other pci-e lane do HDMI 2.0b.

> you're just diluting the speed of the interface and adding more steps between your device and the laptop's IO controller.

I (and likely most people) don't need 4 TB4 lanes at 40Gbps each. The ethernet expansion card that sticks out of the case is max 2.5Gbps. Where is the rest of that bandwidth going?

[stormbrew]

> I would have much preferred if they had maybe 1 or 2 TB4 expansion slots, then take those other 40Gbit/sec TB4 pci-e lanes and have a bunch of standard ports that are easily replaceable on the motherboard

So... You wanted every other laptop? I'm glad I can have 4 fully capable thunderbolt ports on my laptop (and probably don't want or need half the things you think are "standard"), and unlike what you're asking for here, which is the norm in the industry, that's basically not available on any other laptop.

If you just want a relatively fixable standard laptop that's what ThinkPads are for.

[humanistbot]

> If you just want a relatively fixable standard laptop that's what ThinkPads are for.

Stop misrepresenting my position. I want repairability and more than four ports. Every other manufacturer (including Lenovo) just gives me more than four ports but no repairability. Framework gives me repairability but only four ports.

I'm a Thinkpad fanboy and have owned literally dozens of Thinkpads. I've enjoyed the ability to swap out parts for the same model. But Lenovo has steadily been going down the Mac route of sacrificing repairability for design and thinness. They are even exclusively soldering RAM and wifi for a lot of their current gen top of the line laptops. And when they update the CPUs for a new generation, they also change a lot of things in the case and peripherals, so it is almost impossible to put a 12th gen Intel motherboard in a laptop of the same model with a 11th or 10th gen Intel motherboard. Hats off to framework for following through with their motherboard/CPU upgrade.

It was never easy to replace ports on a Thinkpad motherboard. I tried and failed to replace the barrel power socket of my X220 Thinkpad because I was clumsy with the soldering iron and had to just get another motherboard. I get the benefits that if your port on the outside of the expansion slot breaks due to cable stress, etc., you can easily swap it out. But imagine something like a pogo pin solution, where you have a standard set of ports on one side (2x USB-A, 2x USB-C, HDMI, SD card, ethernet), but if the port connector breaks, you can unseat the connector from the motherboard and replace it without soldering. Then on the other side, you have to TB4 expansion slots with all the benefits that I recognize come from that approach. Best of both worlds! Why not?

[BlackLotus89]

One USB A Port ist 1.3cm the slot ist 3cm wide. Why shouldn't it fit?

[humanistbot]

Two USB-A ports would barely fit next to each other width-wise, but wouldn't provide enough space to actually plug in two USB-A cables/devices at the same time. Most cables have plastic covering the connector that adds 0.2-0.5cm of width. Grab two USB-A cables and place them right next to each other and you'll see a gap.

Edit: plus you need to add 0.1cm for the plastic housing of the adapter itself.

[humanistbot]

Same, I've never understood the love for a laptop with only four ports -- and if you want one of those to be ethernet, it is not flush with the case. The modules could have been slightly bigger to fit 2x USB-A or USB-C, ethernet flush with the case. I hate carrying around and losing adapters.

And the case could have been slightly bigger to allow for novel keyboard designs, including mechanical keys with better travel or a trackpoint. The framework has been out for a year and nobody has released a third party keyboard that is materially different.

[gbasp]

I think the laptop is too thin for an ethernet port but not an expert. I'd like a "Framework Pro" that thickens the laptop in exchange for providing workstation class performance and access to 6+ ports & builtin ethernet...

[jvanderbot]

Know what I love about Framework? You, humble user, can go make an adaptor. It's just USB-C on the inside, and a very simple slot to slide it into. Go put your USB->Serial FTDI chip in a 3d printed case and start making money.

[stormbrew]

Introducing a whole new structure for modules would be a huge self-defeat for their reason for existing. I didn't get a framework laptop with the expectation they'd obsolete it in a couple years.

[colejohnson66]

They could make an adapter that allows the current, smaller modules to fit in these supposed future voids. If done right, this adapter could be completely passive (no circuits).

[causi]

Why would you need a whole new structure? They've already shown they're willing to have extended-body modules such as the ethernet one.

[stormbrew]

I mean if you want a wider thing with multiple ports you can just get a usbc thing that does that and plug it into the usbc module? There's lots of those out there.

The Ethernet one sticks out a little but a multiple usb-a port one would be a lot bigger and put more mechanical stress on the whole thing.