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

I'm a laptop weirdo and that's why I like my new Framework 13

blog.matthewbrunelle.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

181–190 of 314 posts

Re: I'm a laptop weirdo and that's why I like my new Framework 13

#181

Post by oldandboring »

summa_tech wrote: post #82
nrp wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

USB-A is our second most popular Expansion Card after USB-C (and before HDMI), so certainly people are using it for something!

It's funny. I think a lot of more software-y people just don't see the need for a lot of Framework features. I deal with a lot of hardware (as a hobbyist and a hardware engineer) and I've seen every USB standard connector in the last week. I also own something like three different Framework products (16, 13 and Desktop) and gifted two more (13 and Desktop) to people. Really, apart from the fit issues on 16 spacers an…

Software-y people also have a way of being deliberately and performatively obtuse about their technology choices. This person's proclamation about not using any USB-A peripherals hits the same as when they feign surprise that any non-luddite would still have a use for printers, scanners, and fax machines.

Re: I'm a laptop weirdo and that's why I like my new Framework 13

#182

Post by mft_ »

tecoholic wrote: post #96
systemtest wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not just RAM and SSD. Displays can break. Power ports can break. USB-C ports can break. Keyboards can break. PCBs can break. And those take time to ship if you have a Dell, HP, Framework or even an Apple machine. I like being able to walk to a nearby store and grab a new MacBook Pro in case I quickly need a new machine to continue my work. My clients typically hire me for short periods and they need me to work at ful…

Your initial comment made it seem like, the repairable options are just so incovenient to the point where buying a new machine was the solution. So my questions were mainly around why that would be the case. But, it seems like your requirements are pretty stringent to the point nothing other than a Time Machine backup compatible machine would make sense.

OP could make it more generic by removing the Time Machine mandate, and instead using any of a raft of cloud-based backup options. (e.g. I use pCloud, and my approach to a new system is equally quick and pain free.)

Then it just comes down to the time delta between buying a new Mac from a shop in a city (assuming you want one of the immediately-available specifications) versus waiting for Framework parts of be delivered. Framework could optimise this if it was worth their while by having a limited number of common replacement items at fast-shipping fulfilment centres.

However, in reality it sounds less like a genuine question, and more like someone justifying their decision to buy a Mac post-hoc with a range of specific requirements only a Mac could meet.

Re: I'm a laptop weirdo and that's why I like my new Framework 13

#183

Post by nfriedly »

least wrote: post #174
nfriedly wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I agree with this. I find it simpler to just carry a couple of usb-c to whatever hub/adapters for when I need to a port my framework doesn't have built in.

The expansion cards seem pretty gimmicky to me. You're replacing a hub with... a bunch of hubs with one port on it. I know it opens up to some third party modules (this one seems particularly cool: https://github.com/LeoDJ/FW-EC-DongleHiderPlus ) but for the most part you are getting less connectivity than other laptops. You don't even get an audio jack without taking up one of your expansion slots (edit: on the Fram…

For what it's worth, the 13 does have an audio jack. It's only the 16 that requires an addin card for that.

I get what you're coming where you're coming from though. For me, the whole package was worth it, but that's probably not true for everyone.

Re: I'm a laptop weirdo and that's why I like my new Framework 13

#184

Post by ashirviskas »

qchris wrote: post #98
hombre_fatal wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that the Framework starts so far behind in performance and battery efficiency of a cheaper Macbook that you aren’t saving money on perf upgrades. You really do have to buy it for the idea rather than the reality.

I don't love this comparison, because I have to use Linux, not Mac. It's not really optional for me, and Asahi simply isn't far enough along to fill the gap. As a result, the question is more Framework vs. Dell or Lenovo, and that creates a much smaller gap in capability in the 13" form factor.

Where is Asahi not far enough if I may ask? I've been daily driving it for 2 years by this point.

While it was not really useable for mainstream usecases in the beginning (no speakers, no webcam, other random issues), it did get better month by month and problems got resolved, I find useability equal to my x86 laptops now.

Re: I'm a laptop weirdo and that's why I like my new Framework 13

#185

Post by kombine »

konaraddi wrote: post #170

I think the author is the target customer for Framework. A customer looking for a ship of Theseus laptop that the seller stands by. I’ve looked at framework as a potential next laptop but it’s expensive, some of parts are expensive, and the other parts I’m not sure I’ve ever had issues with in past laptops. I think I’m better off buying multiple used thinkpads over the course of my life, or even a used MBP (refurbish…

Almost two years ago I bought an opened but never used ThinkPad T14s from eBay very cheaply. It's not too specced but it does the job and it will easily last me 2-3 more years at which point I just buy another one. I see what Framework is doing, and they probably need the support of customers to get the scale of Lenovo/Dell to lower the cost of production.

