Has the flimsy screen been fixed?

Framework Laptop 16
82

…multiple threads is like being flexible!!:joy::joy:

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83

My flimsy screen test: While screen is on, reach around screen, thumb on bezel, press fingers into the back of the screen in different places. Can this make the colors distort, so it looks like a bump or hill near where the fingers are pressing?

If yes, then the screen might need additional support when there might be pressure on it during travel. Some sort of stiff board or plate or large stiff book or tablet about the same size as the screen. Otherwise, items that press into the back of the screen can stretch the screen.

Risks:

  • Infrequent brief deformation might not be a problem. Frequent or prolonged deformation (such as on a commute) increases the risk.

  • Strong deformation might press the screen into the keyboard, where travel vibrations can scratch the screen surface.

  • Eventually, repeated screen stretching and deformation can weaken connections and shorten the life of the screen. (Yes, I have had to replace a laptop [not Framework] with a flimsy screen that failed prematurely.) (Yes, the Framework screen can be replaced. But screen failure might not happen at a convenient time or place.)

Packing:

  • If the laptop travels alone, or in a stiff briefcase, there probably is not a problem.

  • I try to be careful when carrying a laptop with other items that can press into the middle of the screen, such as small books or phone or bottle or groceries. That could cause screen flex, especially if tightly packed, or on a bumpy trip with heavy items.

  • Squeezing a soft bag into tight spaces (such as under or behind a seat) might flex the screen, if the bag has items that can press into the back of the screen.

  • In a simple backpack, I make sure to face the screen side away from my back so my spine doesn’t press into the screen when I bend over, especially on a bicycle. (My backpack does not have a stiffening plate, nor a frame to separate the content from my back so sweat can evaporate.)

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85

I don’t notice much keyboard flex but there is some screen flex on my batch 1

87

Keyboard flex should be resolved on some later batch 1 models and later as they discovered the issue and the fix. Those affected were to be sent the fix.

I am curious about the screen flex/rigidity though. It won’t be enough for me to cancel my order (Batch 8), but I’ll be looking for a fix either through the community via a tweak/mod or via framework.

88

I’m sure the framework team is working on a solution to both issues as well as user requests.

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89

I mentioned this in another thread, but some flex in the screen seems unavoidable and, in my opinion, not a particularly big concern.
My current XPS17 has minimal flex but is also almost completely non-serviceable. The lid, display, and bezel are all clipped and glued together to form a laminate; think plywood. The three layers glued together are far more rigid than the total rigidity of the three layers individually.
I have an old first-gen Asus ZenBook Pro that is similar in size, not glued together, but does have the bezel more firmly attached than Framework’s magnetic system. It has a lot of screen flex. After nine years of use, that flex has caused zero problems.
I recently replaced the display in my FW 13 (glossy to matte) and was shocked to see how flexible the panel was when it was removed from the lid. Whatever flex the FW16’s lid has, it’s nowhere near enough to damage the display.

I think this is mostly a perception problem, not an actual hardware failure problem. The only options to improve this would be:

  1. Make a more rigid bezel and attach it to the rest of the assembly with screws or glue. I suppose screws would still be in-line with Framework’s ethos (the chassis bottom isn’t attached with magnets) but glue seems anathema to the whole idea behind Framework.
  2. Add more mass to the lid… adding weight to an already hefty laptop.

Personally, I hope they do neither. Some flex in that area is OK. For those who want a completely rigid laptop, Apple makes some great stuff…

15 Likes
90

if i could meaningfully run linux on it, i’d have an M-whatever laptop right now.

but i can’t.

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And there’s yet to be a powerful, well supported Arm design on the “PC” side of things, unfortunately. Although maybe in a few years we might start getting some meaningful RISC-V designs at the mid-range. Not going to hold my breath though. Probably going to be closer to 5 years before we get ones that catch up to about current AMD/Intel performance. Maybe I’ll be surprised. And we’ll see if those designs are as power efficient as the Arm could be. As you say, see Apple’s M chips.

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92

I mean Asahi is pretty good nowadays, depending on your needs.

93

while asahi has come a long way since i emptied my apple shopping cart and placed a framework 16 preorder last year, the graphics stack still isn’t adequately complete, and power management leaves some things to be desired.

it’s entirely possible that these gaps will close by the time my batch 15 order comes up, and i may have to re-evaluate by then. i’d much rather hope for some structural improvements to the fw16 than go back to buying an apple if i can though.

(on a lesser note, i’m distinctly not a fan of fedora-based distros, but that’s a lesser issue since presumably one could extract the necessary asahi-specific kernel bits and required matching userland components for use in something else. but it’s a bunch of work i’d rather not need to do.)

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94

Setup my FW16 yesterday. I don’t see what the fuss is about. Screen is fine, I’d have never ever noticed the flex, if people on the internet weren’t screaming about it.

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