Also adding my voice to this. The way I use my laptop these days is entirely different than a few years ago. I absolutely cannot stomach throwing money at another laptop that doesn’t support touch.
Why?
Hand cramps! When using the laptop on the couch, it hurts my wrist/hands to curl down and use the trackpad. Not having a touchscreen by now is kind of ridiculous frankly.
I own an original, first gen (the USB sticker issue model!) 13, and was seriously considering upgrading to a 16 as I miss having a numpad. Can’t even consider buying another touch-less device though, I can’t even fathom buying a $1000+ laptop that doesn’t support touch input. It just kind of seems ridiculous in this market.
I would be happy with literally any resolution panel as long as it is a touchscreen. Love my FW13 but I picked up my ~2016 HP Spectre x360 the other day and despite it being a MUCH older laptop, it felt newer and more high-tech simply because of the panel. I remain confused as to why my kids’ dirt-cheap school chromebooks have touch screens but my ~$2k laptop doesn’t…
And another voice agreeing that touchscreen is a requirement for my laptops, especially with other laptops improving their repair options.
I don’t quite understand the issue: the motherboard (if I remember right) has the ability for touchscreen, and there’s touchscreen panels out there… Just the right sort of ribbon cables / connectors / etc need to be done right?
It’s the fact that it’s not exactly a “standardised” interface or something?
… Couldn’t you just go with one specific one and there you go? Maybe try to standardise on something at least?
There are? I though there weren’t any in the right size.
If there is one that physically fits it is pretty much just a case of wiring it up, the display connector on the mainboard has both i2c and usb for touch, usb would be pretty much plug and play, i2c may need customized drivers.
If the panel is physically thicker it may need a custom bezel which would complicate things.
As far as I know it’s just that there aren’t any in the particular screen size it uses. I do kinda wish they went a teeny bit larger with the 13 so we would have more display option. personally I don’t care about touch but for oled panels we have the same issue, either just a little too big or way too small.
I was a little disappointed to begin with but the Framework is such a great idea that I can wait a decade or so or go without. Anyway the original 3.3Kg hinges would not go well with tapping the screen
I like the idea of touchscreens, but then I remembered that I rarely touched the screen on my Surface Go when the keyboard was attached. The only time I used a touchscreen regularly was when I had a large all-in-one desktop where I would instinctively touch the screen to clear pop-ups.
I’d get one just for the sake of upgrading things.
As much as upgrading can be attractive, that’s not a reason to have to deal with a spare screen in this case. So I’m sticking with the prebuild setup till something dies, so hinges and screen on the same day may work for me.
I want to buy a Framework, but I really need touchscreen! I have a repetitive hand / finger pain disability, so it is imperative. I’m on my laptop day & nite, so without touch screen I couldn’t work. PLZ resolve our requests!
Given you seem only to have posted to push for a touch screen, what brought you to the notion of using a Framework laptop, which it clearly hasn’t for a few years
I have had three (yes 3!) Dell XPS 13s in a row, after several other Dells. I’m so frustrated with Dell’s business practices, let alone their product. All 3 of my XPS 13s have had the same problems, starting with the charging port & other smaller quirks. They’ve each needed serviced within a few months & ultimately replaced within 12 to 20 months. My current XPS has a dysfunctional charging system, keyboard & clicking dysfunction, & the WiFi card, which is soldered into the motherboard is fried. The motherboard costs almost as much as a newer model. Yet, in shopping each time, I could not find the high-end specs I need in a small lightweight compact, yet powerful machine, so I’ve still considered another XPS, hoping against odds my experience might be different. I’ve been looking for alternatives so I don’t foolishly repeat my same mistake, investing in yet another Dell, even though it looks like the best available with the features I need. I’m excited to find Framework where I can replace, repair, and upgrade as desired. I want my next laptop investment to last. But I need the touchscreen feature!
A friend bought an HP Spectre 360 and it seems fine. He travels, resides in a van a lot and busks. He’s had it for a couple of years, there was a small problem but fixed in the early days and fine since.
I think this is the one he has.
I did want a touch screen but the Framework ethics were more important and my hands etc. are fine.
I’d def consider an HP ID I could find the specs I need at an affordable price. But I really prefer the ability to custom build, repair, & upgrade myself. My XPS has great specs with an 11th Gen i7, 32GB ran, 2T SSD, touchscreen, backlit keyboard, and fingerprint ID. I’m spoiled with it, & don’t want to downgrade. But I don’t want to have to repurchase every 20 months either, not be without it during my weeks off servicing. So yeah, I’m still looking at a Framework, maybe with a digitizing film over the screen… There was a product called Airbar that would’ve been a solution, but hard to find now& expensive…
Update to my post above… I am definitely planning to buy FW 13, & I believe I found a source for the Airbar so I will have a touchscreen! I’ll post the link here after I confirm the URL & check how many may be available in stock.
I don’t want to be the naysayer, but the airbar is not a real alternative.
A native touchscreen usually comes bundled with the correct glass for it, for example my HP comes with a touch+gorilla glass option. (and a crappy bios, but this is another story )
There was a product called Airbar that would’ve been a solution, but hard to find now& expensive…
