Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Framework Laptop

frame.work

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

811–820 of 1001 posts

Re: The Framework Laptop

#811

Post by enw »

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'm guessing a big reason why it has never been prioritized is due to the difficulty of quantifying the impact of great trackpad UX (and as a result, the negative impact of the shitty trackpad UX every non-Apple device offers). Higher-ups don't like things that aren't easily quantified.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#813

Post by easton »

bscphil wrote: post #726
zimpenfish wrote: post #716

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Trying to hold down the giant button (which takes quite a bit of force) while trying to drag your finger... ugh. It's miserable. Not wishing to detract from your personal experience but "quite a bit of force" is at odds to mine - on this M1 MBP, it takes less force to activate the trackpad click than it does to activate a keypress. And once you've clicked, you can use a second figure to drag; no need to try and dra…

Yes, your point is entirely fair. I should have clarified that I was talking about an older (mid decade) MacBook Pro. It requires enough force that, with my arm just positioned normally, I can actually feel the torque applied down the whole of my forearm. My understanding is that Apple has made the clicks much lighter in their later models - along with doing the exact same thing with the keyboard keys, which for me g…

On 2015 or later MacBooks, you can adjust the force required for a click: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204352 (“Adjust trackpad settings”)

Re: The Framework Laptop

#815

Post by MariaOat77 »

IQunder130 wrote: post #313
nrp wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"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!

I hope this business of yours works out because a laptop that isn't a piece of junk with too much stuff I don't need inflating the price is something I've been wanting for a long time.

Looкing for hоок uр with a stгangег! Ready fоr аny expегimеnts! - http://xkiss.nettekks.com

Re: The Framework Laptop

#816

Post by cafxx »

Since we have the designers lurking in the thread, I may venture to ask something I have been wondering for a while: would it be possible to use the lid (back of the screen) as an additional radiating surface to improve thermal dissipation of the internal components (CPU, GPU, ...)? Or is it an intractable mechanical problem?

Re: The Framework Laptop

#817

Post by m463 »

nrp wrote: post #171
jblow wrote: post #153

Hi, When I saw this announcement I was hoping that I could finally buy a laptop with a good trackpad, with buttons, and a good keyboard again. But looking at the announcement, it seems like trackpad and keyboard quality are far from anyone's mind, and it just looks like the laptop is copying Apple stylistically like everyone else, which means it is going to be kind-of unusable and I won't want to use it. (Especially…

Keyboard and touchpad quality were high priorities for us. We built in 1.5mm key travel, which is unusually high for a <16mm thick laptop. The touchpad surface feels great and performs well. I hear you on the touchpad buttons though. That is something we've done a little exploration on. The touchpad is an end-user replaceable module, but we can't commit to a three button version materializing just yet.

I think if you could buck the "flat thin keys" trend you would probably develop lots of customers for life.

Thin and flat has nice visual appeal, but I think you should approach it from a tactile direction.

My ideal keyboard would have a little extra throw, and they keys would be sculpted to match the curve of your fingertips for comfort and to help you center on the keys.

I think the thinkpad keyboards were favorites for a reason.

Re: The Framework Laptop

#818

Post by ngc248 »

philistine wrote: post #770
zitterbewegung wrote: post #639

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that since they manufacture so many other touch devices that the software, data and or expertise in designing those devices transfers over into touchpads.

Apple had the best trackpads in the industry before they made the iPhone. That company just values good laptop design; after all, they invented it.

They invented what? laptops?

Re: The Framework Laptop

#820

Post by purpmint008 »

addicted wrote: post #355
Eric_WVGG wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

What Apple did was gave people a solution that looks good on the retail floor, but in practice involved carrying a bunch of dongles, which take up more space, can break more easily, can be easily forgotten and are more finicky while using. In practice it leads to a significantly worse product for the vast majority of users, for the benefit of the minority that falls in the pro crowd and is able to get all their work…

I am an Apple hater who owns a MacBook and an iPad. I am extremely happy with their USB-C decision. I want USB-C everywhere. Just buy one of the all-encompassing USB-C hubs or just buy individual adapters/dongles for your needs. It makes every laptop customizable. That's why I like it.
Post reply on HN