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If you're a PC hardware geek who's been dreaming of a laptop that you can upgrade far beyond the life cycle of a typical machine, Framework's modular notebooks must seem like a miracle. The American company has a straightforward pitch: What if your laptop could be nearly as customizable as a desktop, with the ability to swap components out for repairs and upgrades? What if we could put an end to disposable hardware? We were intrigued by Framework's original 13-inch notebook and its Chromebook variant, despite some rough edges and a basic design. Now, with the Framework Laptop 16, the company is targeting the most demanding and (arguably) hardest group of PC users to please: Gamers.
Framework has already proved it can build compelling modular laptops, but can the Laptop 16 cram in powerful graphics, a fast display and other components to keep up with the likes of Alienware, Razer and ASUS? Sort of, it turns out — and there are plenty of other tradeoffs for living the modular laptop dream. Hardware quirks abound, battery life is mediocre and it still looks like a totally generic machine. But how many other notebooks could let you completely upgrade your CPU or GPU in a few years? Who else offers a customizable keyboard setup? In those respects, the Framework 16 stands alone.
[...] I was genuinely bummed to discover that it was a fairly mediocre gaming machine, at least for its high price.
What do you think? Is having a laptop that you can upgrade more important than having the fastest laptop on the block? What price would you pay for being able to upgrade your hardware?
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Cyrix6x86 on Wednesday March 20 2024, @10:48AM
Framework has already cemented its legacy in that it's forced the larger manufacturers to design repairable products again. Witness the Lenovo ThinkPad 2024 lineup, which touts captive screws, easy to remove panels, and user-replaceable SoDIMMs again (as well as a bit more keyboard travel), features vintage 2019 that were slowly being eliminated from the ThinkPad lineup. I say this as a person who shrugged and thought, "I guess this is the only way now" when I bought my non-repairable ThinkPad Z16 with next day on-site repair (I'm on day three now of waiting on that next day repair by the way).
Like Fairphone before it, which punched above its weight and proved that Androids can last longer than 2 years and forced Google, Samsung, OnePlus, et al., to provide up to 8 years of support now. Remember what Android updates looked like before the Fairphone 2?
I never imagined Framework as a gaming platform but I like where this is trending. Also, probably doesn't need to be said here, but I imagine there will be an onslaught of review videos from the "Youtube Tech Bros" that cater to the illiterate that subtlety dunk on this product. People still watch that grifter Linus Tech idiot who fucked up his system trying Debian and has sexual harassment claims. He shit all over the Fairphone 5, for example, and people still quote him as gospel. I imagine those types will be using velvet daggers in their reviews to say how its a great concept, great product, etc. but not something for their viewers to buy.
Competition, no matter how small the company, keeps the larger manufacturers honest.
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sent from my system76 laptop