Submitted by Though it can’t match the high-quality screens and discrete GPUs available in some competing laptops (like the Dell XPS 13 and Alienware m15 r4), Framework offers a unique feature customers can’t find anywhere else right now: control.
Laptops have steadily gotten less repairable and upgradeable over time, to the horror of many computing enthusiasts. While we’re starting to see manufacturers ship more notebooks with upgradeable storage and graphics card options, the rest of the components are typically off-limits — and often soldered down in a way that makes trying to replace or upgrade it a dicey proposition at best.
By contrast, Framework’s laptop has been designed from the ground up for socket-based modularity. This is a decision Patel claims hasn’t prevented them from achieving nearly the same heights of thinness and lightness as competitors like Apple and Dell have.
This is the first review of the Framework Laptop I’ve seen, and it seems very positive. I’m unreasonably excited about this machine, and I’ll try and see if I can get my hands on a review unit. This machine seems like a perfect fit for the average OSNews reader.
They need to get this in the hands of reviewers, but IMHO it looks pretty cool.
All the prebuilt systems force a windows bundle, which sucks. But at least the DIY kit lets you leave it off, which is what I would do. I could see myself using such a system, but there are cons for me: the lack of ethernet is problematic for some of my work (I hate external dongles). Also, I have a lot of trouble editing on keyboards that cram arrow keys and paging keys making it difficult to touch type. Other than those things it seems like it could be compelling and at a fair price point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-RXqNafscs&t=9s
But OK, it’s larger and heavier.
To be honest, most of the components that matter aren’t modular in any way that matters. (i.e no cross-gen compat between CPUs, the sad state of MXM, etc.)
That and they aren’t addressing the most important modular component of all – the battery. You know what’d be cool? Something you can shove 16850s into and it’ll properly power manage them.
Good news, based on what you said here. The laptop you would like already exists. Check this out:
https://www.crowdsupply.com/mnt/reform
Aside from having replaceable batteries like you were wanting, the SOC is also included within a replaceable SODIMM, and to my knowledge, they are already working on a few new SOC modules (one is a higher spec ARM chip, the second is an FPGA, and the final one was RISC-V based IIRC).
Also, here is their mastadon page in case you’d like to read more up on their latest developments:
https://mastodon.social/@mntmn
Enjoy!
$1000 for a ARM i.MX8 based laptop ?
Plus the comparison table is skewed when competition is on par or better.
Nope. Nope nope nope…
Funny review, they mistakenly placed “- Cutting-edge Intel CPUs” in the wrong verdict column 😛
I suspect a lot of laptop users (probably not the majority of OSNews readers) Could not care less about upgradability of their laptops. What they want is an appliance that rones the software the need for their job an/or hobby. But I agrre storage and Ram should be easily upgradable, without the need to open the main mody and hence possibly voiding the warranty/service agreement
https://downloads.dell.com/manuals/all-products/esuprt_laptop/esuprt_vostro_notebook/vostro-3555_owner%27s%20manual_en-us.pdf : page 21/116
Dell professional laptop are top.
bn-7bc Sorry most countries opening the main body of laptop legally the vendor is not allowed to break the warranty/service agreement as long as you don’t break anything. Something like the framework laptop that is designed to be opened your warranty/service agreement is 100 percent safe. Yes there are models of Dell and HP laptops sold to enterprise that the main body is designed to be opened interesting enough the long keyboard ribbon cable is also in those.
Upgrading storage/Ram without opening the main body seams like a good idea. There are downside to it. The framework laptop has a solid back-plate this happens to provide better rigidity. Yes the Dell and HP laptops for enterprise uses that you work though the main body also have the solid back-plate for better rigidity. Cutting those doors to allow you to upgrade storage/ram without opening the main body comes at a price of rigidity.
Yes I agree a lot of laptop users don’t care about upgrade ability of their laptops. But this is different for those running fleets of laptops like 100-1000 of them.
–What they want is an appliance that rones the software the need for their job an/or hobby.
Yes is try but you cannot do that if you laptop is not working. This is also why ram upgrades in laptops are not that common these days as people normally by the laptop for the role with all the ram they ever need. A laptop will be lucky to have 1 ram upgrade in it life time. Storage is also very much the same. This is why access without opening main body to upgrade ram and storage is less important in most cases to rigidity of the device. Yes those access without opening the main body is required when like the keyboard has insanely short cable that you are going to risk rip it in two when you attempt to split open the main body of the laptop.
