I really like framework and I happy they are offering AMD.
But I really struggle to recommend Framework after they were unable at this time to fix a hardware issue. The headphone jack will beep when sound turns on and off. Framework confirmed with me that the vendor intended for this and they were unable to fix it because of the parts shortage. It is so annoying I bought a USB C dac to play the audio in.
The keyboard, they minimize way too much, like having to use the fn key for home, end, and pg up/down, as well as insert, I need to press fn+shift+insert to paste something in gnome terminal which means I need to do it for Neovim.
Aside from that, I do like the 3:2 aspect ratio, even if it has issues with GNOME and websites. GNOME refuses to let you snap two windows to each side for some reason. Websites think your screen is too small and so you get the mobile version for a lot of sites.
Still, beautiful screen, excellent webcam, metal body. Needs more execution.
I love framework's mission. I would not change the past on buying a framework. To provide a counter example, quite often I open my bag to find that my Framework 13 has cooked itself in the bag. The battery life, and the bad intel sleep management have been a thorn in my side since I got it. But the power management does leave much to be desired.
Given LTT's review of the laptop, it may be best to wait for the 2nd revision of this which hopefully will deal with the deck flex and screen consistency issues.
Isn't this supposed to be a strength of framework? Their machines are pretty modular. Users should get to pick and choose AMD vs Intel, keyboard layouts, wifi chipsets without framework having to design different machines for each configuration.
That is good to hear! Framework has not been helpful on either minor or major issues when I've tried working with them, even the forums comingle AMD and Intel laptops without clear distinction muddying the waters as to what issues are relevant to a given user.
I had a Framework and really liked it. Unfortunately the components just degraded really quickly for me, and now can't work but 20 minutes at a time until it freezes completely. Swapped out for a Thinkpad last week.
Even swapped out the Framework mainboard after a long back and forth with support. Just some poor battery unloading or similar causing shorts. I was very close to committing my company to using them until this started happening to my tester unit and my lead engineer's tester unit.
I hope the best for Framework -- I really love their repairability promise -- but before I can commit my company to them I need them to not be lemons.
One reason I'm hopeful about Framework is that I've recently realized I care a lot about keyboard / key caps.
When I shopped for a development laptop recently, some gaming laptops were really good matches for my needs. But the keyboards / key caps were squishy rubbery things that I couldn't get used to.
It would be awesome each buyer could tweak the laptop design based on personal preferences, where large manufacturers could never justify selling that exact config due to low demand.
I own a Framework, have been using it daily for 2+ years, and it's been a rock-solid workhorse for me - haven't dealt with any of the issues that you describe. Sorry to hear! Have you contacted support?
I really love my Framework. I love that I can hack it (I made a Yubikey adapter so I could always have it inserted: https://www.stavros.io/posts/making-a-security-key-for-the-f...), I love that I can trivially repair any component that breaks, and it feels great as well, it's very light and solid.
The only issues I have with it is battery life (though I have the battery set to charge to 70% max, which leaves a lot on the table), and the fact that Intel processors heat up very easily.
I really hope Intel and AMD get their shit together and release a processor as efficient as Apple silicon, I don't want to end up using my MacBook more than my Framework.
Framework is such an interesting project. Especially from the perspective of a Linux user, there is tons of potential here and I cannot wait to see their next generation laptops.
I should mention that I like what Framework is doing and have been tempted to buy one. Don’t mean to take anything away from them. It’s just not for me right now.
There's definitely an audience for Framework. But for a laptop/mini-pc user who likes to keep their tech for 7+ years and usually opt for no special graphics. A mini-pc works great for me. Lot of them have good Linux compatibility too. ~70% of the cost is the CPU/motherboard which cannot be swapped. I don't care much about specific ports etc. As long as I can extend RAM and SSD, that's enough customization. So a framework feels overkill.
Definitely look very seriously at Framework. Bought one last year and it's easily been the best computer purchase I've ever made. Solved every problem I experienced with Dell and Lenovo. I run Manjaro Linux on it.
How hard is that to do? I know Frameworks are repairable, but you can really do a swap like that completely on the fly?
Honestly, this comment is a somewhat decent sales hook for me; I've been thinking about getting a Framework for my next laptop whenever the current one I use really starts to fail (depending on how their AMD stuff works out), and this comment makes me more curious to look into them.
But I really struggle to recommend Framework after they were unable at this time to fix a hardware issue. The headphone jack will beep when sound turns on and off. Framework confirmed with me that the vendor intended for this and they were unable to fix it because of the parts shortage. It is so annoying I bought a USB C dac to play the audio in.
The keyboard, they minimize way too much, like having to use the fn key for home, end, and pg up/down, as well as insert, I need to press fn+shift+insert to paste something in gnome terminal which means I need to do it for Neovim.
Aside from that, I do like the 3:2 aspect ratio, even if it has issues with GNOME and websites. GNOME refuses to let you snap two windows to each side for some reason. Websites think your screen is too small and so you get the mobile version for a lot of sites.
Still, beautiful screen, excellent webcam, metal body. Needs more execution.
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