Ask HN: Does the Framework laptop stand the test of time? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Does the Framework laptop stand the test of time?

#81

Post by zeagle » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 12:45 AM UTC

jtcours wrote: post #78

We have a pair of Intel 13s at the company as a pilot test, running Ubuntu. One of them had a battery failure: the battery swelled inside the laptop. Framework determined it was out of warranty, since it was more than a year from purchase, so we paid for the new battery. (Along with some extra excitement because the 45W supply isn't provisioned to handle peak demand without a battery, so we ended up with an Amazon-de…

I'm curious if you noticed the battery swelling when it was open or from parts lifting?

Re: Ask HN: Does the Framework laptop stand the test of time?

#82

Post by jryan49 » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 2:24 AM UTC

I got one of the first batches of the 13", been using since 2021. It's on track to last as long as my old thinkpad from 2014. The screen chassis got seriously dented and I was able to fix it without replacing the entire laptop (the replacement part costs 99 dollars). The only thing that isn't great is the battery life and the fans can be super loud. I like the keyboard and trackpad fine. The replaceable ports a kind of a gimmick I'd say, but doesn't really hurt anything other than I have to carry some around if I need them. I'd buy it again.

Re: Ask HN: Does the Framework laptop stand the test of time?

#83

Post by tasuki » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 11:01 AM UTC

> 3-4 years ago, [...]. Will it last you longer than any other laptop?

That's still too early to say! My laptop (ThinkPad) is seven years old and I see no reason to upgrade. My work laptop is six years old Dell and is also fine.

Re: Ask HN: Does the Framework laptop stand the test of time?

#84

Post by magic_smoke_ee » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 1:39 PM UTC

commandersaki wrote: post #75

magic_smoke_ee wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use a T480 (bought new a lot time ago) moderately-capable gaming PC (lol): - 3 extended, swappable batteries + third-party external battery charger (also has an internal battery T490 lacks) - 32 GiB RAM - i7-8650U - 2 TiB SSD - Retrofit/modded magnesium top case - I pre-acquired replacement parts like fans, hinges, backlit keyboards, and case screws - Works with Windows 11 + Razer Core X TB3 with an RTX 3070 Ti eGP…

It's usually the display resolution that kills it for me.

> 14.0" (355mm) WQHD (2560x1440), anti-glare, LED backlight, WVA, 300 nits, 16:9 aspect ratio, 700:1 contrast ratio, 72% gamut, 170° viewing angle

https://psref.lenovo.com/syspool/Sys/PDF/ThinkPad/ThinkPad_T... (PDF)

Also, I use a 49" external monitor with it more than the built-in panel.

Re: Ask HN: Does the Framework laptop stand the test of time?

#85

Post by throwaway519 » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 2:11 PM UTC

znpy wrote: post #64

commandersaki wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nice, you did the same as me, which is skip the whole butterfly era of Apple laptops. Those were dark days for the company.

> Those were dark days for the company. Were they? Apple's earnings grew a lot during those time. The harsh truth is that Apple's userbase will complain but in the end will keep buying anyway.

Truth

Re: Ask HN: Does the Framework laptop stand the test of time?

#86

Post by jtwaleson » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 6:25 PM UTC

RGamma wrote: post #65

riedel wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The last ThinkPad I was really happy with was the X61 I had though. I, however, got used to the track point, so I stocked. The Z13 is only half a ThinkPad but at least Lenovo did considerable engineering to solve the thermal issues of new processors fitted into the old ThinkPad design for 13 in. Now I only have tons of BIOS/firmware/driver issues. Often doesn't hibernate and spin loops until battery is empty and my w…

Yeah, I've always used ThinkPads and while IMO they're on average good devices, you better not buy the wrong series and/or iteration. The LX40 had an atrocious clickpad. The previous LX30 had serious WiFi issues, that I fixed by swapping the card, but it was overall the better device. Then there's issues with trackpoint drifting. On my oldest one the trackpoint simply died. On my e495 I'm getting weird driver issues,…

Stick with T, P or X series.

Re: Ask HN: Does the Framework laptop stand the test of time?

#87

Post by registeredcorn » Fri, Jan 03, 2025, 4:50 PM UTC

cdata wrote: post #20

I used a Framework 13" as my daily driver for 3 years. I still have it, and now I also have a Framework 16", which has been my daily driver for the last six months. The user serviceability and upgrade stories are real. The hardware isn't as svelte as Apple's, but mine has traveled all over the world and has yet to have any major issues. The one hardware failure I had was that the USB-C half of the charging cable on m…

Glad to hear it! I'm interested to know, though:

How rigid would you say the frame is for Frameworks? Do you feel any flex at all when typing? Screen shake?

Over time, some of the laptops I've tried (cheap and expensive, many different brands) just feel like they start to fall apart. Either the screen hinges are junk and fail, leading to screen shake/nod whenever I type...or the frame is too weak, and the laptop itself starts to bend inward over time because I type hard.

If I could get something with an incredibly rugged frame, and excellent hinges, it'd be wonderful. I've seriously considered Toughbook's in the past, but the keyboard feeling for them is atrocious and the specs are always too weak.