@Gary_Z I’m thoroughly confused, do you mean externally or internally? And if you mean internally, I’m not sure many users would want space taken up by a 2.5in drive bay that could’ve been spent on battery.
Instead of just having LEDs on the sides. I think it would be so much better if we can install in really high quality top firing speakers.
That and CAMM memory modules!
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The concept of input module system is very interesting.
I wonder if the touchpad and it’s side panels are also an input modules? They seams to have the same size and are also movable. However, I haven’t seen any information about that So e.g. would be possible to swap them with each other?
This would open many more possibilities. E.g:
- Zenbook duo setup: first row screen (hopefully it could be extra large module taking all space); second row keyboard + vertical touchpad as a medium input module
- ThinkPad W700 setup: first row keyboard + numpad; second touchpad + drawing tablet
- Or simply let user choose different touchpad, I personally would be interested in version with physical buttons
What concerns me is connectivity. USB2.0 should be enough for almost every use case, but it may not be enough for an additional display. As this form factor will last hopefully for longer time it’s smart to make it future-proof. On the other hand, im may be not good idea to overdesigning it now for one single use case, that may not be very practical in the end. So maybe solution would be adding additional internal connector for display in future revisions of motherboard it there will be need for that.
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As @Govi mentioned, I am very interested in the side input modules. I’m seeing switch style controller on both sides of keyboard.
According to Linus Tech Tips’ update video about Framework, the side input modules are also movable. They have small LED displays/matrices that can go on the side and display messages, small “fake wood” decorations for the keyboard sides, a number pad that can go on either side of the keyboard and what seemed to be a Sharp Memory Display (though this is only a prototype and won’t be released).
Furthermore, the trackpad module can be moved around on the bottom part of lower half of the laptop to, for instance, place it right below the keyboard when you have a number pad. I don’t see any electrical connections for the bottom part (visible at 8:06), so it seems like the trackpad is electrically connected at its top with the system. I believe the middle part (both vertically and horizontally) of the mainboard has the highest “density” of connectors. This limits what electronics you can put on the bottom part of the lower half of the laptop.
This is just a guess but this higher density might mean that the trackpad can be moved around because of it having multiple connections? We have to wait and see…
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A modular laptop with a dGPU. This is the stuff of legends!
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I am a laptop enthusiast for more than 10 years and I honestly think this is the number 1 laptop I have ever seen. However, I have one question:
Will you fix the chin, or is it possible for users to upgrade a screen at a later stage that will have thinner bezels without a chin?
This product is so close to perfect that I just have to ask. In recent years, laptop enthusiasts have celebrated 16:10 format in laptops and higher screen to body ratios. The FW13 has it appears a smaller chin than the FW16 picture at least. How come, and can users change this?
Thank you and congratulations to the launch. I thought I will be “stuck” with a XPS17+ and an Thunderbolt 5 EGPU, but this thing could beat this setup ;). Incredible innovation.
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I want to be able to put the trackpad to the right of the keyboard. in the same horizontal area. So I can rest my wrists in front of the keyboard without touching the trackpad.
Looks like can modify the keyboard area and put in a small display.
Similar to Lenovo Thinkbook Gen3-17inch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpqaxmJppnY
But can the Main Screen for FWW16 support Touchscreen??
@Tang_Chee_Ming If it uses the same connector as the 13inch then it will support touchscreen but it may or may not be a touchscreen itself
Trying to get a sense of what the IO area specifications on the Expansion Bay Shell look like. In Linus’s video it looks like the area takes up the entire middle of the back panel:
but the PCB reference design on GitHub has a chunk cut out of the top. Not sure what that’s for / whether ports can only go on the part that’s not cut out?
I’m hoping it has high refresh screen option. This is a must for a gaming laptop.
You should note that it isn’t being marketed as such. Not that you can’t use it for that purpose, I do but given the marketing…I doubt it’ll be high refresh. It still could be, we don’t know but do temper your expectations. You might even get pleasantly surprised.
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Thats also one of the things that bother me a little on my framework. A 144 Hz (or even 90Hz) screen would make this device so much more enoying (at least in my opinion). Dont get me wrong, I really like it, it just would turn it up to 11.
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Absolutely love this!!
Just PLEASE, make an optional dummy module for the Expansion Bay. I love the form factor, as well as the new features and extra IO, but I don’t need the graphics card, would love to save the extra weight, power, and money.
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I mean, there’s a ton of panels at the 16" size, I would be expecting we have panel choice at such a common size
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Not the most tech savvy out there, but I’m curious if anyone thinks that the modules can be used for uprising speakers? Not sure there will be space for the cables in thag location
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I agree with stargazer_alpha here: I think CAMM modules and top firing speakers (well, also allowing the removal of the bottom speakers to get a larger battery as well, I’d love more battery life) are the main issues I have with framework. Bravo, otherwise, though!
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Hello, I came here after watching the LTT video about the Framework 16.
It was really convincing and I would have purchased it right away to replace my current Fujitsu A555G which is falling in pieces, other than having a bouncy double-clicking touchpad, the pointing device I use for the most of the time on a laptop.
In the last few years, it has become a trend of most laptop manufacturers to use ANSI keyboards in Europe, whereas ISO should there be instead. For those unfamiliar, the difference is 104 vs 105 keys (the missing key is the <> next to the shift key on the left) and the enter key which is larger on ISO keyboards.
Will there be an ISO keyboard available for the Framework Laptop 16?
Looks like beast, but the only “problems” I have is this current ultra-modular palmrest. I feel like between all the possible locations for spring contacts for keyboard and other modules, the trackpad and the palm rest there also add a good number of unnecessary parts that might increase the price.
A new Framework 13(14?) is already expensive as-is. I feel like the 16 might be hard to approach.
The PCIe bay “ripping off” Dell’s connector is very brilliant. It is a great connector, but because Dell, you don’t know the pinout. Which is fair. Hot-swapping is probably not going to work, but shouldn’t be too problematic.
6x Expansion card is excellent. Although I prefer the old “hold down to unlock” rather than the new toggle “switch”. And I don’t really like red as a color. Color it orange or something.
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