I definitely get your point and I don’t think it is fine and is a design flaw, but the flip side for me is that I have been able to do something about my niggle. My last laptop had two things that annoyed me throughout the years I used it (still works, but has been replaced by my FW16).
The back light on the keyboard could not be forced on, it always timed out. Plenty of people complained about it in forums but the firmware was never updated/fixed.
Charge on the left USB-C / video on the left USB-C so I could not use a single cable dock
Every-time, I used it that annoyed me, but I still used it for ~ 5 years.
And then there is something like my steam deck, and the wonderful smell from the exhaust port is starting to fade when I stick my nose and snort those probably carcinogenic fumes
While Alan_Pearce says that it’s the touchpad that’s the problem, I think it’s both parts.
I think it’s likely that in many cases one or more corners of the touchpad are pinched, and also the spacers end up slightly bent.
The spacers are relatively flimsy. They’re fine for using the laptop, but even if perfectly flat when shipped out I imagine they could warp slightly during shipping.
Funnily enough (to me) both my spacers look better on the left side of my touchpad (which validates what Alan said) but even on the left they both don’t look correct. From moving things around and looking at every option it’s clear that the right edge of my touchpad is wrong, and one spacer is also wrong. The other spacer is flat enough that I can’t see a problem with it.
The mis-alignment of both parts is thinner than one of my fingernails.
So … I’ve been looking around for a laptop to replace my aging Dell XPS 9570, and I might be a bit particular, but the spacers are the reason I’m not buying a Framework 16 at this time. I just know they’d drive me nuts, and they look cheap.
Love the Framework concept, and if a full width wrist rest/touchpad module was available (even as an option), I’d buy one right now.
Adding my comments: yes it’s a niggle but I find that it doesn’t make me hate my FW16. On mine, the spacer on the left is quite far out near the keyboard end, about 0.5mm lower than the touchpad and it exposes the top left of the trackpad as a sharp corner.
Neither spacer’s alignment is consistent across their length, and it changes if any pressure - like resting palms - is applied to the touchpad module.
I would pay a significant fraction of €100 for a full-width touchpad module, with the touchpad in the middle. Perhaps it could also be a touchpad with a larger area, but that’s not important to me. I expect there’s also a market for a double-wide spacer.
Yeah, that honestly sucks. I personally cut a rectangle from the paper in which the laptop was delivered and I put it between the screen and the keyboard when closing it.
This. I am honestly low key waiting to see if there will be a (or 3, a left aligned, center aligned, right aligned) “solid” touchpad module. If that’s the case I am ordering one right away. For me that is honestly one of the few reasons I currently have to not order a 16 to complement my two 13’s (which I love).
Sorry for late reply but I am afraid that even if we have full width aluminum touchpad, the edges will be still a bit inconsistent. Issue is the combination of thinness and usage of aluminum, which is a very flexible material, especially when thin.
This means that to permanently tackle this issue, we need the touchpad either somehow strengthened or a different material that does not bend, for example plastic that is cheap but also carbon fiber, titatium, etc.
Once my 16 arrives (last party, batch 21), I’m going to see if I can design and 3d print a full solid one. I use a mouse 95% of the time anyway. Maybe I’ll put the touchpad into an expansion card that hangs off the side.
Yeah, the main issue for me is honestly aesthetics, because I don’t really us the input deck much anyway. The spacers not only fit poorly, flex and move, but aren’t even the same colour as the touchpad module. It’s a subtle difference, but that’s what makes it look so bd - a very slide finish variation that obviously isn’t intentional.
All in all the input deck is far an away the worst aspect of this laptop. The poor fit and finish, the flexing, the lack of num lock indicator, the mediocre keyboard. It needs a major rethink. But Framework set themselves a difficult challenge and I guess this was the best way they could find to meet it.
It will be very interesting to see if and how they address this with parts, or if they wait until the next iteration of the 16 to do something about it.
I checked my FL16 and there are no markings on the display bezel. So I assume my spacers are better than those you have. But that is only little consolation. =(
The NUMLOCK indicator is probably the most easy one to fix. But to me the keyboard itself is pretty good, I like typing on it.
I actually like the 16’s keyboard better than the 13. It takes a lighter touch but is otherwise very similar (and I like the half-height inverted T). Not being a Thinkpad user, it’s easily my favorite laptop keyboard. What do you consider mediocre about it?
I saw that on my first bezel and I thought I screwed it up. But now that you mentioned it, it’s EXACTLY in the same spot where the input spacer ends at. Ouch.
I’ve since “bent” mine to get it more flush and the new bezel was replaced beause it was pinching the display. So far no mark.
Yeah, the fit and finish of this laptop isn’t where I’d like it to be, especially due to it’s cost.
I just hope the quality issues don’t manifest later after the warranty is over. Most of it are chassis-related, and chassis parts are expensive, and also most laborsome to replace depending on the part.
