Actually rational take?? Holy hell
This is the first time I’m hearing about Framework. Is it worth it? I’m looking for a new laptop anyway
I guess it depends what you value. I have a Framework 13, first generation. I run Linux on it and really enjoyed putting it together myself (I ordered the DIY option).
I absolutely love their ports. You swap in the ports you want. I normally run a USB C on either side (so I can charge from either side) plus a USB A on each side (the Framework 13 has two slots each side, I think the 16 might have 3 each side?). But I also have HDMI, Display Port, and micro SD in case I need them. I can hot swap them in.
Their guides are awesome. I broke a screen and was able to order another and replace it myself following their guide. When the time comes (probably in the next year or so) I’m planning on upgrading. A bit like a desktop, since it’s been a few years it means replacing the motherboard (what they call the mainboard) and RAM since technology moves on. I"m pretty sure like all laptops the CPU is fixed to the mainboard, but you can upgrade RAM or storage without replacing the whole guts (assuming same slot type). In fact you can buy without some pieces and reuse stuff you have or buy from elsewhere to save some money.
When I eventually do it I’m planning on strapping the old mainboard to the back of my TV as a HTPC (replacing the old dying laptop currently there).
There are plenty of downsides. No touchscreen. I wish the screen was a little brighter, it’s not bad but could be better (might be better with later models?). I replaced the hinges with their more resistant ones but the screen still moves if I carry it around with the screen open (not sure if it’s still an issue on newer models).
I really value the idea of repairability and upgradeability. When I was younger you could swap a bigger harddrive or RAM into a laptop if you had a screwdriver (and sometimes even without), and repairing other parts was also possible. These days you’re more likely to find the whole thing glued together. Framework lets you do your own repairs, and has guides to walk you through every step.
There are probably more downsides, but I do love it and would buy another in a heartbeat. But if there are special things you need then carefully check. For example last I checked they did not have a full size SD card reader module available (though of course you can use a regular external one if you really need to).
The biggest one that I’m glad to never have to worry about:
User replaceable battery
You can even put a bigger battery in down the line if you wish. No planned obsolescence.
I mean, all the dell business laptops I’ve purchased have a replaceable battery. You just have to unscrew the bottom panel to do it. But no, they don’t have a swappable battery.
The SD expansion card is “comming soon” according to their store page, and they showed prototypes that looked close to production on their youtube channel. My best guess is release in Q4
I love it, it’s amazing.
I do have the first generation which has a battery drain issue, which has since been fixed.
I always use my hardware for a looong time, but I look forward to only having to replace the main mobo and not the screen or keyboard when I do need an upgrade.
And even when you want to replace your main board, you can take the old one, 3D print or buy this Cooler Master case, and turn it into a relatively powerful server or HTPC or K8s node or whatever.
Best laptop I’ve had so far, but they’re quite expensive for their performance tier. The expectation is that you’d never replace it, so theoretically the cost pays itself off over time, but that would assume that you are able and willing to do that sort of long term maintenance.
Basically, I would only recommend it if you were a tinkerer.
I disagree on the comment about cost disparity. Spec’d equivalently, even the Framework 16 (without GPU) is no more expensive than the smaller ThinkPad X1 Carbon. The more comparative Framework 13 even less so.
The modular ports (and GPU on the 16) are a nice bonus, but I agree that the largest attraction is for the tinkerer.
I think the fact that it is easily upgradable makes it a clear winner on the merits alone.
I did a price comparison three years ago when I was exploring laptops and the price for a Framework was really high. Like it was “cheaper to buy a used laptop every three years for a decade before I break even on a Framework” high.
I’m not knocking it at all and I think it’s a great idea. It just the cost is so high, and they don’t have the means to produce where the price is at a consumer level.
Agreed. If you buy the minimum spec bare bones version and get RAM and NVME from a third party, the price is somewhat comparative to other MRSPs. If you go for a higher spec or compare to sales prices instead of MSRP you pay up to 50% premium according to my research.
If you however factor in downtime of a broken and non-repairable device, plus the time spend on setting up a replacement, the framework can easily compete if your setup is complex.
The newer Thinkpads are a tad better, but honestly, if I had money, IDGAF about them, and I’ll pick Framework 16 any day.
Is the youtuber Investor Linus (tech tips)? If so, what are his controversial politics?
I guess the generous amount of coverage and media attention Framework gets from their videos
He also said that he would consider Linus Media Group unionizing a “personal failure,” which is about as good as you could typically expect from a business owner but still not great.
Giving him the benefit of the doubt, he probably meant that if a business owner treats his employees well, there shouldnt be a need to unionize. But that would mean he fundamentally misunderstands what a union is and why you want one. I dont know which is worse.
