The new and upgraded Framework Laptop(community.frame.work)
community.frame.work
The new and upgraded Framework Laptop
https://community.frame.work/t/introducing-the-new-and-upgraded-framework-laptop/18646
738 comments
I recently received my first framework laptop after being a loyal Thinkpad user for years. I am loving it so far. I run Ubuntu 22.04 daily and have not had any issues with battery life or the lid (but I do typically leave it plugged in during lunch and overnight). The expansion cards are brilliant and the keyboard is comparable to my old t-series. The aspect ratio is great for coding and I'm happy to see upgradeability is being taken seriously as promised. If I can get 5-10 years out of it like my old ThinkPads (all while upgrading piecewise along the way) I will be a fan for life.
I'm happy to answer any questions around this! We've been working on this since update since we launched the product last year, so we're excited to be able to share it today.
Still no retina display option. Steve Jobs made the right call over a decade ago... the only scaling that looks good after 100% is 200%. Any in-between scaling will have display artifacts.
This laptop has 150% scaling. What sort of display artifacts can you expect because of this? Go to a web page with a grid, with 1-pixel horizontal grid lines. Even though all lines are set to 1-pixel, some lines will appear thicker than others.
I blame Microsoft for this mess. Windows supports in-between resolutions (with display artifacts), and hardware manufacturers therefore manufacture in-between resolutions. Framework laptop is limited to what the display manufacturers put out.
This laptop has 150% scaling. What sort of display artifacts can you expect because of this? Go to a web page with a grid, with 1-pixel horizontal grid lines. Even though all lines are set to 1-pixel, some lines will appear thicker than others.
I blame Microsoft for this mess. Windows supports in-between resolutions (with display artifacts), and hardware manufacturers therefore manufacture in-between resolutions. Framework laptop is limited to what the display manufacturers put out.
Could you elaborate on why realtek was chosen for the ethernet expansion card? It does tend to have a pretty bad rep, with one of the recent documentations being https://overengineer.dev/blog/2021/04/25/usb-c-hub-madness.h...
Alder Lake is still not fully supported by Linux (improvements are coming with v5.18¹, which is not stable yet, and it will take a while to be released into several linux distros (at least the Ubuntu based)).
It's a shame, because it would have been a great moment to offer an AMD alternative.
¹=https://www.tomshardware.com/uk/news/intel-thread-director-c...
It's a shame, because it would have been a great moment to offer an AMD alternative.
¹=https://www.tomshardware.com/uk/news/intel-thread-director-c...
I would buy a 15/16” version of this in a heartbeat :) I really hope another chassis with a larger screen is in the cards for framework!
I'm waiting on alternate screen options. The 3K2K OLED screen on the HP Specter X360[1] would be a great highend option for me.
Framework is suggesting many customisable options but the wifi antenna is behind the screen so it's not a seamless transition. I would be interested in a screenless framework (with keyboard or just the guts) if they simplify wifi.
So a WiFi module or Cellular module would be a definite buy
[1] https://www.theverge.com/22264792/hp-spectre-x360-14-laptop-...
Framework is suggesting many customisable options but the wifi antenna is behind the screen so it's not a seamless transition. I would be interested in a screenless framework (with keyboard or just the guts) if they simplify wifi.
So a WiFi module or Cellular module would be a definite buy
[1] https://www.theverge.com/22264792/hp-spectre-x360-14-laptop-...
I'd really wish for an AMD motherboard.
The new AMD chips with the RDNA2 is a Linux user's dream. The open source support is incredible.
The new AMD chips with the RDNA2 is a Linux user's dream. The open source support is incredible.
Does anyone know if the Framework team plan to offer an ARM based mainboard?
I'm honestly not even sure that there are any good ARM based SoCs to make a laptop mainboard from, but given what we've seen from Apple's development of their iPhone chips being integrated into laptop and desktop, I wonder if something similar could be done with other existing ARM CPUs from Samsung or Nvidia?
