Bluetooth, camera, parts, DYI, etc. - random questions

Framework Laptop 13
1

I will start off by saying I am not a tech enthusiast, so much as I am just a cheapskate. I like the idea of a framework laptop because it appeals to my desire to buy a thing once and fix and upgrade it for many years.

That said, I have some questions. They’re probably dumb ones, so please humor me.

  1. Is there Bluetooth support in any of these configurations? I didn’t see it mentioned, but maybe I’m missing something.
  2. Does the camera support Windows Hello?
  3. If the company dies a swift death, i.e., before I find myself updating or replacing any parts, would I still be able to find replacements elsewhere? I understand I could find hard drives or RAM, but what about the motherboard, display, and battery? Probably not?
  4. Why are the DIY kits more expensive than the corresponding pre-built options? Assembling sounds fun, but not several hundred dollars fun! Aren’t I saving the company money by assembling it myself, and if so, why the mark-up?
2

  1. Yes, the supplied wifi card supports Bluetooth 5.2

  2. Probably will, it would be stupid not to.

  3. Hopefully that won’t happen, otherwise we’ll all be out of luck

  4. I think I’ve seen an answer to that question somewhere in the community posts. Part of it is more expensive to ship, since the box will be bigger. Maybe a little more effort to select specific components and verify what’s in the box.
    The DIY gives you higher end choices than the standard configurations.

3

For Windows Hello, we have a fingerprint reader built into the power button. We didn’t use a camera-based solution, as it usually means significant sacrifices to image quality (having the camera sensitive to IR and visible).

The pricing between equivalent DIY and pre-built configurations is fairly close. If you bring your own OS like a Linux distribution, the price is somewhat lower. If you choose a retail Windows license, the price is somewhat higher.

3 Likes
4

Thank you for the clarification on number 2. I am so used to fingerprint sensors, I don’t think of cameras, which was the original question.

5

I kind of have to disagree here. For example according to my math if I configured the bare minimum of a DIY i5/8GB/250 Storage with power adapter and 4 USB-C that’s 966 USD. The equivalent in pre-built is only 33 USD more at 999 USD and I get a Windows 10 Home license. If I threw a Windows license on the DIY then it jumps to 1105 USD! I wouldn’t call 106 USD fairly close.

6

I know this is an ancient post, but I’d have to disagree with the remark that the camera quality has to be reduced. The Logitech Brio uses 2 cameras, one exclusively for Windows Hello. This camera doesn’t have an IR filter, but the main camera does. I believe the Surface line also does something similar. Additionally, some people would be fine with reduced camera quality if it means that Windows Hello is available. Personally, I rarely use my webcam, but I find Windows Hello indispensable for convenience. Honestly, the lack of a Windows Hello camera is the only reason why I haven’t bought a Framework yet, all these years later.

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Again, it could be an optional module you could purchase. Additionally, the Brio and the Surface line have two cameras so the main camera still has that IR filter. I’m just saying that if it was impossible to put two cameras in the Framework, some people would still do the tradeoff.