Although he admits to using one. Still a stupid take but he’s not like, adamantly anti-adblocker.
He also admits to pirating games and media. So like I think I agree, adblockers are a way to access things without “paying”. Think people thought he was saying piracy like it was a bad thing. But I think he was just being literal.
Ad blockers are piracy though. Calling something piracy isn’t making any moral judgements
Not to be an Internet pedant, but technically most definitions of Internet piracy describe it as illegally copying and distributing copyrighted content. Adblockers aren’t doing either, they’re just hiding UI elements and letting you access content your browser has already fetched, right from the original source
I don’t support ltt but that’s the weakest (most cope least knowledgeable) argument there is honestly
like that makes sense because by adblocking you are basically receiving “paid” content for “free” (i put quotes bc the site isn’t getting paid unless you click but whatever)
he elaborates to say that he isn’t criticising it, just drawing an analogue, and that he uses one himself iirc
ublock origin+sponsorblock <3 btw
btw my reason for not liking ltt is just that i don’t like the consolidation of media and info sources, and that there’s just higher quality content to watch
Just the most average fence-sitter. But he’s said in one of his videos that he loves capitalism (probably the one in which he bought a gaming PC from China? Or was that the Arm/RISC-V video?). And as expected, he hates having unions and stuff.
Speaking of which, what happened about the ex-employee sexual misconduct? No investigation details out?
Linus never said he hates unions, he said he’d feel that he failed as the owner if his employees felt so underrepresented that they needed a union.
He has historically expressed support of unions in other companies and hasn’t been against one in his own, he just doesn’t want his company to need one.
In regards to the misconduct…
Announcement on the WAN show of the 3rd party results
Post that matches the one on Twitter
And the actual contents of the post:
There were a series of accusations about our company last August from a former employee. Immediately following these accusations, LMG hired Roper Greyell - a large Vancouver-based law firm specializing in labor and employment law, to conduct a third-party investigation. Their website describes them as “one of the largest employment and labour law firms in Western Canada.” They work with both private and public sector employers.
To ensure a fair investigation, LMG did not comment or publicly release any data and asked our team members to do the same. Now that the investigation is complete, we’re able to provide a summary of the findings.
The investigation found that:
Claims of bullying and harassment were not substantiated.
Allegations that sexual harassment were ignored or not addressed were false.
Any concerns that were raised were investigated. Furthermore, from reviewing our history, the investigator is confident that if any other concerns had been raised, we would have investigated them.
There was no evidence of “abuse of power” or retaliation. The individual involved may not have agreed with our decisions or performance feedback, but our actions were for legitimate work-related purposes, and our business reasons were valid.
Allegations of process errors and miscommunication while onboarding this individual were partially substantiated, but the investigator found ample documentary evidence of LMG working to rectify the errors and the individual being treated generously and respectfully. When they had questions, they were responded to and addressed.
In summary, as confirmed by the investigation, the allegations made against the team were largely unfounded, misleading, and unfair.
With all of that said, in the spirit of ongoing improvement, the investigator shared their general recommendation that fast-growing workplaces should invest in continuing professional development. The investigator encouraged us to provide further training to our team about how to raise concerns to reinforce our existing workplace policies.
Prior to receiving this report, LMG solicited anonymous feedback from the team in an effort to ensure there was no unreported bullying and harassment and hosted a training session which reiterated our workplace policies and reinforced our reporting structure. LMG will continue to assess ongoing continuing education for our team.
At this time, we feel our case for a defamation suit would be very strong; however, our deepest wish is to simply put all of this behind us. We hope that will be the case, given the investigator’s clear findings that the allegations made online were misrepresentations of what actually occurred. We will continue to assess if there is persistent reputational damage or further defamation.
This doesn’t mean our company is perfect and our journey is over. We are continuously learning and trying to do better. Thank you all for being part of our community.
I can’t help but feel that if someone like Linus said he “loves capitalism” in a video then it was probably a joke. Would you mind providing a link?
Last year, the social media manager left and accused LTT of being a toxic workplace with sexual harassment. They also started to favor quantity of content over quality.
They also started to favor quantity of content over quality.
While true before a year ago, at the same time the SMM thing happened, they did some content mistakes, owned up to them and started doing the exact opposite of what you’re saying
I certainly hope so. I stopped caring about them years ago for other reasons. I simply saw that story over the news when it happened. But I could argue that it still took them the departure of their social media manager to realize what they were doing. If she just left without talking about her experience, who knows how they would be today.
E16s and shit are good. Doesnt really beat my old one. I’d be willing to throw framework on a laptop.