I can't remember the last time I so badly wanted a company to succeed AND also believed it was possible for them to thrive.
I think the landscape is right: awareness of reparability is probably at the highest its ever been, along with access to information and tools. The chip shortage and general lack of breakthrough gains in processing aside from Zen has stalled the upgrade cycles a bit, giving Framework time to dig its heel into the ground without being having to deal with new internal components. And the chip shortage also might produce a sense of "whatever I buy needs to last", which is a perfect match for Framework's platform.
I agree that this is the time to shout loud about the need for reparability, But an average consumer doesn't even know that manufacturers from automobile industry to consumer electronics are silently switching their internals due to the chip shortage[1].
Yet still the automobile industry is way better in terms of reparability, 1950s Mercedez Benz, Porsche can still get official parts and yes they're luxury products but tech media calls the consumer electronics brand which sells >$1000 phone as luxury brand too; May be it's just for aspiration porn but if I drop a minute old $1000 phone and it goes to garbage because it cannot be repaired its not luxury it's garbage.
I hope this company grows and never forgets its openness. I'd love to see them absorb an open source phone, like Pine Phone, and create a cohesive open platform and device ecosystem.
Imagine if they grew big enough to buy out Remarkable. Note taking, ebooks, ... I'd love to have all my hardware and productivity tools from an open company and have them all be hackable, extensible, repairable, and interoperable.
Maybe they could even scoop up Mozilla and give everything a singular purpose. Computing as a liberating force yet again.
I believe they recently got more funding to expand operations because Linus from LTT said he was personally investing in them. That makes me feel a little bit better about waiting for a 14" form factor and/or an AMD chip
You know what I would love to see? The mechanical keyboard community get a hold of this.
Actually, what would be kinda cool and a bit more "practical" (in a since, at least) would be an option without any keyboard at all (plain aluminum or like plexiglass or acrylic or something) so I can use my own keyboard. I know from experience my Planck or Atreus fit on top of a normal laptop keyboard footprint, but I always feel so weird putting a mechanical keyboard on top of a laptop keyboard, damaging something or another.
Actually, I'm off to go through that into the community forum
I think it will likely take significant modification to fit a mech keeb in the laptop as is. [I asked about the stock keyboard dimensions and was told the module is 3.8mm thick](https://community.frame.work/t/the-keyboard/155/5) which doesn't leave enough room for low profile mechanical keyboard switches that are all ~8mm thick without accounting for caps.
That said, I'm right there with you hoping to see some cool mech keeb work around these laptops!
There isn’t the thickness necessary for mechanical switches. What I’d love is to see some ergonomic layouts, kind of like Corne or Kyria (staggered columns and thumb cluster).
The battery of my top of the line 2018 Surface Book 2 is failing and it would cost me $599 before tax to replace it. Instead, I'm going to put that money towards a new Framework laptop. I'm super excited to finally own a fully servicable laptop, really rooting for Frame.work to succeed.
Looking to get off Apples ecosystem after their last couple years of privacy debacles etc.
I'm also facing a 350eur battery replacement as my mbp trends below 70% life and Apple requires me to replace about half of the laptop to get a new battery.
This is the answer that I've been waiting for.
My MBP is 15" and I prefer the bigger size / spec but this laptop is only 13" and would normally be a dealbreaker for me however, I'm going to put that to one side and jump in as soon as I have the capital. I want to be part of something that I see as good and a move in the right direction for repairability, openness and choice.
I see a lot of people holding off because it needs X or they want an AMD cpu, I just want to say support this team now, they're doing great stuff and we as a community need to back them.
I replaced my mbp battery recently, it wasn't too bad. Apple also quoted me needing to replace logic board, etc. due to some water damage indicators tripped. Just go slow and it's only ~<$200 for battery.
Not to hold you back from getting a new framework, I replaced my battery but am still looking at one of these too!
I went from a 15" MBP to 13" M1 MBP. Had concerns about the screen size, but it's not been an issue. The performance upgrade has been significant, even though I went from 16GB RAM to 8GB. Main gripe is the limitation of one external display, so I'm hoping the larger MBPs about to be announced fix that. Anyway, don't let the smaller display put you off.
The amount of keyboard languages supported it fantastic. I was certain I wouldn't see "Canadian French" included but that definitely tipped the scales for me.
This is exciting! I do wonder how Framework will handle some of the logistical challenges associated with running a hardware company, namely distribution. I’ve been waiting on my Framework DIY Edition for several weeks now - it was estimated to arrive a couple of weeks ago but seems to be stuck in the purgatory that is Portland / Troutdale FedEx. Of course everything is kinda upside down in the world at the moment and Framework is barely a year old at this point, so I can’t really fault them here. That said, I really hope Framework is able to successfully scale in this regard. Like it would suck to order a replacement part you need only to have to wait a month or longer for it to arrive in the mail.
