I’m on a 2015 16GB MBP, upgraded to 1TB. 10 years later, I’m still waiting for a better laptop.
The various Frameworks:
normal storage and RAM prices
self repair of course
can’t charge by USB. Not so mobile; carry a massive power brick. A lot less portable. Snapdragon processors still not challenging Apple.
still no forcefeedback touchpad or Sensel. The decade year old MBP is better
Windows yuk. Q: Considering linux and emulate MacOS for anything that doesn’t work on Linux?!
Q: still some sleep/wake issues?
The M5 MBP:
efficient power
charge by USB
good touchpad
MacOS can run linux-like(brew) and also Windows-like apps
repair shops are familiar
RAM and storage price gouging; up to $7000 for 128gb AI capable spec is insane
still single point of failure mainboard design
Battery replaceable, but still repair hostile
touchID isn’t that useful; doesn’t work for sudo, reprompts for full password etc, Bitwarden only slick with Safari
Overall, the Mac is the slicker product. The only problem is the RAM, which is very underpowered in a world of AI. But to pay for that capability is extremely expensive.
So I continue to wait.
My question to you is:
Am I going to be waiting forever? Will Linux Snapdragon, USB chargable, sleep/resume, Sensel ever exist?
I suspect most if not all of it is written by AI, tell tale sign is the over use of emoji. Its a good tool, but you still need to verify before posting like this.
All the framework laptops can charge by USB-C, and thats the only way its ever been.
Agreed on “Windows yuk“, but several Linux distributions are officially supported.
I am still experiencing sleep/wake issues, but thats due to Fedora I think, since I have the same problems on my self build desktop gaming PC.
Ubuntu can run Snaps and (also) other distributions use Flatpaks, similar to Windows/Apple store apps.
Homebrew is made for MacOS taking inspiration from Linux similar package managers, later Linux support was added.
Getting a Mac(Book) repaired is cost prohibitive, because Apple makes it so difficult. I have an otherwise perfectly fine MacBook Pro M1 2020 model, however, I nicked the flat cable going to the screen while trying to remove dirt from the seem with something sharp. Now the screen artifacts a lot, and can’t work with it anymore. Repair bill would be $800+ to get it repaired. They need to replace the whole screen… For a flat cable that probably costs less than 15 cents.
Agreed on the trackpad, but can it be made like that of Apple MacBooks with this concept? I don’t know.
I have a tiny, 65 watt, GaN USB-C charger that can charge any Framework laptop. It won’t fully power the FW 16 in use, but it will charge it, and it keeps up with light use with no problem. I also have a 30W USB-C charger that is about 3 centimeters square. Very tiny. It also will charge any of them, and will mostly keep up with the FW 12 and 13 during light use. It is what I sometimes travel with. I have that 30 watt charger and a 10 foot USB-C cable. The charger is light and takes up very little space in my bag. The long cable is great in hotels when the outlet is nowhere near the desk/end table.
You are comparing Framework laptops to a 2015 MBP? Framework is an improvement in every way, especially on the AMD line of mainboards.
The only place where current day apple products are great is battery life. However, the newest offerings from AMD really are showing huge strides. You can easily use one all day. Heck the 13th gen i5 in my Framework 12 is able to go a whole day including being on standby when not in use. At least while using Omarchy. I don’t think Windows is as efficient at sipping on juice.
As someone who actually likes macOS and uses a Mac mini as a desktop, I think what you’re mentioning here is more a case of familiarity. As most people have pointed out, your points about Framework are very wrong.
My FW12 w/ Linux is the best computer experience I have seen on the go. Get Fedora/Ubuntu on GNOME, and have fun.
“Best”, because I once had a MacBook Air M2 which would break itself every 3-6 months. The frst time was my mistake with water damage that got repaired under AppleCare+, and then it kept breaking itself (screen would go blank, trackpad would stop working, etc), and I was at the mercy of Apple.
I love the Framework so much. It is knowing that I can repair this myself, that allows me to treat this as a workhorse.
I first wrote about the touchpad a few years ago. That’s in my post history. Thanks for letting me know about the emojis. We’ve all got to learn to write unlike AI. None of it is is written by AI…
Thanks also for letting me know about the USB charging and AMD. I can check those out now and get up to date.
That just leaves the trackpad. I can go back to the mouse.
Not as clunky as it used to be… but I’m still somehow suspicious of the upgrade. Some people who’ve owned a Mac did comment to agree with me. As I say, I wouldn’t normally hold onto tech for 10 years.
Just to confirm 100%: there are zero suspend / resume issues now on AMD based frameworks under Linux now?
I don’t know if anyone can say 100%, especially with Linux, since there are so many possible configurations and customizations out there. All I can say is that I’ve had a Framework 13 laptop with the AMD 7840u running Fedora for a couple years now, and I don’t have any issues with suspend/resume. It does use a bit more power when suspended than my previous Macbook did, but it’s totally acceptable for my usage.
I was running a Macbook Air, M1 before I got the AMD FW 13. There was definitely a step back in battery life. The Macbook Air lasted me two days of mixed use. Probably 10+ hours of actual usage time. The FW 13 is probably closer to 6-8 hours, depending on what I’m doing. But I didn’t regret the switch. I was getting more and more frustrated by new versions of Mac OS (little things, but they grated on me). And I couldn’t see myself giving Apple thousands of dollars for a laptop where repair was restrictive, the OS was restrictive, and SSD and RAM upgrades cost a fortune and were soldered. But everyone has different priorities and different use cases. I’m sure Macbooks make a lot of sense for some people.
The trackpad on the FW 13 is pretty good, as long as you are okay with tap to click. Even on the Macbook, I used tap to click anyway, so the difference was minimal for me. On the other hand, if you prefer using the physical click to click, the physical click of the Framework trackpad is not nearly as good as Macbooks.
what portability? the 13 inch models are practically the same dimensions?
what ease of use? i hate the mac UI so much lmao. some of it is just personal preference but some stuff is objectively bad… i gotta enable right click every time i use someone’s mac
id argue that the specs are the main advantage of macs lmao. chiefly their better efficiency and power that apple silicon brings
normal storage and RAM prices
can’t charge by USB. Not so mobile; carry a massive power brick. A lot less portable. Snapdragon processors still not challenging Apple.
still no forcefeedback touchpad or Sensel. The decade year old MBP is better
RAM and storage price gouging; up to $7000 for 128gb AI capable spec is insane
and (also) other distributions use Flatpaks, similar to Windows/Apple store apps.