Keeping mine. Like a number of comments above, the laptop has a few issues, the biggest being battery life. That said, it’s got so many great points beyond the ease of repair and ease tp upgrade. I love the keyboard, I think it’s one of the best laptop keyboards I’ve used and the screen is excellent.
The main reason is that I just love the idea of it. Framework just do the things I want tech companies to do and I don’t mind putting up with a few imperfections. The only other laptop I’ve ever had which I loved this much was a Dell M6600 which I’ve had for many years but was no where near as portable. Parts have failed a few times over the years and I’ve been able to replace them which is just a great feeling. I’ve upgraded bits of it too which is also wonderful.
I’m hoping my Framework will be the same and now the 12th gen mainboards have been announced, it’s looking promising!
I’ve had it as my daily driver since batch two and have never thought about returning.
Have I had issues? Sure. But mostly Linux issues and not specifically hardware related. I am currently running it dual booting Windows/Manjaro both encrypted without issues. Hardware appears to be working 100% in both.
My main use cases, aside from normal every day stuff, are coding / virtualization / other scientific stuff and it is great for that. I went with the 1185G7 with 64GB of ram and it’s been a dream. It takes a lot but I do max it out from time to time. I’m really excited for the Gen. 12 boards.
My only use case it doesn’t handle is gaming due to lack of a dedicated GPU. But honestly I’m pretty impressed with how much I can push the iGPU. And for everything else that can’t run on it I sometimes use GeForce Now (it has a free tier also) and I also have a ProxMox server with a 2060 in it passed through to a Windows VM.
I’ve also been a Linux user for a very long time and most companies ignore that market segment. It makes me really happy that Framework is pro-Linux.
But honestly in my old age (think I’m 37 now), I’m getting really tired of buying products from companies and having them be not what they said they would be. And if something breaks, having the company not stand behind their products and leaving their customers out to dry. Then when their customers go to try and fix it, find out they can’t because everything is as anti-consumer as it can be.
With Framework I got exactly what they said I would. It worked as I expected it to. And I’ve only ever seen them go above and behind to help their customers.
So for me at least, there are lots of good reasons to be a Framework owner and I’m happy and proud to be.
Will I be keeping it?! I plan to keep it for many, many years–for me, that was the main point of getting it in the first place!
I’ve spent the past ten years running laptops that have been rescued from the scrap heap and “refurbished” with whatever it takes to get the machine up to decent (or in some cases whatever is lying around), so the Framework is far and away the nicest laptop I’ve ever owned. I had to save up my pennies for quite some time, and as I’m not known for releasing my pennies very freely I plan on making it last a good long while.
As far as the whole battery gripe goes…those of us who have been running Linux on laptops for a long time will remember the days when suspend and hibernate just did not work. …At all. Nowadays that’s no longer the case, but I still rarely use suspend or hibernate. Shutting down my computer when I’m done using it has become somewhat of a hard-wired habit. For that reason, I’ve found the battery life to be tremendous–it can absolutely last all day, which is more than enough for me.
I understand the battery has been a sore subject for others, and I acknowledge that as a valid concern–I realize if I were the type to toss my laptop in my bag and leave it all day, I would probably be singing a different tune–but for me I have found the battery to be just wonderful. Quick to charge, as well!
I am very, very happy to see the mainboard upgrade being released. Not because I am going to buy one–I’m not, and I probably won’t be buying the next one either. I anticipate running this setup for a few years as-is. I’m more excited to see it be released because it means it’s really happening! This whole repairable, upgradeable laptop may have started as a roll of the dice, but now my confidence is really beginning to solidify. I take comfort in knowing that in a few years when this rig is starting to feel a little long in the tooth, I’ll be able to take that upgrade–who knows, maybe there will be a RISC-V option by then.
All that to say, I absolutely plan on keeping my Framework laptop–I plan on keeping it for many, many years.
