No one wants all the different ports though, they usually just want the correct ports. If you're plugging more than 4 things into your laptop at once you should be using a dock.
If Framework opens this up for other companies to make modules, you might also see something like a USB port module with an integrated Logitech wireless mouse receiver. So then your mouse isn't even taking up a port.
I know Bluetooth is a thing but you get the point. All of those tiny devices that people keep plugged into their laptop ports 24/7? This is a much better form factor for them, and you don't necessarily need to sacrifice a port for them either.
I don't want all the different ports at once, but I definitely use more than 4 in total. My current laptop the following (and I'd love to have more):
- 2 USB-C (1 of which is used for charging, I'll probably have reason to use the other at some point with increasing USB-C adoption)
- 2 USB-A (1 for a wireless mouse, 1 frequently used for flash drives and whatnot)
- SD (used occasionally - cameras and with an adapter for micro SD in phones)
- RJ-45 (used occasionally, probably more often soon)
- HDMI (used somewhat regularly)
- Headphone jack (also built into the Framework)
So with the Framework I'd be missing out on 3 ports. I could survive with that, but it'd be pretty sub-optimal. Thankfully I shouldn't be in the market for a new laptop for 5+ years, so hopefully Framework will have more options by then.
If you don't want all the ports at once, then it sounds like modular ports is perfect? You can just attach whichever combination you need on any given day / moment. Or am I missing something?
Fair enough, that wasn't really something I was thinking of. Of course, at that point you're really just changing from having to carry around a bag of dongles to a bag of ports. Not having to remember to have to put in/bring my HDMI port to a presentation is a little bit convenient.