There is a scary number you deploy 100 chromebooks/laptops/tablets in a school or business by end of year you can expect 10% to be broken. Yes 1 in 10. Also note majority of this damage will not be covered under warranty. In fleet deployments the ablity to upgrade/downgrade is important. Think you have a new version of laptop and person has successfully broken it by basically chiseling a key off the keyboard some how this is not a warranty fix and worse can also not be covered by a dell or hp service agreement due to being what is classed as intentional damage. Now you happen to have last generations laptop laying around with a broken screen and it was upgrade-able/same keyboard. Now you can downgrade the new laptops keyboard that is broken to the older generation keyboard and get that laptop working again. Again if the parts are compadible this could be screens, batteries, main-boards.
Something else to be aware in laptops that are designed to be opened and reassembled the cannibalisation process can take a 1 in 10 failure per year down to 1 in 100 failure per year just by recovering the good parts from the broken and making working laptops from them. This is without having do fancy soldering and so on.
Opening by the main body the keyboard flipped over provided a raised work service for putting parts on. Yes this does not make the laptop or the parts spill proof if the drink goes straight on it. But if someone on the other side of desk spills drink and it spread to where the laptop is being worked on the raised height of the keyboard and main body normally keeps the liquid out. Open main body repair is found in quite a few rugged laptops as the keyboard back is the work-surface for parts even in the manuals because its presumed you will be doing repairs without a anti-static mat.
Next is a big one people miss open main body put ram in the screen is still connected and functional. So as long as you can power laptop on with external keyboard/mouse you can now run ram/storage diagnostics simply. Yes having to put ram/storage in and out quite few times due to issues(think cannibalisation where not all parts will work) results in one of the following open/closing the screen a lot or getting lazy turning the laptop over with the screen open. Yes turning the laptop over with the screen open you can hit the screen and basically break screen/hinge so making another problem. The ribbon cable from the main body to screen in a laptop has a limited number of open and close cycles before it fails do note the ribbon cable to keyboard supports basically the same number of bend cycles but due to being stationary has very low cycle count. Also the speed of open and close on a ribbon cable is a factor on how many cycles it will take as well so rapid open close will break monitor ribbion a lot sooner. Yes a laptop with a broken keyboard is simpler to work around than a laptop with a broken screen.
If you are designing a laptop for a long service life opening the main body by the keyboard is the way you do it. Its really simple to miss back of laptop access for ram and storage results in more broken laptops by people attempting to perform repairs without doing complex 1 generation layout.
I know working by removing keyboard instead of having ports in back at first seams wrong but once you have worked in repairs for a while you start seeing that its the right way.
oiaohm,
I’ve never heard of that. Do you mind citing the specific laws you are referring to? I ask because I sometimes come across holographic warranty stickers and it would be good to know about a legal defense for breaking the sticker.
I realize many computer manufacturers do let you open them, but if a warranty explicitly prohibits opening I’m inclined to believe it will not be honored any longer. Unfortunately many manufactures are looking for any reason not to honor their warranties 🙁
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/11/601582169/warranty-void-if-removed-as-it-turns-out-feds-say-those-warnings-are-illegal
Alfman if you are in the USA under USA law those holographic warranty stickers preventing you opening the device are in fact illegal and are not meant to be there at all.
Australia with fair trade/consumer protection laws the stickers can legally be there saying “you warranty may be voided” the word may is a must otherwise it a illegal sticker that you can totally ingore. When you get into the consumer law breaking the sticker does not count they have to prove that you in fact broke something functional to the device and the bit you broke direct links to why the warranty claim has been put in not to do that part of the repair free of charge. So you crack the side of the screen because you had it open and under warranty you are after to have a charging port replaced no where near it under Australia law the warranty must still be carried out. Of course in the example I gave the vendor is free in the warranty repair process to bill you for screen replacement because it was a damaged part by you and they replaced it to maintain constant quality standard of returned device. So the may be voided with Australia says you warranty may no longer be a free repair if you open the device and break something of course you cannot be billed for the work that was still covered by the warranty even in that case you are only being billed for the extra damage repair(what at vendor prices can be ouch).
For the sticker to be legal in Australia here there has to be like the possibility that you could put a screw in the wrong place and do device damage or equal(as in being something that is not straight up in fact as a possibility of being harmful). Other wise its illegal again to be there.
https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/04/the-accc-is-taking-apple-to-court/
The Australian law in fact legally allows third party repair and modification even why a device is under warranty. Yes this is apple end up in court in Australia over their 53 error that apple had to repair that for free and even help third parties out with it.
Alfman basically depend on your countries laws there can be quite cases where the company says defect in device is not covered by warranty but it still covered. Lot of people think that once 12 month warranty is up on a device they are no longer protected yet their country mandates longer. The fun of statutory warranty,
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-06-07/broken-but-out-of-warranty-you-still-have-rights/2749924
The reality of the location under law in most countries its in fact illegal for a warranty to explicitly prohibit opening. Think about this for one moment there is a big reason why opening a device is forbid from being illegal in most countries. Lets say the police/customs suspect someone has hidden drugs or something else inside a device they cannot be stopping just because of some joke of warranty sticker with their search and customer should not be adversely effected because the device was opened. Basically there is a need by law enforcement to be able to open up devices completely without adversely effecting the end users.
