Framework is selling Chromebooks and laptops pre-installed with Windows or BYO operating system. Windows and ChromeOS have a massive installed base.
System76 are still mostly selling rebadged generic laptops with their own custom linux distro (which I have no interest in). They do some good work but they are considerably more niche and don't really add much value to Framework which has the potential to grow much faster.
I have known of System76 and been interested in their products for almost 2 decades and I bought a generic laptop to match one of their models once because I didn't want to ship a rebadged machine from the other side of the planet and deal with the potential RMA/repair problems. I bought a Framework last year because they were happy to ship not just the product to me but any parts I needed to self repair. This ease of repair/ugrade could be just as appealing to a Windows/BSD user or anyone else. Months later Framework announce an AMD and battery upgrade option. This is something System76 can't do while they are slapping a badge on other companies designs.
The System76 collab with HP is a good example of what that company can do very well, bringing Linux customization experience to other manufacturers. Framework don't really need it and I would rather see them innovate on hardware than waste money on developing yet another Linux desktop environment.
I don't know that they're a good merge match. That said, it would be cool if Framework sold units with PopOS supported by System76, and/or System76 selling Framework unit with PopOS on their site. Since it would align with a relative miss.
Framework seems to have a better build quality than the System76 hardware, and they did a similar deal with a dev laptop from HP, that got discontinued. So it wouldn't be completely unheard of. Could also be a boost for development overhead for both considering firmward development.
shirro|2 years ago
System76 are still mostly selling rebadged generic laptops with their own custom linux distro (which I have no interest in). They do some good work but they are considerably more niche and don't really add much value to Framework which has the potential to grow much faster.
I have known of System76 and been interested in their products for almost 2 decades and I bought a generic laptop to match one of their models once because I didn't want to ship a rebadged machine from the other side of the planet and deal with the potential RMA/repair problems. I bought a Framework last year because they were happy to ship not just the product to me but any parts I needed to self repair. This ease of repair/ugrade could be just as appealing to a Windows/BSD user or anyone else. Months later Framework announce an AMD and battery upgrade option. This is something System76 can't do while they are slapping a badge on other companies designs.
The System76 collab with HP is a good example of what that company can do very well, bringing Linux customization experience to other manufacturers. Framework don't really need it and I would rather see them innovate on hardware than waste money on developing yet another Linux desktop environment.
tracker1|2 years ago
Framework seems to have a better build quality than the System76 hardware, and they did a similar deal with a dev laptop from HP, that got discontinued. So it wouldn't be completely unheard of. Could also be a boost for development overhead for both considering firmward development.
cbsmith|2 years ago
MuffinFlavored|2 years ago
by the way, your username makes me think of https://www.broward.org/Parks/Pages/park.aspx?park=5
unshavedyak|2 years ago
rolandog|2 years ago
I'm looking to buy another laptop in the near future, and I'm torn between the offers put forward by those companies.
Openness, Modularity, Privacy... choose two?