The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've used • Hacker News Board

Re: The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've used

#551

Post by jonnycomputer » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 9:08 PM UTC

bambax wrote: post #462

yobert wrote: post #448

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you read a little lower in the article he mentions it being a reward mechanism for stopping smoking. So each year he doesn't smoke, he rewards himself with a new laptop. Good strategy!

Yeah, this is rationalizing. You don't need to reward yourself every year for something you do once. You quit smoking, you get a reward, end of story. Also, and that's where we differ (and kind of my point): setting up a new computer isn't a reward for me, it's a punishment.

Once an addict, always an addict. I haven't smoked since 2007, but I'm humble enough to know how easy it would be to pick it up again. In fact, if I lived in Poland again, I very well might have. But in the US being a non-smoker has never been easier.

Re: The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've used

#552

Post by dhosek » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 9:09 PM UTC

mikenew wrote: post #124

Been extremely happy with mine the past couple months. The little modular port attachments seemed like a novelty at first, but now it feels absurd that you'd buy a laptop with a bunch of "hardcoded" ports that you can't ever change. The only real Linux related quirk I've run into so far is that you have to disable panel self refresh (it's on by default and causes stuttering). Other than that tiny thing I pretty much…

My first laptop bought way back in 1993, had a scheme where either or both of the two(!) removable batteries could be replaced with a plug-in module. I had one that gave me a SCSI port and another that gave me a 2400 baud(!) modem.

It was better in theory than practice. You couldn't hot-swap modules (because this was 1993, after all) and driver support was iffy. I sold that laptop a few years later and didn't own another laptop until I bought my first PowerBook in 2002. I've kept dongles in my bag from time to time for connecting to external monitors, but most of the time I never really bothered with it.

Re: The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've used

#553

Post by collinvandyck76 » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 9:09 PM UTC

deadmutex wrote: post #519

collinvandyck76 wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same here but for fan noise. Since I've gotten the m1 macbook air, I don't think I can go back to a laptop that runs hot and needs a fan. In the event that I must get a non-m1 laptop, I can definitely see myself buying the framework laptop and putting ubuntu on it.

Ehn.. I used to be like you. Once I used Pixelbook, a superthin fanless device, I was in awe. Pixelbook Go was similar fanless device as well. But, then I realized that they have their limitations. With a fan, one can achieve much better performance when needed. So, now, I prefer a laptop that can passively cool for normal day to day work, and then for heavy workloads take advantage of the fan. I got the framework la…

Yeah I guess I don't have a ton of experience here outside of mac laptops, but the idea of a PC laptop that only kicks in the fans when truly intensive tasks are being run sounds pretty nice.

My experience has mostly been that when any work is being done, the fans spin up. It's jarring when you're trying to focus on the problem at hand.

Re: The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've used

#554

Post by binkHN » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 9:10 PM UTC

bigpeopleareold wrote: post #285

I like what they are doing, but I am sticking with my 2 primary thinkpads for now, which is fine as well and certainly eco :) They are still a perfect level of repairability (t430s and a t470p) even if I can't upgrade the CPUs on them. I am excited over seeing this project, but these things have stuck out for me: 1. I am concerned over long-term screen hinge strength. I can't see the build on it, but I will not cheap…

> I can try to stop using the TrackPoint (would hate unlearning that)...

Same here. I’m addicted to it and can’t get over the tactile feel. I guess this will go the way of the mobile phone keyboard, assuming it hasn’t already.

Re: The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've used

#555

Post by ecpottinger » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 9:10 PM UTC

Sorry, I was disappointed.

No PIO port, no high speed serial port (and before you suggest USBSerial that means another external interface). Also maybe it is for the future but somehow I missed seeing any Ethernet ports either.

Also, is there a base dongle that we can add our own hardware/software too? Just having a dongle with a onboard programmable Arduino which can be programmed by the user would help a lot.

Re: The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've used

#556

Post by fouc » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 9:10 PM UTC

amiantos wrote: post #536

This is kind of a weird piece that really doesn't mean anything at all. I understand being in the "honeymoon phase" with a new piece of technology, but I don't feel like Cory is aware that he's doing that here. But there's some signs: He loved Thinkpads originally, but over the course of several years the company and the quality of the product went down the tubes. Now he's got a brand new laptop that he's only had fo…

Or better yet, after 5-10 years of frame.work laptops being wildly successful, they will slowly start killing off the upgradeability/fixability of the laptop.

Re: The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've used

#557

Post by gorjusborg » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 9:12 PM UTC

NotPractical wrote: post #527

ricardobeat wrote: post #513

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't look like a no-brainer to me (already a Mac user). The MBP has a better screen, better battery life, performance, has a metal body, is completely silent and has nicer software. That said, you should get the Air instead which is $999 with almost exactly the same specs, minus the annoying touch bar, and a tad lighter at 1.29kg.

For the record, I also own a Mac: the MacBook Pro, 2019 baseline model. I used to enjoy the battery life (though it has been slowly getting worse to the point where I have considered reaching out to Apple about it since the battery is glued in and I can't replace it myself). I like the metal body. I also like macOS. My MacBook is not completely silent because it's an Intel mac, but the M1 would be, that's true. As fa…

Word, I'm pretty fed up with throw-away culture, especially with big ticket items.

I've used pretty much all the developer laptop contenders as daily drivers at some point. You get used to what you get used to, so marginally better isn't so important, I've found.

I'm going to pick one of the framework laptops because they look decent, but my secondary objective is to support a company that at least is walking some of the walk I want to see.

Re: The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've used

#558

Post by orthecreedence » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 9:14 PM UTC

renke1 wrote: post #434

orthecreedence wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bundled spyware. That's why I swore off Lenovo.

I've bought it without any OS installed. But of course the general practice may be good reason to avoid Lenovo (if you can live without a TrackPoint, that is).

Joke's on you, the spyware was in the bootloader =]

Re: The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've used

#559

Post by wonnage » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 9:15 PM UTC

biztos wrote: post #515

strix_varius wrote: post #323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it hilarious that we spend multiple thousands of dollars on sleek, elegant hardware and then hook up chunky plastic dongles to overcome their bad hardware interfaces. So I love the idea of these ports (agreed, they're basically "recessed dongles"). I couldn't lose them / forget them. They wouldn't take up space in my bag while I'm traveling. I could "set and forget" them to perfectly match whatever desktop / d…

The crazy thing here is that it’s not so hard to hit the standard set of “pro” ports — USB-C x 4 (new standard blabla) USB-A x 2 SD x 1 HDMI x 1 Phone/Mic I applaud the modular approach but Apple’s donglevision was the pure distillation of user-hostility between the Bean-Counter in Chief and the SVP, Thin Stuff. And all the industrial sheep who followed them. May we all recover…

Apple did one good thing, which is make every USB-C port have the same capabilities (charging, thunderbolt). Windows laptops, especially once you get down into the budget section, are absolutely atrocious at this, you have to read little lightning symbols and can only charge from a special port...

Re: The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've used

#560

Post by lugu » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 9:16 PM UTC

amiantos wrote: post #536

This is kind of a weird piece that really doesn't mean anything at all. I understand being in the "honeymoon phase" with a new piece of technology, but I don't feel like Cory is aware that he's doing that here. But there's some signs: He loved Thinkpads originally, but over the course of several years the company and the quality of the product went down the tubes. Now he's got a brand new laptop that he's only had fo…

Why being so negative? He seems to like how easy it is to tear down the machine and how easy it is to install ubuntu. That's it. I don't think this will change in 10 years, and I don't want to wait 10 years to hear about his experience.