Alfman really do check your countries laws there is a very high probability that warranty forbidding you from opening the device is illegal. Of course if do open the device incorrectly and break parts you are responsible for what you have done. This could be not heating the device to the correct temperature to release the glue or opening the wrong way…. Horrible part here is you are legally allowed to open the device the maker of the device is not legally required to tell you without a court order how to open the device without breaking parts.
I find very important to know this law because I have run into the case in Australia where a party knew the product was lemon so when they opened the device and temp repaired to as the vendor they did not replace the warranty sticker so when it came back attempted to claim some other party had opened it so they would not provide replacement. Yes just because something is illegal if you don’t your countries protection laws for consumers companies will attempt to deceive you.
Alfman really get to know your countries consumer protection laws on warranties basically. There is high chance that a cases you believe the warranty would be voided the warranty is not.
Yes if you are ordering stuff from overseas directly you do at times have to know the country laws you are ordering from as this can sometimes get you free replacements or full refund for provable defective goods without having return the item under the countries warranty/consumer protection laws. Note this can require taking the right pictures for the law and getting them certified by a JP or equal.
Consumer protection laws of a country really do state what a warranty can and cannot restrict. To be correct don’t know of a country where its legal to forbid someone from opening a device with a warranty. I do know of countries like Australia where you have to be down right careful opening a device because if you need warranty every part that they can legally class as damaged with the process you opened the device with you can be billed for if you need to use the devices warranty. So a company writing globally valid warranty should just have the clause “Parts damaged as part of unauthorized repair may be replaced at the user expense in the warranty repair process” instead of warranty will be voided. I really do think the correct text in the warranty is far more scary.
oiaohm,
Thanks but all I wanted was a specific citation of the law.
The title of the NPR article you linked suggests those stickers are illegal, but NPR is not law and I think the editor drew that conclusion erroneously (The actual problem may have been Hyundai requiring specific branded replacements).
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/11/601582169/warranty-void-if-removed-as-it-turns-out-feds-say-those-warnings-are-illegal
From what I could find, this appears to be the relevant portion of the law:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/2302
Alas, I don’t see any passage in the law specifically outlawing warranty stickers in the US.
The majority of the time products work fine, but I’ve had very mixed luck with warranties actually being honored without a fight.
Off topic for osnews, but one of the warranty incidents I can laugh about was a container of ice cream. I don’t normally buy Hershey ice cream but this was all they had at a small corner store I was passing through. The ice cream in question was supposed to have chunks of chocolate or what not but had zero flavoring – it was just frozen milk. Obviously there was a mistake at the factory. The label had a 100% money back satisfaction guaranty if you mail in the receipt and UPC code. Well I did that expecting a check from Hershey, but they replied with a statement explaining that it happens when they change product lines and instead of the promised ~$6 refund they sent a coupon for half off a future purchase of ice cream. It’s only a carton of ice cream, so I have a good humor about it, but what smucks they are to not honor the guaranty written on the package. Haha
–Alas, I don’t see any passage in the law specifically outlawing warranty stickers in the US.–
Because it does not need to be specifically outlawed because its already generically out lawed.
There is presence with the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
https://www.findlaw.com/consumer/consumer-transactions/warranty-laws-and-the-magnuson-moss-warranty-act-.html
–A tie-in sales provision requires a purchaser of a warranted product to buy a particular item or service from a specified company to use with the warranted product in order to be eligible to receive the benefits of the warranty.–
Warranty stickers are legally attempted tin-in to force consumers to use their provided repair service.
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2018/04/ftc-staff-warns-companies-it-illegal-condition-warranty-coverage
Alfman this is the FTC press-release in 2018 on the matter. Yes those warranty is void sticker if remove are illegal tie-in under USA law to the point FTC will at times take enforcement action against companies using them and has won in court every single time they have. Yes the reality is if a company in the USA was to say hey stickers broken I am not doing warranty you contact the FTC and really quickly that arguement will disappear.
Yes you found the right section of law Alfman the matching that bit of law up court precedence with that section of law means those stickers are illegal as they are illegal condition to warranty. Yes when you dig deeper into that section of law you should also have the right to have your own chosen tech do the warranty repair so they are not locking you to their service as well.
oiaohm,
There is no tie in sale or requirement for the purchaser to buy anything at all, ergo using a warranty to stop the owner from opening the device doesn’t violate the statute.
