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points by wpm 1 day ago | 0 comments

Assuming you are talking about the 4-port version of the 2019 Intel Pro model, the 2019 had more I/O than the next gen 14-inch, specifically because the 4th port on the 14-inch got turned into a dumb HDMI port that can only do HDMI out, not HDMI/DP/USB/Thunderbolt like an actual Thunderbolt port can. It is absolutely a reduction in total I/O capabilities, changes in abilities from Thunderbolt 3 to 4 notwithstanding.

I would rather have 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports than 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports, an SD card slot I won't use, and 1 HDMI port that can only be used for HDMI instead of whatever the hell I need it to be another Thunderbolt port can be.

[–] Grombobulous 1 day ago

I would rather have a Framework 13 Pro where I could choose 4 ports of my choosing and swap them out at will. (That’s my current machine, sold my M2 MacBook Pro for it).

I would rather have a ThinkPad X9 15p Aura Edition, which has 3x thunderbolt, SD Card, HDMI, and USB-A, all at the same time with no dongle.

[–] AprilArcus 1 day ago

I love the Framework laptops in every other respect, but I just don't get the "swappable port" concept. Those are still dongles; they're just special dongles that can only be used on one brand of machine and which require allocating internal space away from battery, on a machine whose power-hungry OSes can't spare a single watt-hour.

[–] Grombobulous 1 day ago

I don't know what's so hard to understand about it. They're dongles that don't stick out when you use them. That eliminates a lot of the annoyance with dongles.

They also let you customize what ports you want in your laptop. You don't have to customize them. You don't have to pull them out. It's still an advantage.

You can also replace your ports easily if they get physical damage.

They can also be used on any brand of machine or even a smartphone. They're just Thunderbolt/USB-C.

They don't take space away from the battery, the battery on the Framework 13 Pro is almost the exact same size as the one in the MacBook Pro 14, and as of the M5 model the Framework 13 Pro gets better battery life than that Mac.

[–] tencentshill 18 hours ago

They're just USB-C adapters. You can use them on any other laptop.

[–] vallerie 1 day ago

Perhaps but I never once used all four thunderbolt ports at once on that gen of macbook.

I hazard a guess most users are the same and would prefer having a HDMI / SD card for those moments where you just forgot a dongle while travelling (or, as always happens to me - dongle breaking at the worst moment) and I think the modern MacBook IO is significantly better for it

[–] wpm 19 hours ago

I have two MacBook Pros on my desk that have all three Thunderbolt ports occupied basically all the time.

I could also assert my experience is universal too but I won't, as it would be dishonest to just make up statistics.

[–] RulerOf 1 day ago

> the 4th port on the 14-inch got turned into a dumb HDMI port that can only do HDMI out

I would have paid extra to turn it into a USB A port instead.

[–] rjrjrjrj 1 day ago

Welcome to dongleville, population: you.

[–] wpm 1 day ago

Exactly. I'm not happy about being in Dongleville. It sucks shit here. I have boxes of dongles. They get tangled on my desk with is stupid messy with dongles. Stupid things. But I am here. And everyone else seems really happy about Dongleville and I can't change the fact that I need dongles, so we might as well just embrace it.

Because the Dongle-heads do have one thing right, one port that can be turned into lots of other kinds of ports with a dongle is more versatile than a port that can only be a video out, especially when the device doesn't have a ton of room for lots of ports.

[–] rjrjrjrj 1 day ago

Theoretically more versatile, but high-quality SDXC and HDMI built-in is much more practical than a 4th(!) Thunderbolt 5 port.

Also MagSafe, which the 2019 didn’t have.

[–] wpm 19 hours ago

How is an HDMI port more practical than a port that can be an HDMI port or a DisplayPort or a USB port or an SD card reader or an SDExpress reader or a dock or a port expander or whatever else?

[–] rjrjrjrj 17 hours ago

HDMI+SDXC+magsafe built-in is more practical than a fourth generic port and fishing around in your laptop bag for dongles.

[–] wpm 6 hours ago

Except you probably have dongles in your bag anyways. USB-C breakouts. C to A adapters. I am already in Dongleville. A slight repreive in the rare case I need an SD card is a glass of water in hell, plus, I already have multiple USB-C to SD card readers anyways.