Now that my laptop has shipped, I want to take a moment and document my expectations and long term plan.
I had my choice of laptops. I specifically wanted a small laptop that was upgradeable and repairable. Where my colleges on our support team got the 2020 version of Dell XPS15s, I wanted something smaller. So my point of comparison is the XPS13.
What I am looking for is something that will be within the XPS13’s size, weight and performance class while being completely field serviceable. I want all day battery life as close to my Macbook Air M1 as possible.
And I expect to love the ability to change my port loadout as needed. I am hoping for a DB9 and ethernet port expansion pack eventually.
I hope that Frameworks not only survives but also thrives. Many of the reviews I read basically boiled down to this: “Nice laptop, but so you trust them as a new company.” Perhaps with a revision or 2 under their belt, Frameworks will prove themselves.
As for my plans, this laptop is going to be my main support machine. I am going to use this as a test bed to determine if we can use them in the field. We support 8-900 mobile sales and support personnel in North America. On average, our lifecycle program is to replace 25% of our laptop population on a yearly basis to maintain our fleet. We buy them, keep them for 4 years, and then clean them out and sell them. If our plans go right, then Frameworks would be the basis to allow me to extend the life of a chassis with us to 5 or even 6 years. by putting in a refit capability into the process. I could easily see us buying 150-200 of these a year.
What are you trying to accomplish with your purchase?