Luckily the hardware in question isn’t very niche, so Intel etc. do have incentives to write Linux drivers. It is however less of a priority and thus takes some waiting time (e.g. the WiFi drivers will apparently be much better come kernel 5.18). But that’s just due to the market share of Linux, not much Framework can do there. Considering said market share and the fragmentation of the Linux ecosystem, they have actually done quite a lot to support it.
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As I said - for IoT - yes (It’s even scary how simple it is). For pc hardware - no, never had to.
didn’t think about the legality of making a driver. There are opensource linux drivers (kernel modules or directly drivers in the kernel). For windows, however, the time spent on writing one might not be worth it.
Do I think about writing some ? Right now, I don’t think I will. I will just read the linux kernel modules. Like said by @Jason_Hottelet, the modules are common with a lot of computers.
However, I will later try to tinker with those modules to see if I understand everything about them.
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@CJ_Elevated Awesome 6 month review, you nailed it → not the best laptop out there but the best company building a laptop. My unit has bad hinges but my touchpad is ok atm (but brand new, could change when using it more). But at the end they made an impressive first product and I hope framework can support it down the line and even have the ability to release more products.
You’re first video convinced me that I want this product, cause of strong points and philosophy behind it.
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Excellent review. I find reviews to be far more valuable once the shine wears off.
My Batch 5 Linux (Manjaro) Framework is now on four months of daily use and I’m pretty happy with it.
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I knew I’d like the display aspect ratio, but was sure I’d hate the shiny screen. I was wrong–the screen’s so ridiculously bright that it hasn’t been an issue.
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My hinges became terribly wobbly. Framework sent me a new set, which took about 20 minutes to install. It’s much more robust since the change. Also, Framework’s mentioned that they’re planning to introduce alternate stiffer hinges.
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Removing unused expansion ports had a huge impact on battery life. I now keep a single USB-C port and three “Snack Drawers” installed, slipping in additional ports only when I actually need them. And ease of battery replacement’s a big deal–after a few years, my Thinkpads and XPS13s become mostly tethered to a power outlet.
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Keyboard’s still really nice to type on. Not had any issues with the trackpad yet, though I never click, only tap. I do miss the trackpoint from my Thinkpad, though. My fingerprint reader worked from the beginning, and is pretty reliable overall.
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The machine typically runs 30-32C, which I don’t really notice since that’s basically body temperature.
I completely agree with the assessment about why you’d buy a Framework. For a First-generation machine from a new company, it’s a pretty solid laptop. And it’s shaping into a really good company.
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This is exactly what I wanted to know, have you done an A/B test to give a more empiric measurement than “huge impact”? I don’t have a Framework myself but I’m seriously considering getting one at the end of the semester after I graduate as a graduation present to myself.
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A fair question, and the answer is “I keep meaning to.” I did run some power use tests, though, and noted a 1.5-2W difference with all ports installed: USB-C, USB-A, SIM, and HDMI.
Qualitatively, my average battery life has increased from about 3 hours to somewhere between 6-7 hours. I use my laptop on and off all day, leaving it suspended between uses (tried hibernate, but often had mouse issues on wakeup), so power loss during suspend is a big deal.
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Great video. Nice presenter skills there. Agree with all of the points. Hinges are too weak, trackpad is scary, and speakers are not great. I can live with the speakers, thanks to my awesome headphones. I can tolerate the hinges sorta. But the trackpad is a killer. I hope they come out with an upgrade so I can swap it out. It’s horrible.
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I had problems with the trackpad not reacting like it should, especially after sleep or hibernate → feeling sluggish, not registering every touch or multi-gestures. It seems that when you disable the ps2 emulation in the bios these problems go away.
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It’s been disabled since I got the laptop back in July. The trackpad is just getting worse by the day.
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