It’s a given that you’re going to take it back to the manufacturer in order for them to repair or replace your product under warranty. If you choose to get your device fixed elsewhere, you could certainly do that but I’ve found no provision in the law that subsequently requires the manufacturer to honor the original warranty after that.
I appreciate that you want to believe that warranty stickers are illegal, but so far neither of us have identified a statute that makes them illegal.
Alfman
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2018/04/ftc-staff-warns-companies-it-illegal-condition-warranty-coverage
Its not my option that they are illegal tie in this is 2018 when ftc send out warning letters about the stickers. Ftc does legal action in 2019 and wins that they are illegal that warranty are void stickers are illegal are tie in. As they are items restricting who can service the device.
Remember you are allowed legally to be your own device service person no matter how stupid that is in the USA.
16 CFR § 700.10 – Prohibited tying.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/16/700.10
This is the section of law that makes warranty is void if removed stickers if removed illegal when you get to court.
The tying law in fact forbids you from restricting repairs of devices to only authorized people. You are not allowed by the tying law to cancel a warranty because someone else has opened the device. Vendor are not legal required to repair free of charge any part that the person who was not authorized broke opening the device or attempting to repairing the device. Now if the vendor repair to a particular defect is recycle the complete device because it has X defect and give customer a totally new defect the fact the warranty is void sticker is broken and some other parts are broken due to the tying law if they cannot prove that those damaged bits caused X defect they are still required to replace the device free of charge.
Alfman the simple reality is in the USA warranty is void stickers are illegal courts class them as attempt to perform illegal tying of service that is not allow with a warranty even the general by law given warranty.
oiaohm,
I’m sorry but I was only interested in the laws themselves, not your armchair interpretation of the law.
The FTC warning says they apply an exception for parts and services for free, which they are free under warranty.
And they cite the same law that we already talked about. In short, yes the warranty sticker could be invalid under Magnuson-Moss under certain conditions were they to require consumers to make more purchases, but they’re not automatically illegal. In short it’s just reading what the law literally says. Not to be rude but your word just isn’t useful in the event I were seeking warranty coverage for a device where I had broken the seal.
Alfman the 2019 court case ruled what free equaled in that section of law. The reality is hard. You must have free shipping back or onsite service and down time must be covered by the supplier of the warranty to be free. Yes a lot of auto makers in the USA got a lot more serous about providing loan cars after that because they kept up with the law.
There is a another problem with Warranty is void stickers. Even if the paid for Warranity is void due to person opening the device the legal statutory/implied warranty is not. That the statutory/implied warranty that the item is fit purpose and free from defects.
There is a difference between written warranty and statutory/implied warranty. A valid legal sticker does not have “Warranty is void if removed” instead has “Warranty may be void if removed”. Because the maker has no legal right to void the statutory/implied warranty.
https://www.findlaw.com/consumer/consumer-transactions/what-will-void-a-warranty-.html
–Are there any modifications, changes or unauthorized uses of the product that could void the warranty? Under federal law, the merchant must prove that a defect was caused by the alteration in order to void a written warranty.–
I don’t have the exact law of the USA here if you dig deep enough you cannot void warranty just because a sticker is damaged. The defect has to have happened because the sticker was removed. I have seen valid warranty may be void on parts where lack of careful removal will rip tracks off boards.
–Not to be rude but your word just isn’t useful in the event I were seeking warranty coverage for a device where I had broken the seal.–
I am not saying that will be easy like in Australia with that case I common have to go to the ACCC to get the company to wake up that saying will not fix due to seal is illegal because 1 is worded wrong totally because ” warranty is void” stating something that they don’t have legal grounds to state. USA you will commonly have call on the FTC to get up the companies ribs for illegal action.
Alfman the hard reality here is companies will always attempt to get away with using Warranty is Void stickers when they are not legal because it saves them cost of repair and the legal requirement to prove the damage was caused by the user modification. Do note they are legally able to bill the user for that diagnostic if it was proven to be the users alteration. Most people are not taking this stuff to their countries consumer protection agencies this is leading to increased ewaste as items that legally should have been repaired under warranty that are not repaired.
oiaohm,
The link you provide goes right back to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which we already covered.
You’re going about it backwards. You’ve been asserting that your conclusion is a legal certainty when in fact we haven’t found any such laws. You are free to tell yourself whatever you want, but it’s not terribly convincing unless we find the exact law that says so. If I’m going to risk invalidating a warranty over a broken seal, clearly I’m going to want more than a dissertation from a random internet bloke, I need a certifiable law.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d be very happy if you could find one, which is the reason I asked. But if not then this discussion will fall short of an actionable defense for breaking the stickers.
You might want to listen to what Louis Rossmann
(A bug Right to Repair advocate) has to say before getting too excited:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMZp8ErTTuk