I understand that the first framework laptop will be basic notebook style laptop. However I would like to know if there’s any plan to support other form factor?
I have seen multiple form factor over the year that seems interesting. Some that I have seen are detachable screen to make it tablet. Some can fold into “tent” mode.
I am thinking there could be framework “frame” that can also use standard size mainboard from framework so that we could just switch over just body frame while we can keep internal components.
I believe there should be a version of the chassis with a 360 degree hinge, at least as an option. It would (literally) make the laptop far more flexible, especially if a touchscreen is ever made available.
I was sure I had seen somewhere the screen would indeed offer 360° rotation, but now that I see your comment, I am not so sure anymore. If anyone from the team could confirm…?
It should be possible for someone on the marketplace to make a 360 hinge, and touchscreens should be possible as I believe the connector has 40 pins.
A detachable screen might a bit more difficult. A completely different chassis/mainboard/screen design could use USB-C as the display connector, though I don’t know how strong you’d be able to get the ‘hinge’ using just magnets.
~ Jamie
@david_saja A hinge like in that picture would actually be better than a 360 degree hinge so that I wouldn’t have to worry about damaging the keyboard or trackpad when the screen is folded down.
While you don’t get the desired tablet mode, a computer turning into a tablet requires at least the brains to be in the top half, even if the brawn is in the bottom half. This is an expensive way to make a computer, and has the chance to make framework’s design of such a laptop less desirable than desired.
I love it. Just get a usb c monitor that’s the same size as the laptop bottom half and is a touchscreen, and that is a “convertible” laptop. except there will always be a cable going from the keyboard half to the monitor.
Maybe put some Velcro on the back of the monitor and the back of the bottom half then stick them together? It’d be bulky, but useable. This computer doesn’t really have any limits when it comes to mashing random things together and praying it works.
or, and I mean this is the longest shot, machine a “dual hinge” adapter that would fit where the old 180DEG one did, but the other side hinged the rest of the way and held the usb c monitor to make it a true convertible 2-in-1…
Even if it is a long shot, it’s very possible! I suspect that it’s doable, but you’d have to spend a lot of time and money experimenting and prototyping, as well as finding parts that’d fit as well as the OEM stuff.
It would probably be pretty easy for someone to turn the existing 180° hinge to a 360° hinge, the difficulty comes when trying to turn it into a touchscreen.
Maybe someone can fit a touch monitor into the existing top half and run some wires down to one of the USB C ports on the board?
the mainboard’s display header uses a 40-pin connector, which would be capable of supporting a touchscreen in the future. expect that as a possible screen swap.
There are USB-C powered/driven portable displays that are touchscreens. So if someone really just wanted to glue that into a bracket to bolt on to the top half of a laptop there’s nothing to it. if someone is chasing the clean look, then the modification gets a little harder. the ribbon cable would need to go through the double hinge.
This is a great suggestion for a gen 2 device. It would be really great to get a surface pro style device. These devices have great touch screens and formfactor its just the processor and battery that needs to be updated. Even a device with a quick changable battery were it could hot swappable would fit in the framework ethos. This would allow people to have lighter devices and still carry an extra battery pack. Also, I like the idea that you reuse the keyboard with a detachable screen.
The picture above gives reason to believe that the solution of just a detached screen that could be touchscreen could happen now by the end user with little modification. the keyboard would still contain the computer itself.
Just wondering, how feasible would it be for a rotational screen hinge similar to the Thinkpad X230T? a singular point of rotation that does a 180° turn perpendicular to the current screen.
+1 for the idea of a tablet / slate form factor chassis. After having shattered the screen in my Yoga 3 Pro three times in 6 years from very little flex really, I’m done with anything that places the screen by itself above the hinge. Looks like there’s enough space on the tapered edges of the laptop base to add a hinged U shaped kickstand without much change to physical dimensions of the base. It would be nice if the tablet chassis option also came in a very lightweight material, to get the total weight down to 1kg or less.
I also think a kit of parts to make this into a projector would be a good future expansion. Include a chassis, ultra short throw and/or long throw laser projection heads, cooling, larger battery, expansion cards for HDMI, DP, or analog in, IR receiver for remote on, 240w USB-PD or dual 100w PD in, USB-PD out. Software set in Android or Linux distro for Miracast receiver, shAirplay, DIAL, DLNA target, etc. Great “retirement” for soon to be older Mainboards to become media consuming and presentation tools instead.
Loving this concept and hope frame.work is very successful, and can branch out to more product options soon!
I hope someone can make a convertible chassis too, I’m still consider between Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 and framework. I’m still see weather framework can pull off international shipping in the end of the year or early next years as they promised, if they could I would definitely get a framework but if they can’t then it would be a red flag for me.
