Actually I strongly hate the laptops that can be powered only via USB-C, blocking thus a very useful I/O port, unless you also carry with you a docking station.

Powering via USB-C would be OK only on laptops with at least 4 or 5 USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, but such laptops are non-existent.

Laptops with only 2 USB-C ports, where 1 is blocked by the charger, are useless for me. When I have access to a power plug, I usually also want to use an external SSD and an external DisplayPort monitor, which need 2 USB-C ports.

> > Can the Framework laptop be powered via USB-C or are they still using power jacks like in the 20th century?

> Powering via USB-C would be OK only on laptops with at least 4 or 5 USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, but such laptops are non-existent.

Isn't the Framework an example of a laptop with 4 USB-C/Thunderbolt ports? (IIRC, there's also some Apple laptop model with 2 USB-C/Thunderbolt ports on each side, for a total of 4, said model being infamous for having performance problems whenever a charger is plugged on the "wrong" side.)

It's a tradeoff for reduced laptop size (portability). If you're at home and need to connect to many things, you usually have a dock or expansion dongle. On the road, you often only need 2 ports - one for charging and one for whatever momentary things you need to plug in briefly.

My Macbook Air M1 with only two USB-C ports has been just fine. I have a small but effective Anker "hub" which adds SD, HDMI, USB, and USB-C. Usually I don't need it, so it stays in my primary bag while my nice and portable laptop goes everywhere.

> On the road, you often only need 2 ports - one for charging and one for whatever momentary things you need to plug in briefly.

perhaps that's all you often need, it's a little presumptuous to say so about others

With the hub, you have many more ports - when you need them.

My little Anker has two USB-A, two USB-C (one may be thunderbolt I think), HDMI, and SD card slot.

You're not going to find a laptop with more than those ports. So I stand by my comment that 2 ports (and the optional little hub in your bag) are all you need.

If you somehow need more, then you probably aren't traveling with all that gear... or at least not using it while in transit.

that doesn't work if you don't have the hub, meaning you need two ports plus also to buy this hub and carry the hub around with you everywhere you go with your laptop, and add in the hassle of dealing with it

that is significantly less convenient and more expensive than a computer that has the same functionality without needing the extra hardware or a bag to carry around "accessories" that bring the laptop up to snuff

I'm curious; what external devices are you always needing connected to your laptop? What is this "extra hardware" and "accessories" that you need (and which you seem to think most people also need)?

In my case, the port expander is smaller than a phone, and I rarely need it. My laptop has 2TB of drive space, so I don't need external storage except occasionally at home to do a physical backup. But my important data is frequently syncing to the cloud, so I don't need to travel with a backup drive.

So more than 99% of the time, all I need is the laptop (and usually internet, which I have via wifi or mobile phone hotspot.

And with one 65W Anker power adapter, I have 2 USB and 1 USB-C power so I can charge my laptop, phone, and a third small device if necessary.

The MB Air is very thin, pretty light, and very rigid. That makes traveling so much more pleasant compared to the bulky heavy XPS 15 I previously had. Yes, I only have 13" display now instead of 15", but the difference in screen real estate isn't very significant.

the "extra hardware" or "accessories" there refers to the USB hub that I'm required to carry around in order for the laptop to have the ports necessary for my ordinary usage

the specific use cases aren't as important given that they exist and are unsatisfied by 1 standard USB port (though my latest MBP has zero, lol)

My XPS from 1.5 years ago has 4 USB-C ports.

Unfortunately the only example of a laptop I was aware of with 4x Thunderbolt ports was the much maligned 2016-2019 MacBook Pro series. the new models have 3 - and a dedicated charger port in the new iteration of MagSafe, but can also still charge off the Thunderbolt ports.

I love it. I plug it into my 5k screen, and it stays charged. When I’m not at my desk, I’m not generally using my ports.