In order:
- Touchscreen
- 2-in-1 chassis
- Oled display
- Larger touchpad
- ARM motherboard
- Haptic touchpad
- LPCAMM2
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A small boutique Linux only manufacturer has haptic trackpads. It can be done.
I will say it seems they are having delivery issues. This hasn’t been a concern for Framework so that is something to keep in mind. Until deliveries occur then the laptop only exists on paper but at least conceptually, it looks like Starlabs found a vendor for a haptic trackpad, surely Framework with its greater scale could do the same. Especially since the vendor need not be able to ship as many trackpads as a vendor like Lenevo would require.
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Ah, is that’s what’s going on with it? I was looking for info & found barely a couple mentions of it on the Internet.
I saw they sell replacement parts & searched too long before accepting that a replacement StarFighter input cover or just touchpad is not available.
If and when replacements are available, someone needs to get one and Frankenstein it into a Framework! Seriously, show people a haptic touchpad in a Framework so that they know it’s just waiting to be done & bug Framework.
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Battery indicator LEDs.
A color temperature sensor for the display (AKA “True Tone”) but I don´t know if that’s protected by an Apple patent.
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From further investigation it seems deliveries have occurred albeit very slowly. Given Framework’s larger scale and greater capital resources, I doubt Framework would have the same issues. I might try giving them an email to learn the vendor of the trackpad. I’ll report back here if/when they respond.
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What I want is some additional polishing of fw13 current models.
Better sound quality. They could be tuned further in the ALC295 via filters right on the hardware. I am looking at it in the speaker quality thread. Better DSP and hardware in future models. It’s easy to make it sound better with software equalization. it should be possible to set this via hardware. A bit more information on how to do so in the other thread and maybe the community can figure it out. The Tempo 92HD95 you used in actually has public datasheets detailing how to set bi-quad filters to tune the speakers. Your move back to ALC295 which is extremely closed is most unfortunate.
Better fan curves. My fan should not pulse. It should run but inaudibly so and much sooner to avoid pulsing. I haven’t played with the curves yet but this is would be ideal. It’s possible this may be better and I am behind on updates.
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The option of a haptic touchpad would be nice.
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@MJ1 I have incredibly surprising news. The vendor for StarLabs is the same vendor that Framework uses. PixArt and libinput are used in the StarLabs Starfighter laptop per their support response on Monday. Which just begs the question…why has Framework not created a haptic touchpad module if one is available from one of their suppliers?
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Maybe it’s really expensive & Framework didn’t feel it would sell well. Being that they offer multiple options, customers would have to look at the price of the touchpad, may balk if it’s really high for a mere touchpad. I don’t know.
But better that’s it should be more easily available to Framework than harder, at least.
I don’t know much about the current haptic touchpads. So I’m speculating, but perhaps StarLabs isn’t using a solution where the haptic portion is integrated in a single module with the touchpad. I mean, does PixArt even make a haptic touchpad as far as what’s known? I searched a little and didn’t turn up anything. You could technically have a separate haptic feedback module just attached alongside. Connected via i2c to the EC or usb. No idea how easy it would be to make that work well driver wise, or even if that might violate someone’s patents. 
Assume if it was easy more laptops would have it.
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Neither did I so I followed up with Sean to clarify that we are indeed talking about the correct laptop model.
If it were prohibitively expensive, I just can’t imagine how a smaller manufacturer than framework could add one to a model. The demo video they showed of their laptop seemed to genuinely be a haptic touchpad. So they at least made a POC. As far as demand goes…there are many threads/posts here and on Reddit asking for this. Framework easily could have created a touchpad upgrade kit and marketed that and then gauged market response before committing to a production run where the haptic model is the default. Even a modest cost increase of $50 per laptop could be excused for such an upgrade.
Neither do I for that matter. Sensel talks about “quantum mechanics” or some such thing being involved iirc from the initial LTT video. I just know from using the FW13…I did not care for the touchpad at all. Sometimes the angle I was using the laptop at was not conducive to the touchpad functioning properly and a solid state trackpad would fix that.
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My guess is, that is z-height and cost is are the issues.
The FW touchpad is fairly flat.
If you e.g look at a Macbook touchpad, there is a copper coil below it, which is needed for the haptic feedback. Its not much, but adds to the z-height of the module.
I dont know how much empty space is between the FW touchpad and the battery, but it could be too tight.
Other manufacturers can simply take the larger z-height of the touchpad into account, when designing a new laptop, where FW needs to make it fit into the current housing.
Maybe it is possible to design a slimmer touchpad module, but who is going to pay for R&D?
Touchpad manufacturers wont bother too much, because the rest of the industry does not have said limitations.
FW on the other hand does not have the resources, as you can see with the rounded corners on the 2.8k display.
I really really hope for a haptic touchpad, but i keep my expectations low 
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That makes a great deal of sense.
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- Ortholinear keyboard
- battery indicator on the side of the case
- power/suspend indicator on the side of the case
Ahhhhhh, we have a theory that makes sense to me now.
Counterpoint, I stuck a copper shim onto my SSD. I no longer own my FW13 but was the SSD underneath that general area? Or is the SSD in a different place?
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@MJ1 followed up with StarLabs to confirm the module came from PixArt and they reversed their position and are saying that is the standard touchpad and the haptic one is a custom job. Which actually is even more insane because the tooling costs for that must be insane if they aren’t sourcing it from another vendor.
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It’s probably a custom job so they can fit it to the laptop but still a vendor.
Ortholinear keyboard. Be the first laptop to offer it!
For comparison, the Framework 13 keyboard layout:
Shrink the oversized keys on the sides and split the spacebar, and there’s huge unrealised potential:
Beautiful symmetry, plus 3 extra keys 
I realise there’s the problem that the H key is not under the right index finger…
but arranging the layout is something every otholinear keyboard user does anyway,
so maybe offer this only with blank keycaps?
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New chassis!
Any additional features, I’d want less than enhancements to what already exists. Here are the ones I can think of though.
- The foundational elements of data integrity: ECC RAM and a second SSD wedged in there somewhere
- A display switch that doesn’t use magnets. (lots of accidental switching here.)
- Old Thinkpad-style keyboard layout
- 360 degree hinges
- A touchscreen, for the PDFs and EPUBs while the hinge is folded around
- An accelerometer to also go with the PDFs
- A BIOS toggle to disable the power button light
- A BIOS toggle to disable that Fn-Lock indicator. My function keys are always function keys and I don’t like extra lights.
Everything else I can think of is some refinement that belongs in the other thread, or is software. (I really want a different touchpad acceleration curve. Haptic clicking, not if it increases the price at all.)