I'm honestly not even sure that there are any good ARM based SoCs to make a laptop mainboard from, but given what we've seen from Apple's development of their iPhone chips being integrated into laptop and desktop, I wonder if something similar could be done with other existing ARM CPUs from Samsung or Nvidia?
Please, please, please make s keyboard option that has full size arrow keys, dedicated pgup, pgdown, del, ins, home, end. The current laptop keyboards, apart from thinkpads, are a joke for those who want to work on them, the framework, sadly, is included.
I'd also love a trackpoint with 3 dedicated buttons but I'll keep dreaming.
I'd also love a trackpoint with 3 dedicated buttons but I'll keep dreaming.
I'm now waiting for over a year for this laptop to be available in my country.
Would still really like to order one, but my patience is running out, don't have a laptop currently.
EDIT: I sound very pissed off. I know that it's hard to ship to lots of countries, it's just frustrating for me to not even have an estimation. Will I be able to buy it in 3 or 6 months? Or does it take another year? no idea.
Would still really like to order one, but my patience is running out, don't have a laptop currently.
EDIT: I sound very pissed off. I know that it's hard to ship to lots of countries, it's just frustrating for me to not even have an estimation. Will I be able to buy it in 3 or 6 months? Or does it take another year? no idea.
This is exciting! I’m very seriously looking at upgrading my mainboard and repurposing the 11th Gen I’ve got now into a DIY project!
I’ve been VERY happy with my Framework and am glad to see this update.
I’ve been VERY happy with my Framework and am glad to see this update.
> We’ve redesigned our lid assembly for significantly improved rigidity
They should make this part available to existing users as a warranty replacement. It sounds like they've addressed a common complaint on their support forums.
The lid that flops over because of the hinge's weakness, and the absurd excuses made by company personnel (they claim it was designed this way "to accommodate opening the laptop with one hand," as if the people who open a laptop with one hand do not need the lid to stay upright) has been a great disappointment for me with this laptop. It is a design defect, not a feature, for the hinge to be this weak.
edit: apparently they're talking about this, so I guess we're stuck with the weak hinge:
https://frame.work/products/top-cover-cnc
They should make this part available to existing users as a warranty replacement. It sounds like they've addressed a common complaint on their support forums.
The lid that flops over because of the hinge's weakness, and the absurd excuses made by company personnel (they claim it was designed this way "to accommodate opening the laptop with one hand," as if the people who open a laptop with one hand do not need the lid to stay upright) has been a great disappointment for me with this laptop. It is a design defect, not a feature, for the hinge to be this weak.
edit: apparently they're talking about this, so I guess we're stuck with the weak hinge:
https://frame.work/products/top-cover-cnc
Nice. I noticed the 'Pre-order now' button for the 12th gen DIY edition goes to the configuration page for the normal edition.
I was confused that all options had Windows installed...
You can still get to the DIY configure page through Product Story -> Pre-Order Now.
I was confused that all options had Windows installed...
You can still get to the DIY configure page through Product Story -> Pre-Order Now.
Any photos of how the ethernet expansion card will look like while plugged in? Looks like it's bigger than the expansion slot.
I intend to keep it there permanently, which brings questions about durability, especially when carrying the laptop around.
I intend to keep it there permanently, which brings questions about durability, especially when carrying the laptop around.
The Ethernet Expansion Card seems to be using USB type C connector. Can it works on non Framework computers?
Also, anyone has recommendation for great affordable router with 2.5 gigabit ethernet ports for home lab setup? I've been searching for one but it seems only gaming routers include these ports. I prefer something more enterprisy (lots of options to tinker with like mikrotik or pfsense), but those usually don't come with 2.5 gigabit ethernet ports, instead they (the affordable ones) have plenty of 1 gigabit ethernet ports and a single sfp+ port. Or should I bite the bullet and go full sfp+ for home lab setup?
