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Framework Laptop 13 Pro: Aiming To Be One Of The Best Upgradeable Linux Laptops Review - Phoronix
https://www.phoronix.com/review/framework-laptop-13-pro
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Michael needs an editor - lots of instances of the wrong word used, but it’s obvious what he meant so not the end of the world. Just kept jarring me out of focus on the review every time I hit one.
ArtworkWonderful day! Perhaps examples of the mistakes will help, and have you tried contacting the author directly, on the website itself, too? An editor, a colleague in a any team to stand together is always marvel, of course…
artyomI don’t recall them really leaning into Linux so hard in their previous marketing but it’s all over now!
Starting at $1,199, not including ram or storage
djangoWhen I was looking at getting a nice laptop instead of my current high end desktop and cheap old laptop setup, I really considered a Framework. But honestly, Thinkpads are cheaper and just as repairable. Yeah, they don’t have the slide out port things, but they just have a lot of ports built in.
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iusemybrainI mean, sure, but there needs to be a port the framework modules connect to. the framework uses the same, soldiered down, USB-C connection for the adapters to connect to. So the same issue arises as with a thinkpad and every other laptop.
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my point is whether it is fatigued or it stopped working as a result of a large enough electrical impedance that current can’t pass through or god knows some other reason. You would have replaced the motherboard either way because of 10 other motherboard/component failures. in which case, buy a new laptop.
thinkpads are rapidly depreciative. They approximately depreciate linearly compared to a theoretically and practically non-depreciative product; The longer they are used (or just held in stock), the cheaper they become. I’ve found used thinkpads that are worth the same amount for a same spec’d framework motherboards. until integrated circuits become cheaper your just purchasing a more expensive thinkpad that’s easier to understand (from an upgrade perspective) for the user.
ThinkPad also has a nipple. After getting used to it I believe I will want it always.
A long time ago I had one with a mini trackball which I vastly prefer, but they dont make those anymore.
That’s not everything that’s interchangeable.
Oh I know, but that’s the only thing that’s more replaceable on a framework than on most Thinkpads. Other than that they are both equally repair/replaceable.
Yeah, so far from what I’ve seen, buying into the framework ecosystem is only valuable if you will use the modular design to upgrade, for instance to upgrade your main processor or the screen, as new iterations arrive.
Also thinkpads are just way cheaper, you can get a used T14 for like $400 and pretty much any framework is at least like $800
Thinkpads are so cheap because a million companies buy thousands of them and sell them when they’re a few years old. Not the case with framework
My only question with the Framework laptop is still “Is it upgradable to have physical buttons on the touchpad yet?”
This is the first Framework laptop that I considered buying.
I’m probably one or two gen to get one. Once they introduce TB5/USB4v2 I’ll get one.
For now, I’m happy with my Thinkbook 14+ that has a Oculink port. Running a 9070XT eGPU like a champ in my Linux installation.
At least you can configure it not to have USB-A port. The other Linux-first manufacturers all think we’re in the time just when USB-C came out and all your devices where still USB-A, so a least include three USB-A ports!!!!
Most devices I connect to my computer use USB A.
Without USB A I would not have mouse, keyboard, USB key, external SSD.
I know that there is a need for USB-A for some (most?) people, but for people like me, it’s a blocker. I want to buy these Linux-first laptops, but won’t do it. I have very few things that still need USB-A and most of those things are either connected to my desktop screen and accessed using USB-C hub or connected to USB-A power adapter.
A laptop review without a single word about battery life?
According to the review at arstechnica it’s pretty good!
AxolotlYou can also swap it pretty easly, so you can carry an extra one
I dont want to support a company who has given money to fascists and alt right groups like Framework has done. Yall should check out Eurocom for a good modular laptop, I’ve purchased two in my lifetime and both were great.
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Kind of insane that a relatively small manufacturer like Framework is able to produce a laptop that has similar battery life, performance (Panther Lake chips are competitive with the base M5), build quality (CNC chassis), and QoL features as the Macbook Pros while also offering fully modular parts, upgradeable RAM and storage, customisable IO, a matte anti-reflective touchscreen (for one of those bits you need to pay an extra $200 to Apple for!), and the ability to install a freer OS (Asahi Linux currently does not support the M5 series well)
And by selecting the different options, it looks like an Intel X7 chip FW13 Pro with 16GB/1TB storage is more expensive than the Macbook Pro with the base M5 and the same memory config, but when you go to 32GB RAM and 2TB of storage, the Macbook is more expensive! Remember that you can upgrade the memory yourself on the FW, or reuse an M.2 from your old laptop/computer, saving even more cost! (FYI: this is UK pricing without tax or shipping, I’d imagine that would be a bit higher for Framework)
Double checking now, looks like RAM pricing has increased for Framework, so with 32GB/2TB the FW is a little more expensive than the Apple (by about £100 depending on what ports you select), and the gap is similar for 16GB/1TB, but that’s still very close (remember, Apple is in the top 2 of the richest tech companies in the world!), especially since FW is far better long term value.
One more thing, you can also BYO SSD, which can cut down cost by a lot if you already have one!
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I feel like you have to review new laptops (and the Steam Machine, for that matter) without considering the price these days. Normally, specs without a price means nothing, but no new releases in the space are going to be worth the cost.
Where this is more interesting, in my opinion, is compatibility with the older Framework 13. If you can buy the individual components from the pro variant that you want, it might be possible to upgrade without draining your bank account. Avoiding the LPCAMM2 modules seems like the best way to do that, which unfortunately means skipping on the mainboard (and processor).
Hopefully we see prices drop sometime soon. I think at a lower price, it’d be worth considering. At the current price, very few computers are worth buying.
You can fully upgrade the original 13. Some components have to be upgraded together, like the new keyboard and new battery because they have both changed dimensions. I’ve just put the new screen in my 13, and it’s MUCH better than the original screen the 13 came with, so I’m very happy with that.
You can, if you can afford it. Most people can’t afford, let alone find, LPCAMM2 memory. This, of course, includes Framework.
Can they ramp up their distribution for south east asia? There’s just too many slop hardware in Indonesia, too many AI, too little rightly built laptops. Can’t believe I said this, but the only sane buy for new laptops are old gens thinkpads and apple devices.
I don’t even like using macs, but it’s true, their build quality is better than your run of the mill asus/acer (the predominant brand here) laptops.
SEA market is not a good one for high end stuff. Until they can get big enough to make budget level THEN they may get into Indonesia officially
The perfect laptop for me is a Framework 13 with a 360 degree hinge and touchscreen. They released the 12” but I really think it’s too small.
Big tent is coming for big tech!