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The Framework Laptop

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Re: The Framework Laptop

#181

Post by samizdis »

arcturus17 wrote: post #150
samizdis wrote: post #103

Ars Technica has a sceptical but optimistic/hopeful take on it: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/02/framework-startup-de... Edit to add quote from Ars article: Framework is promising an awful lot in its very first product—"thin as an XPS 13, repairable as a custom-built gaming PC" is a pretty tall order to live up to. We very much want to believe, but it's going to take a full Ars Technica teardown before we're c…

They've got the street cred but producing and marketing hardware is so damn hard. Ouya and the Essential phone are two cases that immediately spring to mind where the founding teams were credible, but the products ended up being massive flops. Good luck to them anyway. The idea is cool and I think if I were on the lookout for a Linux laptop and they delivered on their quality promise, I'd consider them.

Yes, I remember being particularly disappointed when Google's Project Ara [1] to create a modular mobile phone was shelved. It seemed like a fantastic idea, and I truly thought that Alphabet/Google had the cash/clout - and will - to deliver.

Still, I haven't lost my optimism just yet. As you say, good luck to Framework with the laptop project.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Ara

Re: The Framework Laptop

#182

Post by e12e »

Eric_WVGG wrote: post #71
sho_hn wrote: post #60

I don't see any information on the licensing of the adapter card / inter-module interfaces. Can others build a Framework laptop without approval? Can others build cards without approval? Will it be a platform? Tell me how this isn't a Nespresso machine for silicon pods. :-) Edit: To be clear, even a "we have a generic base laptop and you can pick your I/O" concept is potentially a nice value prop, but it'd be good if…

They're just USB-C dongles that snap into the chassis.. You can see better shots here: https://frame.work This is an unpopular opinion, but I think this proves that Apple was right to dump legacy ports. This solution is sort of clever but it sacrifices a ton of internal space that could have been spent on a bigger battery. USB-C, and the correct cables, are all anyone needs. (the Nespresso analogy is ridiculous, a la…

I guess someone misses pcmcia modems and network cards. Does seem a bit odd to not just go for plenty of USB c ports.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#183

Post by nrp »

samizdis wrote: post #103

Ars Technica has a sceptical but optimistic/hopeful take on it: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/02/framework-startup-de... Edit to add quote from Ars article: Framework is promising an awful lot in its very first product—"thin as an XPS 13, repairable as a custom-built gaming PC" is a pretty tall order to live up to. We very much want to believe, but it's going to take a full Ars Technica teardown before we're c…

"thin as an XPS 13, repairable as a custom-built gaming PC" was not actually a direct quote from us, but it's nice that the folks at Ars think of our design that way!

Re: The Framework Laptop

#184

Post by owenversteeg »

This looks really cool. I'm especially loving the weight. I really dislike a lot of recent laptops for their fragility and lack of upgrade capacity, so currently I'm using a T440P which comes in around 2.26kg - so if this is 1.3kg that's nearly a kilo of weight savings.

The replaceable battery is great, the weight is great, the design is pretty good, and the keyboard seems fine - 1.5mm of key travel is usable. (The T440P has around 2.2mm, and according to [0] all current Thinkpads are 1.8mm except X1 Carbon/Yoga/L14/L15 at 1.5mm)

My big question, though, is the durability. If you drop this thing a few times, will I have any problems? What about water damage - have you tested anything (intentionally or unintentionally?) Any drain holes? If I was to spill a decent bit of water on the keyboard, would that have a 10%/30%/80% chance of killing it?

[0] https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/jhay05/which_curr...

Re: The Framework Laptop

#185

Post by mymindstorm »

teekert wrote: post #112
likesfwlaptop wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hello, glad you're here but I'd urge you to remember that while a minority at HN is highly knowledgeable and technical, hn is an hive-mind opinionated niche and hope that you'd make decisions that widen your reach among general populace so that your firm survives to make money and eventually more such laptops. (Also, hopefully your laptop will play with linux as well as Lenovo's at some point in future).

Did you find they don't work well with Linux? That'd be a big shame, I think the Foss crowd likes these kind of initiatives.

It seems like it will work just fine:

> For those of you who love to tinker, we’ve also created the Framework Laptop DIY Edition, the only high-end notebook available as a kit of modules that you can customize and assemble yourself, with the ability to choose Windows or install your preferred Linux distribution.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#186

Post by GekkePrutser »

bombcar wrote: post #158
ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are ultra-slim foldable RJ-45 connectors[1], which manufacturers could use if they could be bothered but they don't, because they would rather save the BOM cost of it and advertise the WiFi capabilities instead. Only Fujitsu use them AFAIK. [1] https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/12/8/16750574/p...

I don't see how that DOESN'T get broken on the second use, honestly.

That one yes. But Lenovo has great collabsible Ethernet ports that are very durable and this laptop is more than thick enough to house one.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#187

Post by nrp »

rch wrote: post #180

That looks a lot like my first laptop, the Sharp Actius MM10. I'd get one of these on that basis alone. The Ars article says the body is aluminium, but if I recall correctly, the Actius was a mag alloy of some kind (which I'd prefer). Either way, I'm curious.

The body is 50% post consumer recycled aluminum. We did consider magnesium alloy, but availability of recycled material, infrastructure for recycling, and costs are all prohibitive compared to aluminum.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#188

Post by bxparks »

stephen wrote: post #107

I know trackpads won, but would love a trackpoint. I keep buying Thinkpads solely for that feature.

How do I scroll a page up and down with a trackpoint (on Windows and Linux)? I've tried using a trackpoint, but the two-finger swipe up and down on a trackpad is a convenience that I cannot seem to live without.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#189

Post by ChuckNorris89 »

bombcar wrote: post #158
ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are ultra-slim foldable RJ-45 connectors[1], which manufacturers could use if they could be bothered but they don't, because they would rather save the BOM cost of it and advertise the WiFi capabilities instead. Only Fujitsu use them AFAIK. [1] https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/12/8/16750574/p...

I don't see how that DOESN'T get broken on the second use, honestly.

Because it's meant for ultra-slim devices that will be docked on Thunderbolt 99% of the time and that foldable RJ-45 jack is for the "in case of emergency break glass" scenarios, that 1% of the time when you need to patch into a server physically without wasting time looking for a dongle, not for you to constantly plug/unplug ethernet cables in your laptop.

If your uses case requires you to constantly plug/unplug ethernet cables in your laptop then you need a workstation class laptop with a full sized RJ-45 jack, not a sleek thin and light.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#190

Post by nrp »

belval wrote: post #169

Lot of optimism in the comments, but unless they have their supply chain pinned down I really really doubt that it will ship in any significant quantity in Summer 2021. The truth is that right now most components are insanely hard to get, not just GPUs and they will have to play the bidding game (which will make their laptop significantly more expansive) or delay. For a small volume like theirs, there is a non zero p…

I shared this in another comment: We placed our forecasts and risk buys on most chips early in anticipation of the silicon crunch that is coming this year. So far, we don't see anything that puts us at risk, short of there being massive unexpected upside on consumer demand (a good problem to have!).
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