I know the framework 13 has been supported for many years now, I was wondering how much longer support is expected to continue?
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I’d guess that it should continue for at least a couple more years, and when it changes it may not brick total compatibility with older FL13 hardware
Hopefully until at least December 2026. (5 years from when the FW 13 went international). If they really believe in their mission of reducing e waste then they would have at least 10 years of making parts available to fix the existing laptops.
I totally understand that they probably don’t want to make a billion skus at a time to reduce the footprint and cost of their inventory. Even if it’s just the SKU of the latest version of that part such as the last gen mainboard they make for it, the 2.8k screen, etc. Even if they limit the options for colors of bezels and only standard keyboards it would be reasonable because they are still keeping them out of the trash.
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For me to consider FW a successful concept, my answer would be: “forever”? Laptops haven’t really changed in 20 years. They are already thin enough and light enough. The only reason you change the outer shell is for marketing. Don’t get me wrong I think the chassy could be better (I’d like more IO and the fans to not intake from the bottom) but to abandon this one completely would run counter to the point of the company.
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I agree with @SCdF --the promise of the FW was that it would be “the last (full) laptop you’ll ever buy”.
My expectations are that either they keep with the same industrial design, or they will ensure that new parts for newer designs will be able to be retrofitted in the existing case. There are plenty ways and room to do this, either by including brackets / adapters or just by maintaining the overall clamps / hooks / magnets / standoffs in the same positions as a standard or underlying design baseline.
Think of the ATX cases. They’ve been there for decades, and components “fit for ATX” still fit in the most modern cases.
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Instead of the FW12, I thought they were going to make a 2in1 FW13. I.e. just change the FW13 case, to make the hinge work, and let people use their old FW13 mainboard etc. In it.
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It could still happen as a future product. I think the company felt that bringing the mission to a more affordable price point was a more important thing to do first.
I hope this to be Framework’s path. Just a feeling that it is.
I’m hoping that it will be a ship of Theseus. I’m hoping if they change the shell, they will maintain backwards compatibility with old mainboards for instance.
So fingers crossed for the 13 being supported for as long as Framework is business.
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