High standby drain is one of the battery issues (set to be improved only with the 12th gen upgrade), there is also the draining when shutdown (BIOS 3.08 set to fix) and the expansion cards cause drain unless they are type C effecting runtime and standby, I believe this might be unfixable sadly.
It does charge quickly which is great, or is it? My battery gets quite warm when charging and just because battery replacements are available and relatively easy mining lithium and producing these batteries is not without impact or cost.
Also consider the prebuilt is priced equal to or more expensive (in the EU) than a new Apple M1 air for the same storage and ram capacities it is a little disappointing to have these problems…
I know there is chasm between what the two laptops offer in terms of repair, longevity, ownership and resulting environmental impact etc. (that is why bought a FW not an Apple) but I think it is fair to say that Framework is directly competing in the same space while falling short in every basic category besides weight and screen brightness.
I wonder whether design flaw is covered by warranty, and if it is, then is Framework waiting for our warranty to expire before even remotely acknowledging it’s a design / hardware issue?
e.g. The hinges…people have been getting replacements. What’s happening with the TB 4 certification though? Is there a hardware issue?
That is borderline character assassination and many people on the forum will point to Framework’s good faith efforts on support many times in the past. I think that concern is completely unfounded. Purism is a company that could be fairly charged with that but not Framework IMO.
I would like to know this personally but as it functions as intended, it’s personally a minor detail.
I don’t think so, to both questions. It does seem to be a design flaw/oversight that might be inescapable without a physical switch but I’m not sure. FW seem to be more helpful and responsive than most companies and I’m willing to wait and see for now, I’m here because I believe in the direction they are promoting.
Regarding TB4 I think support it is all but official but I have no idea what the hold-up is.
I’m very cynical…I have trust issues. I tend to look at current issue, per issue at a time, and try to ignore historical trend / behaviour.
For example (of my trust issue), the lack of a BIOS update is concerning…is 11th gen mainboard maintenance being abandoned or something? The lack of timeline…
Some might be able to trust another base on a product and support…but I, personally (likely an issue with me), can’t say / know much about the future of the 11th gen mainboard.
The lack of statements / announcement is an indication that someone doesn’t want to be held to their words…and simply easier to leave them unsaid. Unless, if you’re Amber Turd…where fabricating lies is the norm.
That would go against the whole environmental aspect of their marketing wouldn’t it? Besides, the BIOS is developed by Insyde, not Framework, so there is only so much they can do I assume. Seriously, give Framework the benefit of the doubt here, I think they’ve earned it. Although I will take the time to plug Coreboot support as an aoption, Coreboot would enable Framework to make commits on their own time and not be beholden to a third-party’s timeline.
That’s good to hear hibernate works like hibernate should at least. Those cards are still draining additional power reducing your battery runtime so yeah still an issue IMO.
I’m not proactively choosing to charge it at high speed so how is it the user?? If you know of a way to limit charge rate I would be happy to learn about it.
Sure it is interesting and impressive that technology has come along from those days (and expected!), in 20-30 years the runtimes of today will seem bad again (probably much sooner if ARM takes a hold) but the Framework is in the here and now as am I so historical laptop runtimes are not really relevant in my eyes.
I would say your comment is akin to looking at a new vehicles fuel efficiency and comparing it to a car that is from the 90s, you expect it would be better so to compare them would be pointless right?
Use a lower powered supply so it cannot draw max amperage.
See
I am currently using a 5V 2.4A max charger, but I image the PD/PPS controller, having no comms with my charger, may only draw 1 Amp. I will test but not for a few days.
I figured that was the case. I am using the Framework charger and have no other suitable charger so no choice without buying more hardware and I don’t want to create more e-waste.
Remeber part of the argument is not to waste the battery especialy die to the Lithium production and ‘waste’
Buying a 40w charger could still be seen as valuable if it ‘saves’ the battery.
How about a USB C adapter to USB A from the charger to a USB A port. I imagine that should seriously downgrade the charge rate.
The other option is not to charge the battery to such a high voltage which can be done via the BIOS.
You may also find lots of older chargers being dumped
