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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 i
by Leimi 3y ago
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.
- rvense 3y agoI wish there was a single module with two USB-A ports, but I don't think they're wide enough.
- bleep_bloop 3y agoThat 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.
- speed_spread 3y agoNiche? One for the keyboard, one for the mouse. That's a normal computer, if you believe wires are better than Bluetooth.
- justeleblanc 3y agoWe're talking about a laptop. What's the point of a laptop if you're just going to make it into an underpowered desktop? And it's not like mouses and keyboards need a 4Gbps connection to the host. Plug them into a tiny hub. You're already lugging a keyboard and mouse around, why not a hub too?
- vidarh 3y agoMy laptop is "an underpowered desktop" 90% of the time, but it saves me from having a second machine the remaining part of the time. But I agree regarding ports - at home my mouse and keyboard are plugged into a cheap KVM switch, so I still need only one USB port on the laptop; If I needed to lug them with me I'd certainly just bring a hub too.
- rvense 3y agoI don't lug a keyboard and mouse around, but I'm very happy happy to have three ports on my Thinkpad. There are lots of other things to plug in - MIDI controllers, audio interfaces, macropads, microcontroller dev boards and debuggers, cameras and other capture devices. It depends on what you do with your computer.
- tbrock 3y agoI 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.
- buildfocus 3y agoDisagree. 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.
- mhb 3y agoThinkpad X1 == low bar for keyboard and trackpoint
- imiric 3y agoTo 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.
- ChuckNorris89 3y ago>doesn't come close to what it was when IBM was making them Sure, but laptops back then were also massively thicker and heavier so engineers had more freedom and less restrictions from the design/marketing team. Nobody would buy a laptop with that bulk and heft today unless we're talking about these mobile workstation laptops with Xeon CPUs and Quadro GPUs.
- rjh29 3y ago
- bleep_bloop 3y agoAre 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 3y agoMy 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.
- goosedragons 3y ago4 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.
- jamespo 3y agoWired mouse & keyboard? No thanks, or if you do much nicer to have them plugged into a usb c screen.
- cduzz 3y agoIn the distant past I was of the "need more ports" camp, but with the advent of USB C hubs that have power pass through. One thing to plug into the computer. They're cheap enough that I've got one at my "normal" workstation area (with an external keyboard, printer, external monitor, printer, power supply, and wired ethernet) and another in my laptop bag that's got basically the same. I've had lots of experiences of a laptop festooned with nubs getting caught / smashed in such a way (from normal in/out of the bag or being put down hard on an end) that the plastic shells or cables get destroyed and I have to fish bits of usb jack out of the laptop. After a decade (it feels like, anyhow) the USB-C promise seems real. (edited to add power supply to list of things on the "home" usb hub)
- asymmetric 3y agoFor 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.