Re: I'm a laptop weirdo and that's why I like my new Framework 13

#186

Post by BoingBoomTschak »

jutter wrote: post #105

I don't care about the upgradeability or repairability. I think that people espousing these points need a reality check - other laptops aren't that bad for repairability (I have always had Alienwares, and have had no trouble sourcing and installing parts in laptops even 10+ years old), and piecemeal upgrades really don't make sense in the long term. Framework also seems to have attracted a certain type of activist th…

This, please help me ditch my old Haswell Latitude, touchpads without buttons (or even better, 3 buttons) are horrid things!

Re: I'm a laptop weirdo and that's why I like my new Framework 13

#187

Post by kombine »

systemtest wrote: post #34

I work international (somewhat of a digital nomad) so perhaps I’m an outlier in my usage. I have an M1 MacBook Pro that I bought new at release. I can’t replace the memory or storage. But so far I didn’t need to do that. In case it breaks, I walk to my nearby electronics store and purchase a new MacBook Pro. With Time Machine restore I am up an running within an hour. The M1 goes onto the pile of stuff to repair late…

That's how monopolies are perpetuated.

Re: I'm a laptop weirdo and that's why I like my new Framework 13

#188

Post by kstrauser »

neogodless wrote: post #101
Etheryte wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't even recall when I last needed USB-A, literally everything I have uses USB-C (or bluetooth for mouse and keyboard). What do you use it for?

Current items in my possession that are still in use and use USB-A * keyboard * mouse dongle * webcam * microphone * mouse charging cable * smart watch charging cable * SATA hard drive dock * 32GB and 64GB USB memory sticks Things that use USB-C * new SD card reader * new headphones dongle * smart phone charging cable Some of the above could maybe be replaced with a USB-C equivalent, but they are still working and I'…

I bought a USB-C hub so I can slowly migrate to the current format as I replace the old devices.

Re: I'm a laptop weirdo and that's why I like my new Framework 13

#189

Post by 999900000999 »

rozenmd wrote: post #36
999900000999 wrote: post #3

>You can't change the RAM on laptops now. >You can't change the SSD on laptops now. I literally just brought a laptop 3 weeks ago and I've already upgraded both of those. It's a newer model with an RTX GPU. I think framework has potential, but it's going to be a decade to see how things pan out. Will I be able to use the same mainboard for a decade? So far what I'm seeing is a laptop brand which charges between 50% a…

I love my thinkpad, wrote up my experience with the Thinkpad T480 last year: https://maxrozen.com/replacing-my-macbook-m1-with-thinkpad-t... and a quick buyers guide here: https://maxrozen.com/getting-your-own-good-enough-laptop-for...

Lenovo has fantastic recent refurbs. It's a bit of a game, but you can find some for around 400$ or less.

My big beef with Macs is I need BIG ssds. If I want to get a 4TB SSD on a Macbook it starts at around 3000$. Recently I purchased a laptop with 2 SSD slots, although disappointingly only one is easy to access.

I'm tempted to go to Microcenter and tell them to replace the stock SSD with a 4TB( the stock SSD is the one behind a difficult to remove heat sink), and then I'd put another 4 tb ssd. Alternatively I could just pay 800$ for a 8TB SSD, install it in a laptop that cost around 1300-1500$ and I'm only spending 2300$.

On a Mac that's about 5000$. I make music and hate external drives with a passion.

Re: I'm a laptop weirdo and that's why I like my new Framework 13

#190

Post by schmuckonwheels »

astra1701 wrote: post #49

The really special thing about Frameworks is that you can quickly buy and replace basically any part, not just the usual RAM and SSD -- case in point, when I managed to damage my FW13's keyboard such that it was no longer usable, I could just... go straight to Framework's website and buy a new one for $40. And, I even had the option of a slightly improved one, that shed the Windows key and lacked the god-awful copilo…

You're excited about the prospect of repairing a manufacturer's faulty engineering at your own cost?

An analogy would be buying a new car then bragging to your friends that despite it being a lemon, you're thrilled because you can repair it yourself (at cost).

Post reply on HN