Mine was delayed by FedEx for a week before being delivered. I chalked this up to what appears to be an at least nationwide FedEx slowdown rather than anything specific to do with Framework.
Of course waiting for my batch of the laptop took quite some time, and I'd be thrilled to see them scale that up.
I really hope they add a keyboard with better arrow key/home/end/pgup/pgdn keys at some point. This is literally one of the most important factors for me in a laptop because I hate the way most laptops do them.
If they release CAD files for the laptop enclosure and pinouts for the keyboard ribbon cable, one could theoretically 3D print or CNC an alternate top cover that can accommodate a keyboard with the desired layout, such as those of old ThinkPads and Latitudes/Precisions.
What laptops have that without having a number pad as well? I know my macbook doesn’t have a better hone/end/pgup/pgdn. I personally hate laptops with number pads because the keyboard is then off center, so I just accept this sacrifice on laptops.
I do really wish they had macbook-like arrow keys, which are very effective for touch typing since the half-size makes them easy to feel.
Absolutely agree. Paging keys are essential. This laptop is huge, but keyboard is crippled. And small lapotps with good heyboards ARE TOTALLY POSSIBLE. Obvious ThinkPads aside, look up ASUS U6Sg, which was an IDEAL laptop in every aspect except power consumption (thanks, Intel!).
Simply out of curiosity, why do you have this sentiment? I've seen it given a lot as the reason why people don't want to buy one yet, but the performance differences are slim compared the current Tiger Lake option; perhaps 10-20% on certain quad core workloads, more if optimized for octa, but worse on single and dual. Additionally, by the time the Ryzen CPU comes along, likely the Alder Lake processor will be released at which point Intel will have the edge performance wise (hybrid cores, DDR5, Xe graphics architecture etc.) Is it brand loyalty or another reason?
I didn't buy one because I am not sure how well the module system works with regards to converting USB-C to HDMI/DP/etc.
In all of my past experience, converting USB to graphics resulted in one problem or another. It's too much complexity for my taste. Am I wrong about how this laptop works though?
USB-C port can have DisplayPort AltMode support: transferring DP data through an appropriate USB-C cable. I believe the similar holds for HDMI (up to 1.4b).
Considering other commenters are saying how the port is likely TB4 without certification, those should be natively supported too.
I think I have a somewhat relevant comment: as you might suspect for an Intel mainboard whose USB-C ports support such a wide variety of adapters, the USB-C ports on the framework laptop and those adapters are Thunderbolt 3-compatible, they just aren't certified yet.
About a month back I decided it's long past due for me to try a tiling window manager. I've been rocking a DIY edition running Manjaro Sway community edition. There's been a learning curve coming from ChromeOS but I'm ecstatic. It feels like the first time I've had hardware and software tailored towards the priorities I have for a computer.
The only thing I haven't gotten sorted is Bluetooth. I got it working once but it didn't survive a reboot. Others have figured it out, so I'm hopeful that I will too.
Love seeing a reasonably priced replacement battery here in the marketplace. I may buy one now just to throw in the backpack. Swapping it out looks like it'd be a ~3 minute job.
> I've been rocking a DIY edition running Manjaro Sway community edition.
Have you enabled fractional scaling on your DIY? How well do applications work? Firefox, for example, goes haywire and its popup menus start flickering as soon as fractional scaling is enabled.
As for Linux support, it's already there. There are papercuts, like needing a fairly recent kernel and certain packages (for the fingerprint reader), but it works fine, by all accounts.
I'm expecting my DIY edition to ship in the next week or so, and I'll be running Linux on it full-time.
Running Manjaro KDE on mine. Only issue is typical Linux hibernation drains the battery. Otherwise flawless, fingerprint reader even works with KDE once configured.
You'll have to live with fractional scaling if you buy the FrameWork laptop. I know many people will say it works "perfectly" for them even though fractional scaling is discouraged by almost every DE and window manager (including sway), not to mention many applications exhibit weird behavior like weird placement of popup menus or popup menus simply disappearing or flickering.
I'm waiting on V2 of the DIY. I want to really get a sense of how upgradeable the laptop is. I hope I don't see "works on V1 not V2" and "works on V2 not V1" on their parts.
[+] [-] nisegami|4 years ago|reply
I think the landscape is right: awareness of reparability is probably at the highest its ever been, along with access to information and tools. The chip shortage and general lack of breakthrough gains in processing aside from Zen has stalled the upgrade cycles a bit, giving Framework time to dig its heel into the ground without being having to deal with new internal components. And the chip shortage also might produce a sense of "whatever I buy needs to last", which is a perfect match for Framework's platform.
