I’d like to share the reason why I jumped on the Framework bandwagon about four years ago when they were just getting started - this thing is amazing.
I had taken part in Dell’s Project Sputnik program several years ago, which was their pilot to sell XPS laptops with a build of Ubuntu that had all the right drivers and settings already put together for you. I thought that was a really cool plan - my only experience with Linux at that time was buying the CDs of Debian and SuSE from Hastings, and those were almost impossible for a newbie to use in a time before the Internet.
So when I first heard about Framework getting started I was so excited. Run Windows or Linux! Crack it open to upgrade your SSD and RAM! Replace just about any of the parts if they break! Modules that let you swap I/O ports at will! It was all my dreams come true.
Now admittedly there have been some issues. Release batches are pretty small (because Framework is so small, compared to something like Dell), so getting laptops and parts out takes time. Everything is a little more expensive than your cheapie $400 laptops at Best Buy. The initial Linux support was a little rough - I never could get the fingerprint reader to work reliably on my 11th Gen. But things have been getting better since the start and I think FW is in a really good place right now.
So why, you may ask, am I gushing so much about Framework at this point in time? Well, I just wanted to celebrate a major upgrade to my FW13. I replaced my 11th Gen with a 13th Gen motherboard last year, right when the Ryzen boards came out (it was either 13th Gen or wait almost a year to be able to snag an AMD). And this month I could afford to fully upgrade everything:
- Replaced the original top cover with the CNC top cover
- Replaced the original glossy display panel with the new 2.8k panel
- Replaced the original webcam module with the new V2 webcam module
- Replaced the original US English input cover with the International English for Linux input cover (would have gotten just the keyboard but didn’t want to deal with all those screws)
- Replaced the original 55Wh battery with the 61Wh battery (keeping the 55 as a spare since it’s still good)
- Replaced the original hinges with the new gen 2 3.5kg hinges
- Replaced the original speakers with the 80dB speakers
- Replaced the original HDMI module with the new 3rd gen HDMI module (keeping the old one as a spare)
In less than half an hour I went from an Intel i5-1135G7 to an Intel i7-1360P. In roughly the same amount of time I went from a mostly stock Batch 1 FW13 to effectively the latest DIY loadout. And I did it all myself. And while the upgrades did cost more than just buying a new DIY FW13, I am sitting on a huge pile of known good parts that I can use for spares or resell.
And that is just amazing to me.
Thank you Framework. This is what tech is supposed to look like.
P.S. I still have the Project Sputnik laptop case that Dell sent me for participating in the program, and it’s where my FW13 lives when I’m not actively using it.
this is why we do what we do! Enjoy your “new” machine