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Hardware

Modular Framework Laptop Gets Marketplace For All Those Modules (theverge.com) 38

Posted by BeauHD from the DIY-friendly dept.
Framework, makers of the modular 13.5-inch Framework laptop that's designed to be easily repaired and upgraded, has launched a dedicated marketplace filled with replacement parts and upgrades for its portable computer. The Verge reports: Writing in a blog post, the company said the marketplace is currently focused on replacement parts and expansion cards, but that it hopes to add more customization modules like additional language keyboards later this year, as well as third-party and community developed modules in 2022.

The marketplace already includes a range of expansion cards for the laptop, which are designed to slot into its four modular compartments to add everything from extra storage to features like MicroSD card slots or more USB ports. There's also user upgradeable RAM and storage for sale. But the store is clearly a work in progress, and lists a host of other items like replacement CPU-equipped mainboards, keyboards, and spare parts like batteries and displays as "coming soon."
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Modular Framework Laptop Gets Marketplace For All Those Modules More

Modular Framework Laptop Gets Marketplace For All Those Modules

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  • Pretty awesome (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    They're establishing a defacto standard. If you support this by buying Framework stuff then a few years from now there will be a large number of third parties making more modules and alternative components as well.

    • They're establishing a defacto standard.

      How can you purposely establish something and have it be defacto?

      • Re:Pretty awesome (Score:5, Informative)

        by DontBeAMoran ( 4843879 ) on Thursday October 14, 2021 @09:59PM (#61893805)

        "A de facto standard is a standard (formal or informal) that has achieved a dominant position by tradition, enforcement, or market dominance. It has not necessarily received formal approval by way of a standardization process, and may not have an official standards document."

        Since their modules are (AFAIK) open hardware, it means the specifications are available to anyone. And because there are currently no similar things on the market (again AFAIK), they're effectively positioning themselves to become the "de facto standard" by being the first ones and actively encouraging other companies to make more modules based on this standard.

        I'm also guessing that we're going to see a lot of 3D-printed such modules, depending on the physical specifications (i.e. if it's easy to 3D-print and that there are no tiny/weak features if a module is 3D-printed).

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        By establishing it sans any official sanction or independent process.

      • The same way Apple created an entire third-party market of docks, alarm clocks, speaker systems, cars, armbands, cases etc.

  • Upgradable GPU (Score:3)

    by Nocturrne ( 912399 ) on Thursday October 14, 2021 @10:02PM (#61893813)

    They are missing a huge market here. Gamers are driving the PC market in many ways. I see nerds upgrading to the latest and greatest GPU almost every year.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by Chas ( 5144 )

      Maybe on desktops.
      But those already have URE.

      On a laptop, that's not so easily accomplished.
      HOWEVER.
      With the Framework model, you can replace/upgrade the mainboard, CPU and GPU by swapping a single component.

      • But those already have URE.

        Whatever that is. Can't figure it out even with wiki disambiguation page.

        With the Framework model, you can replace/upgrade the mainboard, CPU and GPU by swapping a single component.

        That's not what's wanted, although it's a step ahead of having to replace the case and display as well.

        • Whatever that is. Can't figure it out even with wiki disambiguation page.

          My guess is User Replaceable Electronics.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Chas ( 5144 )

          Considering the current options to Framework is currently "buy a new laptop", I'd say they're doing fairly well.

          URE

          User
          Replaceable
          Equipment

          • Considering the current options to Framework is currently "buy a new laptop", I'd say they're doing fairly well.

            For what they will charge I'll be able to buy a whole laptop, with an AMD CPU instead of that Intel dogshit. I'd say they're wasting their time, although the literal handful of users who want both an open design and an Intel CPU AND the ability to overspend upgrading it later I'm sure will disagree.

    • Laptops are terrible for gaming. Might as well just add an eGPU via Thunderbolt. And that's already a standard so there's no need to invent something new. That way you're not trying to cram fans into a laptop that can somehow disperse 200W+ of heat. The fans fail early anyway.

  • No parallel input/output ports. No serial ports. RS-232 or RS-422 or RS-485. No I2C ports. Limited as far as I am concerned.

    • You forgot to end with "Lame." to finish the slashdot-iPod-launch-reference joke.

    • No parallel input/output ports. No serial ports.

      Doesn't it have mini pci-e inside? If so, just by a mini pcie serial+parallel card. Goodness knows where the Dsub-25 connector will go. You might have to get handy with a dremel.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

        No parallel input/output ports. No serial ports.

        Doesn't it have mini pci-e inside? If so, just by a mini pcie serial+parallel card. Goodness knows where the Dsub-25 connector will go. You might have to get handy with a dremel.