Also, anyone has recommendation for great affordable router with 2.5 gigabit ethernet ports for home lab setup? I've been searching for one but it seems only gaming routers include these ports. I prefer something more enterprisy (lots of options to tinker with like mikrotik or pfsense), but those usually don't come with 2.5 gigabit ethernet ports, instead they (the affordable ones) have plenty of 1 gigabit ethernet ports and a single sfp+ port. Or should I bite the bullet and go full sfp+ for home lab setup?
There are "battery life improvement" will those be available to 1st gen Frameworks motherboard or is it hardware related ?
And do anyone know if the bug in the HDMI card preventing it to go to sleep is still a thing / need a firmware update / is hopeless ?
And do anyone know if the bug in the HDMI card preventing it to go to sleep is still a thing / need a firmware update / is hopeless ?
Ohhhhh that's why there was a spate of projects posted last week about building computers based on framework mainboards - submarine marketing for this framework upgrade launch. Figured it was framework behind it somehow, but the fact that it's to promote the 'here are some ways to use your old mainboard once you upgrade' angle makes a ton of sense.
I’m excited about Framework Laptops but am holding out for them to release and AMD-based model. I have no interest in supporting Intel.
Used it for half a year. All works awesome, but I don't know how to update firmwares on my Linux Mint/Ubuntu. There are some guidelines on website, but they don't seem official, and say something like "you may need to fix your bootloader after" which sounds scary that I'll break my perfectly working system.
The ethernet expansion card looks good.
I like the marketplace idea and hope they can offer a ThinkPad keyboard with a touchstick/trackpoint.
See https://community.frame.work/t/any-chance-of-trackpoint/1026... if this is you too.
See https://community.frame.work/t/any-chance-of-trackpoint/1026... if this is you too.
Sad to see still no 15/16 inch variant, amd edition, or choice of black shell.
That being said I'm glad to see they are following through on the things they promise like upgradable cores. In theory I take it this means if you currently have a framework laptop you can just buy the compute core and upgrade.
That being said I'm glad to see they are following through on the things they promise like upgradable cores. In theory I take it this means if you currently have a framework laptop you can just buy the compute core and upgrade.
I'm still waiting for more keyboards option on a DIY kit in North America. Seems like a waste for a modular laptop that you can't order one with no keyboard. You have to buy a separate keyboard in the marketplace and throw away the english one.
Will board schematics be available for repairs? Something Louis has been asking for.
Exciting stuff! Great job, y'all. Any chance RISC-V architectures will be on a Framework Laptop one day?
How do these intel chips standup against the current M1 lineup?
I'd love to swap away from Apple to Framework but I gotta say, the current Pro M1 is pretty remarkable.
Is intel in the same ballpark with the 12th gen?
I'd love to swap away from Apple to Framework but I gotta say, the current Pro M1 is pretty remarkable.
Is intel in the same ballpark with the 12th gen?
Framework team, I know you hang out here... I'd love a touchscreen+stylus digitizer model with 360° hinge. My Lenovo yoga need a replacement!
Any plans on adding a touchscreen option in the future ?
I almost bought one earlier this year but really wanted a convertible. So I bought the new X13 yoga gen2 instead, which I am quite happy with for now (works well with Ubuntu). I use it rarely in tablet mode though and could probably live without this feature but I absolutely love having a touchscreen on my notebook.
I've got to say, as long as these things are being produced I'll never go back. They are just too good and I cannot recommend them highly enough. One of the things that didn't occur to me before I bought it was that _because_ of the modular design I can switch the side the power port is on. That may not seem like much but it was a revelation the first time I sat on the couch and thought "huh I really wish this was over on that side....wait a minute!".
I've also had absolutely no problems with NixOS on my machine, even my apple earbuds easily connect via bluetooth, something that I never quite got working on my macbook.
10/10 This is damn close to my dream laptop and I'm excited a new version is on the way.