Changed the title. As for why it was so hard for me, I didn’t have another computer on the web to download the executable files needed. Perhaps you should find a way to include those in a cheap usb stick or something. That was the other sticking point.
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@Nicholas_C_DeBord Well, these guys charge you a bare minimum of the price. They are not adding another 50-200% just for a brand name on this device( like Apple, MS, Razer, Samsung, etc). Also, unfortunately, in the modern world all the software moves towards cloud-distributables. On one hand it means you will always get the latest version of the software( in your case – the latest version of drivers). On another – yes, you need another device to dowload it. Just an advice, if there are no computers available – you can connect flash drive to your phone/tablet and download via mobile devices. Also, you can use usb tethering – connect your phone to your laptop and turn on “usb tethering” on your phone – phone will provide the Internet to your computer via USB cable! So you can download all the drivers.
P.S. What is a real shame is Samsung that is so greedy to put power charger and headset to my Z Fold3!!! The device that has the price of $2500+ CAD!!! This is insane!!! My shiny Note8 had everything included for $750, but Samsung is the same greedy company as Apple nowadays!!! 
Mixed feelings on Samsung and Apple not including chargers in the newest devices. Apple pulled a sneaky and changed the charger end of the cable without necessarily having supplied a new charger with a USB-C port. The Z Fold 3 comes with a double ended USB-C cable also, but Samsung at least has had USB-C port chargers available for a couple of years. So for Apple, you likely had to buy a charger, but for Samsung, there was a chance that you didn’t.
I am all for reducing waste and redundant chargers. With USB-C PD maybe it will finally come to pass.
@Edward_Gray
This is not the way how it works. You either give your old phone to your relative, e.g. sister, mother, your kids( if the phone is 1-4 years old), either donate it to the community center( if it’s old like a dinasaur’s fossils), either use trade-in program. In all these cases you provide charger as well. So you literally have no charger left with you.
The second reason is the Note line and Z Fold – are the flagship phones. People that buy it – buy this phones in order to use for many years. It’s not the same as with Instagram or TikTok *****s that change gadgets every month. We are serious people and we explicitly buy the Note line and Z Fold for a set of special unique features they provide. It’s our tool for many years. I had Note 3 → Note 8 ->Z Fold 3 migration. As you can see I change devices only when they become really outdated from the functional perspective. BTW, this is the way how to contribute to sustainability and waste reduction. Instead of updating every month or every year.
But here is the issue – obviously, even charger from my Note 8 is outdated – it takes almost 3 hours to charge the Z Fold battery with a stock Note 8 charger! Whilst the new chargers can charge it in ~1h 45m for regular charger and ~1h for 45w charger.
And the last but not the least. There should be no chargers for the cheap phone products. People that buy these phones will even appreciate the price decrease for another 15-40 dollars for their cheap phones. But if you pay for a flagship model – the charger and headset availability is a must! $2500 for a bare phone with cable – really??? Samsung just mimics Apple’s behaviour. If people ate Apple’s price increase and no charger provided – that means people will allow Samsung to do the same. Silent lambs, unfortunately… 
I did write that I had mixed feelings.
And yes, all those points are valid as well.
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Always been willing to try new things, fairly up on stuff for a 75 year old and as I was saying before, we used teletype rolls and punch cards back in the day and my first laptop had a 720 3 1/2" floppy. (Datavue Spark if memory serves). As for the cloud being the ideal distribution method and with nonprofits I know of settling for Office 360, well you get what you settle for I guess. We cried foul when IBM didn’t want anyone to have a personal computer. The inference was clear then and more so now. Only recently retired my flip phone.
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Maybe a “cheap USB stick” that facilitated a fully offline setup could be one of the configuration options when placing your preorder. Then you wouldn’t have the waste of sending it to folks that don’t need it and could still enable the convenience for those people that do.
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Jennifer,
Thanks a very nice idea for a firm that prides themselves on DIY.
Nick
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Just to repeat, am new to smartphones, not windows or dos… did not download using a phone, didn’t have internet until I borrowed a laptop from a neighbor and then was able to get the multi-megabyte executable with FrameWork drivers. Should have, could have, didn’t do it different, but all’s well now. Thanks.
Nick
@Nicholas_C_DeBord
Don’t worry. As you can see the company and community here are very supportive and friendly regardless of your background and technical skills. Let this setup issue be the only issue you have experienced with this laptop. Enjoy your new tool!
Don’t get me wrong. I worked for ZD and CMP media, wrote for Dr. Dobb’s Journal. I was considered the dumbest guy in the various books at CMP to which I always replied: “I can write, you can’t,” when the techies in the room said how in the hell could you write about xyz, we know you don’t know crap about it!
Many moons ago I was SYSOP at CompuServe when {COMMO} was the DOS email program of that time. I write and cook food and those two things are all I really know how to do. These days its non-profits where I help design grants for youth in South Brooklyn. But, to your point, I am not as up on latest tech as I should, all things considered. Budget constraints in recent years have kept me from the latest and greatest. After those first hiccups, which were giving me hives, I got it all running the way I want thanks to all of youse guys here who showed me the way.
Excellent laptop, better even than old ThinkPads (before China).
Much thanks,
Nick
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