Agree with @Nils , if you can’t source the part, any part, the laptop isn’t truly repairable or serviceable.
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You can currently get them through support I think, but not through the marketplace. Hope they open up the marketplace soon!
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I’ve been thinking about starting a thread about a specific next product here and am happy to see others are proposing this too: Please do a TB dock, correctly.
By that i mean not only reparable and/or modular (using the existing expansion port format would of course be wonderful).
A lot of the existing TB docks have all sorts of bugs, seemingly always in their firmware, that their makers seem to never really fix - or at least not on any serious timeframe. A repairable/“sustainable” TB dock, IMO, would have to be something that would have its firmware bugs addressed, and even new functionality added where practical, for a considerable amount of time. Something like the Samsung/Apple firmware upgrade and support lifetime for their phones, of 4-5 years, would be my benchmark. The opposite of the throwawayware that most manufacturersbrands put out now.
I think the amount of messages that can be found on this forum about “this TB dock does that weird thing with the FW laptop unless I turn things off/on, plug/unplug” etc underscores just how crappy the overall quality picture is with existing TB docks.
Perhaps even more controversially, but partly to underline how strongly I feel about the importance of a quality TB dock, I would even argue that a “gen 2” of the FW laptop design should do away with the modular ports and just go with “as many as possible TB ports”. Let the product focus be more discrete: The laptop is a great laptop, and the dock is a great dock (part of whose job is to be the “port format junction”).
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What if it was a service ? And not a product.
One of my friend asked me “why is the framework built to fail?” … Why do you want to make ME change anything in my laptop ?
Lots of persons around me don t want a repairable laptop…but a maintainable laptop !
So why not build some kind of ecosystem with the repairshops still in existance.
Make them a discount for selling the framework. And they could offer the service of repairing/ upgrading framework laptop.
THere are shops that repair phones and “apple” products, they could do framework repairs if they could see a financial advantage.
The then answer to my relative would be “Hey this is a laptop that you can repaire in any shop. Like Apple , but for cheap …”
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This is actually a good idea, like a partner program I guess. But it depends heavily on the uptake of the laptop. But it is gonna be an chicken and egg thing, users waiting for more shops to get into the program before buying while shops wait for more Framework laptop users to make it worth it.
That being said, with the Framework guides, I think the repair shop can get it fixed or upgraded with the part you want, just the issue about the part availability.
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I am impressed of that many und good ideas!
Thank you for it and Frame.Work, to encourrage the community to take part.
I think, Frame.work should first stable the business to worldwide shipping and support inclusive B2B.
The laptop itself can still be improved: more processors (AMD!), more form factors, more screens, cameras, fair production and raw materials, etc.
To expand the product portfolio, I would find it good to stay in the closer environment of the laptop. So a docking station, mouse and keyboard.
It would be best to have a survey on what the community wants.
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I’ll reiterate two ideas mentioned previously that interest me. A printer with pdf support built-in, sensible modern connection protocols, and open firmware would be amazing. I love the thunderbolt dock idea with expansion port support built-in.
My contribution to this list that I haven’t seen mentioned by anyone (though I could have just missed it) is a portable external screen, preferably OLED with 16:10 aspect ratio. Lastly, I realize this is CPU bound but support for ECC memory would be fantastic.
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I would love ECC RAM. Are there any laptop processors that support it?
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12950HX.
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@Philippe I’m with you. I think there is a lot of room to work with within the current space of laptops. I really would love to see AMD CPUs/APUs and USB4 support with high bandwidths and PCIE support to make it easy to hook up eGPUs. Maybe a second m.2 slot in a larger form factor or the possibility to use the USB4 PCIE lanes to attach high bandwidth SSDs as an expansion card instead of using an USB interface. The latter would bring the possibility to install windows on that “expansion card” even if windows to go is dead.