        Chances are, if I had to do it, I'd make it a Thunderbolt device. Remember Thunderbolt is basically hot pluggable PCIe, and thus would be far more useful on many more laptops. Plus, no worries about where to put the connector.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Rhipf ( 525263 )

      Sounds like a good opportunity for you to design, build and sell these items. There is even a store for you to sell them in now.
      I'm not sure there will be enough demand though for you to turn any kind of profit on the endeavor.

  • Shockingly reasonable prices? (Score:3)

    by Vrallis ( 33290 ) on Thursday October 14, 2021 @11:41PM (#61893937) Homepage

    We're so used to being gouged by the big names that the prices on the Framework store are outright shockingly cheap.

    I'm definitely not in the market for a laptop, but if I ever am they are getting my business.

  • I'm looking into buying several for my business (maybe even converting all machines).

    As far as I'm concerned the advantages are:

    1. I can get laptops that can be reconfigured for different use cases
    2. They are heavily upgradeable/repairable
    3. They already support things like 64gb of ram and large storage

    I'll be buying one soon to test it out.

  • After using laptops at home and at work from various companies that are very hard to open and repair, in the last decade I've settled on Dell laptops which are okay in terms of ability to repair (reparability?). You can find parts rather easily and for a long time on their site or on eBay, with some options.

    Yes, having a fully open marketplace would be great: serial ports (which I still use a lot at work), multiple USB which most laptops lack nowadays, or even industrial bus ports, etc...

    Yet I can't sha

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dargaud ( 518470 )
      I'll expand on this, looking at their well-done website, I don't see options for keyboard. I'm sick of laptop keyboards not having separate PageUp/PageDown or Delete keys. I don't care if you have to put them in part of the palm rest.
      Also I don't see options for the screen: it would be nice to have the choice between interchangeable normal / retina / high refresh / high dynamic range / etc...

      • I'm sick of laptop keyboards not having separate PageUp/PageDown or Delete keys. I don't care if you have to put them in part of the palm rest.

        Agreed 100 percent, and I'm glad you pointed it out. I'd consider buying one of these, but the keyboard anti-features you noted are a deal-breaker.

        Also I don't see options for the screen: it would be nice to have the choice between interchangeable normal / retina / high refresh / high dynamic range / etc...

        Meh. It would be nice to have these options, but probably not nearly as important as the keyboard. Most people are happy enough with any display that is reasonably sharp and sufficiently bright at multiple resolutions, but almost everyone swears at shitty keyboards.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by dargaud ( 518470 )
          Hopefully since the parts seem to be more or less open-source, some providers will come and provide. What I love most about it all is that the price is fair. When the time comes to change the various family laptops, which are already all on Linux anyway, it'll be on top of the decision tree.
  • For example, Ryzen 5800U (or even the more easily available 4800U) is so much better than their top offering i7-1185G7 that it's not even funny. It's too bad that they went Intel-only. For comparison: 5800U: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/c... [cpubenchmark.net] and 1185G7: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/c... [cpubenchmark.net]

    • Yes, that is puzzling. For me an intel processor is an instant disqualifier because getting acceptable performance means running with the safeties off. No thanks, especially on a laptop which is going to be primarily consuming content.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by chill ( 34294 )

      For gaming, maybe. The i7 11th gen supports 64 Gb of RAM whereas the Ryzen 7 5800U seems to max out at 32 Gb. I am looking for a laptop that I can run multiple VMs on and RAM is much more important than GPU for me.

  • The base cost of this machine is1000.00, kinda pricey. I can get a used, refurbished machine at a fraction of the price that still allows me to upgrade RAM, swap batteries, and the HD/SSD. Parts can be readily available for older machines. Otherwise, if I had the $$$, I can get Tuxedo Computers https://www.tuxedocomputers.co... [tuxedocomputers.com] that can let me swap those three components. Pine64 https://www.pine64.org/ [pine64.org] is another good option for laptops. Anyone know about the status of openlunchbox? http://openlunchbox.com/ [openlunchbox.com]
    • I'm no power user, and not a gamer. I do compile from source on occasion. I think anything portable should be expendable in case lost, damaged or stolen - so won't spend a lot of money on a laptop computer.

      My guess is I'm not the target market for this thing.
    • I own the Pine Book Pro, and though it does what I bought it for, it needs lots of fiddling to get suspend to ram going, and I never got it going with audio functional after wake up. Yeah, the forums discuss this, and no, no solution was found. Also, it can do HDMI out through USB-C, but I couldn't get the audio out via HDMI. I tried 2 adapters, and admittedly I didn't invest much time, but it's a Linux tinker device, not a works out of the box laptop. YMMV.
  • Nice to have choices but I'll take lighter, cheaper and more reliable over modularity any day but to each his own.

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