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Comment by causi | Hacker News Reader

Yes, I'll be excited about version 2. Version 1 just has too many missed opportunities. For example, a single type-c bay could accommodate two type-A ports, or one port and one microsd reader. Wasting a whole one on a reader is dumb when most laptops just have one stuck somewhere. Give me a bay with a pop-out bluetooth mouse in it. Give me a non-chiclet keyboard and a touchpad with real buttons and a dGPU option and a removable battery in standard and extended sizes.

Why buy a laptop with four interchangeable ports when my normal laptop has two USB-A, one USB-C, HDMI, microsd, and a charge port all at the same time? Heck you can't even charge the Framework unless you leave one port as USB-C.

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There's been discussions about dual-port expansion cards on the Framework forums[0], but the problem is finding a chip that will pass through all the things you expect USB-C to handle over both ports. This is actually a larger problem with USB-C, as each altmode is basically a different spec that reuses the same connector, with lots of negotiation and custom electrical requirements involved. So any moderately niche application will either require custom silicon or have absurd limitations.

You could obviously wire up an off-the-shelf USB3 hub controller in such a way as to get two USB3 Type-C ports in an expansion card. (I don't think two type-As would fit.) However, you won't be able to charge the laptop, use external displays, or connect external GPUs through either of the ports... which is kind of the expectation that people have with Type-C ports. If they sold such an expansion card, there would probably be plenty of people angry that they can't just have this one card for charging and dongles, and then fill their other bays with storage drives.

Related example: fiber-optic Type-C cables for long-run use basically only come in two flavors, DP and Thunderbolt. And the source device has to use that one specific altmode; there is no downgrading to USB 3 or 2.

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

I don't know if that is expected. I don't because of the usual shitshow with USB-C.

USB C is a case study in "There's no way that can be according to spec" and being disappointed every single time

but the problem is finding a chip that will pass through all the things you expect USB-C to handle over both ports.

Why bother when no other manufacturer does? Just give me two USB 2.0 ports for peripherals.

FWIW, I have an HDMI and an sd card reader expansion card that I keep in my backpack. I rarely need them buy they are small and super easy/quick to swap out that I just remove a USB port and put those in when I need them. I had a lenovo with all-the-ports and I feel like I have a lot more with the framework since I can put in what I need when I need it. I haven't yet needed an sd card reader while charging while plugged in to HDMI, while using the other port for something else, and not had the ports I need.

But I was (and still am) pretty critical of the headphone dongle that apple and many android phones make you use, so there may be some hypocrisy in what I say.

Why keep a microsd expansion card when a regular microsd card reader would be half the size and plug into the USB port without removing anything?

The biggest problem with headphone dongles for me and my family is that they don’t last. The Apple one has great sound but doesn’t take long to start cutting out (from getting yanked on in a pocket, probably).

I bought an all-metal, tiny USB-C to 3.5mm dongle and it’s started cutting out, too - and it wasn’t cheap, at about $40.

Another point in favour of version 2 is the timing that ended with them releasing with Intel 11th gen rather than Intel 12th gen or Zen 3/4 really is unfortunate. 11th gen Intel is not as much a gain from 8th gen Intel in power usage or performance as either 12th gen or zen3 are from 11th gen

Well common then bunj. Jump on the kicads and fart out a add on board for your dual usb type A's, or any of the other add ons you mentioned. I mean hell why not just go all out and slap usb-c double sided on a single PCB! You should be able to cram at least 4 in the same area!

Point is you can do that w/ framework. Fat luck getting dell or some other behemoth to design a device you can do that with. They have done a stellar job given how many have had hopes and dreams to do similar but haven't even got a product in people's hands.

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