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The Framework Laptop

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Re: The Framework Laptop

#781

Post by PascLeRasc »

samstave wrote: post #747
reaperducer wrote: post #494

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$50,000 sounds like a lot of money For a server in the 90's, it sounds pretty cheap to me. Apple's Xserves started at $3,000, and I've read they were considered underpowered. Sun was a premium company for heavy lifting. The company I worked for at the time was into Silicon Graphics, and those machines were five figures a pop just for desktops.

Dud, when I rebuilt Lucas Films into the presidio (I was one of the tech designers on that project) - they had so many SGI systems... they built Keg-arrators out of $150,000 machines in moving. One small note on SGI - the 02 had a "feature' that cost you ~$2500 extra for access to a particular port - can recall if it was USB or Serial or what not, but you had to pay for this port... But this port was just blocked by…

Was it analog video? I worked with a guy who loved SGI systems and still had some back in 2016 and he said they made analog video an option, but it was the same A/V add-on card as analog audio so they just glued plastic caps over the video ports if you didn't opt for it.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#782

Post by Something1234 »

nkrisc wrote: post #474
throwaway894345 wrote: post #372

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've still never seen a PC with a sane touchpad. That's the first issue in a long tail of grievances with the PC laptop ecosystem. EDIT: This isn't a generic "pro-Mac" dig, I want a nice PC laptop because I like dabbling with Linux; however, even the high end trackpads are clunky, even with the pre-installed Windows (never mind the eternal sadness that is Linux trackpad configuration).

For whatever reason, I've never used a laptop that wasn't a MacBook that has had a trackpad anywhere as amazing as what Apple has done. I don't know if the problem is hardware, software, or both, but as a consumer I don't care. I'll never buy a non-Apple laptop until I can find one that has a trackpad as good or better. That's my personal requirement. On a personal laptop I always use the trackpad so I want it to be…

I really don't get what is so special about all of these trackpad debates. Honestly if my trackpad can do a 2 finger scroll I'm happy. Worst trackpad I've used was on my x201, and was only terrible because it was tiny and insensitive.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#783

Post by kettro »

nrp wrote: post #67
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…

We will be releasing specifications and reference designs for the Expansion Card system under a permissive license. We want to make it easy for both other companies and members of the community to develop their own cards and sell them through the Framework Marketplace. That is something we'll be detailing and sharing between now and the time we start shipping out the product. We'll also provide documentation around i…

It mentions the keyboard as being modular - any chance of a trackpoint keyboard?

Re: The Framework Laptop

#785

Post by asdff »

CivBase wrote: post #231
warmwaffles wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not where the money is though unfortunately. It's why manufacturers like the solder on components. Easier to manufacture and make as small as possible. I hate it, and think it's bad for consumers.

We managed to get standards like that on desktops though. What's specifically different about modern laptops?

And those standards are shifting away too. See recent iMacs and Mac Minis.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#786

Post by mikeryan »

rzzzt wrote: post #635
BugsJustFindMe wrote: post #551

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you missed the goal of the multi-purpose requirement. Proselytizing custom input controls for every possible task on a portable device is...weird.

Some dials would be pretty cool on a laptop, though... it just makes the lid harder to close.

Ergo the Mac Touchbar.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#787

Post by marzell »

SloopJon wrote: post #33

One of the repair challenges is access to old parts. The drain hose on our three year-old washer sprung a leak. When I called a repair man, he at first said that Samsung doesn't make that part anymore. Fortunately, he was mistaken, but if that's something that happens for a simple hose, imagine trying to replace the "high-end headphone amp" expansion card on this laptop five years from now. Even if I'm not too excite…

Since the modules are just USB-C adapted, those parts would probably be easy to mimic by a third party. Maybe they need to be signed or something, hence the marketplace they allude to.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#788

Post by Groxx »

ImaCake wrote: post #712
Groxx wrote: post #674

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, the surface line seems to have quite-acceptable trackpads. I have an SP4, and the keyboard-cover's is... a bit strange to the touch (highly textured), but works reliably. Unlike so many other brands. The vast majority I've used have been an endless stream of frustration and flakiness.

I have an SP4 as well and enjoyed the touchpad on it. I don't think it is as good as the macbook one, but the surface makes up for this with the touch screen. I would often mix it up between screen and touchpad touches to navigate and I miss it now I am using a macbook.

Yea, I'm not actually all that fond of the SP4, but it has utterly convinced me that touchpad + touchscreen is massively superior to either one alone. It's so natural feeling.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#789

Post by TimTheTinker »

nrp wrote: post #183
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!

Any chance you’d consider an ARM64 architecture in the future (like a Broadcom SOC)?

Re: The Framework Laptop

#790

Post by taneq »

getcrunk wrote: post #720
throwaway894345 wrote: post #372

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've still never seen a PC with a sane touchpad. That's the first issue in a long tail of grievances with the PC laptop ecosystem. EDIT: This isn't a generic "pro-Mac" dig, I want a nice PC laptop because I like dabbling with Linux; however, even the high end trackpads are clunky, even with the pre-installed Windows (never mind the eternal sadness that is Linux trackpad configuration).

Have you used an xps? I really like my trackpad. Haven't use apple's

I've used both (albeit the Mac was a 2010 Macbook Pro so they may have changed - the Dell is a 2019 XPS13 and is my current travel laptop) and I'd rate them roughly on par. The Macbook had slightly better accidental touch rejection iirc (eg. if you brush the touchpad while reaching for the keys to type) and slightly nicer build quality. The XPS is really nice though.
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