[+] [-] Abishek_Muthian|4 years ago|reply
I agree that this is the time to shout loud about the need for reparability, But an average consumer doesn't even know that manufacturers from automobile industry to consumer electronics are silently switching their internals due to the chip shortage[1].
Yet still the automobile industry is way better in terms of reparability, 1950s Mercedez Benz, Porsche can still get official parts and yes they're luxury products but tech media calls the consumer electronics brand which sells >$1000 phone as luxury brand too; May be it's just for aspiration porn but if I drop a minute old $1000 phone and it goes to garbage because it cannot be repaired its not luxury it's garbage.
[1] https://needgap.com/problems/234-what-has-been-removed-due-t... (Disclaimer: I run this).
[+] [-] echelon|4 years ago|reply
Imagine if they grew big enough to buy out Remarkable. Note taking, ebooks, ... I'd love to have all my hardware and productivity tools from an open company and have them all be hackable, extensible, repairable, and interoperable.
Maybe they could even scoop up Mozilla and give everything a singular purpose. Computing as a liberating force yet again.
[+] [-] sylens|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jedimastert|4 years ago|reply
Actually, what would be kinda cool and a bit more "practical" (in a since, at least) would be an option without any keyboard at all (plain aluminum or like plexiglass or acrylic or something) so I can use my own keyboard. I know from experience my Planck or Atreus fit on top of a normal laptop keyboard footprint, but I always feel so weird putting a mechanical keyboard on top of a laptop keyboard, damaging something or another.
Actually, I'm off to go through that into the community forum
[+] [-] keawade|4 years ago|reply
That said, I'm right there with you hoping to see some cool mech keeb work around these laptops!
[+] [-] horsellama|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] benhurmarcel|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] phreeza|4 years ago|reply
https://mntre.com/media/reform_md/2020-05-08-the-much-more-p...
[+] [-] appel|4 years ago|reply
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-much-does-out-...
[+] [-] aunty_helen|4 years ago|reply
This is the answer that I've been waiting for.
My MBP is 15" and I prefer the bigger size / spec but this laptop is only 13" and would normally be a dealbreaker for me however, I'm going to put that to one side and jump in as soon as I have the capital. I want to be part of something that I see as good and a move in the right direction for repairability, openness and choice.
I see a lot of people holding off because it needs X or they want an AMD cpu, I just want to say support this team now, they're doing great stuff and we as a community need to back them.
[+] [-] feteru|4 years ago|reply
Not to hold you back from getting a new framework, I replaced my battery but am still looking at one of these too!
[+] [-] prawn|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] loufe|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] _qbjt|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kvark|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mshroyer|4 years ago|reply
Of course waiting for my batch of the laptop took quite some time, and I'd be thrilled to see them scale that up.
[+] [-] stormbrew|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kitsunesoba|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] alshel|4 years ago|reply
I do really wish they had macbook-like arrow keys, which are very effective for touch typing since the half-size makes them easy to feel.
[+] [-] IYasha|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] DanCarvajal|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] 0des|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Aromasin|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] terrortrain|4 years ago|reply
I would also love a 16 or 18 inch version.
[+] [-] komadori|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] eatbitseveryday|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kiba|4 years ago|reply
Hope they will be available soon.
[+] [-] ahupp|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] heinrichhartman|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Tsiklon|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wayneftw|4 years ago|reply
In all of my past experience, converting USB to graphics resulted in one problem or another. It's too much complexity for my taste. Am I wrong about how this laptop works though?
[+] [-] necovek|4 years ago|reply
Considering other commenters are saying how the port is likely TB4 without certification, those should be natively supported too.
[+] [-] mickotron|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] beefjerkins|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jhanschoo|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] throwawaycuriou|4 years ago|reply
The only thing I haven't gotten sorted is Bluetooth. I got it working once but it didn't survive a reboot. Others have figured it out, so I'm hopeful that I will too.
Love seeing a reasonably priced replacement battery here in the marketplace. I may buy one now just to throw in the backpack. Swapping it out looks like it'd be a ~3 minute job.
[+] [-] ayushnix|4 years ago|reply
Have you enabled fractional scaling on your DIY? How well do applications work? Firefox, for example, goes haywire and its popup menus start flickering as soon as fractional scaling is enabled.
[+] [-] neatze|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] StoneTable|4 years ago|reply
As for Linux support, it's already there. There are papercuts, like needing a fairly recent kernel and certain packages (for the fingerprint reader), but it works fine, by all accounts.
I'm expecting my DIY edition to ship in the next week or so, and I'll be running Linux on it full-time.
[+] [-] yepthatsreality|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ncallaway|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ayushnix|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] flatiron|4 years ago|reply