As for a docking station it would be really nice if there was one that supports the framework expansion cards. A fully modular dock where you can take with you what you need and slot it back in at home. The “Niche expansion cards” thread is full of useful and creative ideas so there will be no shortage for expandability on the dock.
Peripherals should be less of a concern. There are many highly repairable and customizable mechanical keyboards out there. As for mice it’s a little different. A short time ago I was on a hunt for a replacement for my 10a old Logitech M180 and because I have roccat peripherals on my main desk I will go with an upcoming product of them. I will not say there is a shortage of good mice, but I hate using the ones with integrated batteries (the new roccat kone air has changable ones). A repairable alternative would be awesome.
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Not just keyboards but check out this initiative, maybe Framework[US] and Cairn Mesa[EU] can work on something
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Literally, a Framework Smartphone would be a dream!
Since none of the other repairable phone companies (i.e. Fairphone) sells products in Canada, this would be something I’d buy.
It would need to be a high-spec phone, though. I’m not a fan of the low-end specs and hardware offered on Fairphones, which I understand, but I believe that higher-spec hardware = longer product life.
Also… an Xbox controller with easy to replace bumpers and thumbsticks would be an instant buy for me. I’m not a heavy gamer, but have gone through far too many controllers, including Microsoft’s top-tier Elite 2 controllers, simply because a button fails and replacements are either poor quality or not easy to install.
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Honestly, keep iterating and adding on to the current laptop. People all over the forums and this thread have already said it, but it can be repeated:
- Screen options: Resolution, touch, matte, “secure view” (low viewing angles for business security)
- Trackpoint and keyboard options
- More module options
- Chassis options (perhaps a thicker one for more battery?)
- Processor options (AMD, ARM)
I feel like there is a lot the Framework team should be doing that could improve the current product that is available versus making something else / in addition to it. If it were to be something else:
- More laptop sizes (people have been begging for a 15 inch or bigger), possibly with a dedicated GPU
- Phone (for those of us who can’t get our hands on a Fairphone. It would be a rough market to break into though, so wouldn’t be my first choice)
- Tablet (since a community project is already starting this, seems like it may be a logical jumping off point)
- Computer accessories / peripherals (probably the most logical space to grow into, IMO, since it starts becoming more of an “ecosystem”)
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Sometimes, I feel threads like this are just like government polls…“We want your opinion…but won’t listen to anything you have to say, and even if we listen, we won’t do anything about it”…to drive community engagement and steer perception.
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Really? that sounds so ‘depressing’
So are there other threads by Framework or are you just trying to compare to ‘government polls’
I’m sure that the opinions are listened to, but then the results in them selves are not definitive of action just another weight to add to future plans.
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Maybe you have a better government…
Afterall, consider the sample pool and size of this forum and twitterverse… we don’t know what weighting measure to apply to the responses… (e.g. what we say here could just a blip against investors on a 1:∞ scale)
There’s no better government that self government, and even a blip can turn the world on it’s head.
You may have heard of the straw that broke the camel’s back or the butteryfly effect
The outcome to consumerism is never positive but it does fill a void for the hungry.
Just asking the question reflects a change.
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Yes…but let’s not ignore the rest of the accompanying factors (all the other straws, or, time & chaos).
So really, there’s no visibility / pre-established structure to know how this will go. So, “I” feel that’s what it currently ‘is’. I’ll likely feel differently if there’s additional data points to suggest actions.
We see the direction when we see it…and that’s whenever Framework decides to announce new products. That’s just how they operate. Curbing my enthusiasm.
I get you are expressing your feeling but that is just a consequences of how you think. If you want a positive outcome then there exists the negative. If you want for nothing and yet still play the game it’s just a matter of which cards and which pack you deal.
I’m not sure Framework ‘should’ build anything but they are asking and in doing so are showing thier ‘need’ to move on, so why not blow across thier bow with a whisper, maybe they will hear that above the raging sea.
Yes, still playing the game…and responded early in the thread.
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