Framework 12 absolutely looks like my next device. I’m currently on a Surface Laptop Studio that’s had some very silly issues over the years–I do, however, absolutely love the pull-forward design and I’m curious to know if anyone else has considered designing a pull-forward hinge top panel replacement for this device? Especially since this is a plastic chassis, I think a 3D-printed replacement would fit right in.
A few thoughts–if this functioned like the Surface Laptop Studio, it’d require magnets in the screen housing/under the keyboard tray to be placed in “studio” mode (screen at ~120 degree angle covering the keyboard). When laying completely flat at a ~175 degree angle it’d be supported solely by the lower housing hinges (but could probably use some thin rubber padding where the screen meets the keyboard tray to avoid scratching it up–maybe even as simple as a thin vinyl sheet).
I’d also love to see a pen holder/charger for this device (which sadly seems absent from the 12!). I definitely hesitate to give up a port, but I can see this being a module that allows it to stick out the side and (possibly) charge. The pen looks like it has a USB-C port on the side for charging (although I can’t find definitive info yet)–maybe a module with a magnetic adapter (and the other side of it just left inside the pen)?
Maybe I finally need to learn how to model and 3D print things.
I do think the 12 has the potential to be a really great device (even in standard 2-in-1 form), but for some reason, I just really dislike the standard 180 degree 2-in-1 form factor and massively prefer the pull-forward design. Notably, HP sold a laptop with a similar pull-forward design for some time–I’m not sure it’s patented by Microsoft or anything along those lines (although I really haven’t looked into it, plus HP doesn’t sell that laptop anymore).
Note: there IS a similar topic posted a few months ago about this in regards to the Framework 13 but I do think it’s much more relevant on the 12 since it’s actually a 2-in-1.
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