Understood that this thread isn’t for feedback on the current frame.work offering (which I like!), but I think if the company want to expand they should focus on different form factors for the computer – in particular, it seems like people want a bigger laptop chassis for the same motherboard.
I’m glad frame.work exists and I’m glad I ordered one, but the notebook’s slim design trades off e.g. against battery life and hardware customisation. If I could switch my current mainboard and expansion cards into a thicker, more functional housing I would.
A bigger laptop chassis could address a lot of limitations on customisation:
Room for a bigger battery
Space for replaceable ‘low-profile’ mechanical keyswitches / trackpoint ‘nub’
Bigger screen, possibly with a different aspect ratio
Most of the people I see buying frame.work laptops are right-to-repair/open source/linux types, and I don’t think there’s a lot of overlap there with people who really care about having the slimmest, sleekest laptop in the room. I was attracted to the frame.work because I want a better ThinkPad, not a better MacBook.
Again, glad frame.work exists and glad I ordered one. Most companies would never take suggestions from their customers like this.
It has become pretty ugly as people ignore what was asked for and use it as a dumping ground, just about to block this topic
Understood, but the sediment of many customers is to finish what was started and make a better laptop before using up company resources building other electronic products.
I understand that people feel that way, but I also don’t think that Framework is looking for new projects now.
The “(eventually)” sounds like they want to do this after they are well established in the Laptop market, and they wanted to make a nice community engagement thread in the General Topics category as a fun brainstorm session for other tech products their customers want to see made reapairable in the future. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems like Framework is listening to feedback, and will make the best decisions to keep the company moving towards their goals.
I was looking at Corsair and NZXT cases, why not a modular Tower PC case. Certification might be a pain in the ass though. Many desktop front IO ports fails and there’s usually no way to fix them
Stay in the computer space. First, build a better laptop. Larger screen, more ports, better keyboard, etc.
Then expand into non-portable machines, either straight desktop or a TrueNAS implementation. Actually done right one box might be able to serve both purposes.
Skip the peripherals, I think also avoid printers, at least for now.
Own the space you are creating: modular upgradable computers. Don’t water down the brand. Do one thing really well and the rest will follow.
I think this would be low hanging fruit, but a true UMPC laptop in the same vain as a 1 Netbook Onemix 3, but with the FW mainboard as the basis. Thicker would not be a problem, so long as repairable and upgradable stays an option. I would buy at least 3 of these. I am currently working to make my own using the mainboard. I’m sure you all could come up with something truly compelling!
@nrp I see many “solid” ideas here. Here are the two that interest me the most:
A portable side monitor that is light weight and rugged enough. I have bought several over the years and they have a short lifespan. One day they just quit working (usually after a few months.)
A larger size screen / casing option - but please don’t force me into a key pad and an off center trackpad. I have owned such devices and never was able to adjust to the keyboard being off center from the screen. (I have no use for a keypad and want this to be an option.)
Also, +1 for both ARM and AMD processor options.
And finally, a middle ground on practical eGPU solutions. I am aware that power and heat are big issues, so we probably cannot get to a stand alone module, but a small enclosure eGPU designed for portability and price would be great. This may be too niche for a “marketplace” because my use case is more to boost machine learning than for gaming.
One of the reasons I love the framework laptop is that I get all 4 thunderboltish ports, all equal and all fully capable and on both sides. This change would have made the laptop far less appealing to me.
I’m all in for the USB-C/TB docking station idea. So we have a product we 100% know will work with the Framework laptop. Also it can be modular so everyone can have just the ports they need. Maybe it can even use the current laptop’s expansion cards so we can reuse the ones we have bought for the laptop and freely swap them around.
Also it wouldn’t be too far off of the current product. Now going into the printer (or something else) business would be a huge step and I’d think, that focusing on the laptop and gadgets around it would be better.
I want a dock, plain and simple. I’ve been looking at the dock megathread and I am left with more questions than answers on which dock I can buy so that I don’t waste my money.
Having a Framework dock will be absolutely incredible. I imagine that it would also be modular like the laptop, capable of using the same expansion cards. Please, Framework Gods, I pray: Let there be Docks.
I love the Framework Laptop. The choices you made suit me well.
I will answer in two ways.
First answer : what I think you should do (by order of priority) :
focus on improving the 13.5" Framework Laptop (add a touch screen option, improve software).
add variations to your laptop line (15" version, “thick base” version to allow for a larger battery and/or more ports, 360° hinges,…) if it makes sense moneywise (don’t count me in : the thin 13.5" Laptop is all I need).
make accessories that use/reuse parts of the Framework Laptop :
a modular bugfree and evolving Thunderbolt 4 dock
an aluminum desktop case for the Framework motherboard
a “large” base where you would mount a Framework keyboard + a numeric keypad + a touchpad in the order you want ; a “medium” base where the user would eliminate the numeric keypad or the touchpad ; a “small” base where the user would install either the Framework keyboard or the {numeric keypad + touchpad} combo ; and maybe an “extra small” base for only the numeric keypad or the touchpad.
Then expand to other items (smartphones, printers, 3D printers, robots, etc.).
Second answer : what I personnaly would like to buy from you (even if it is a financial disaster to address these markets) :
a modular bugfree and evolving Thunderbolt 4 dock
a touch screen for the existing Framework Laptop
a 4" to 4.3" small de-googled android phone (think Iodé OS, /e/, etc.), with a borderless “short” screen (screen ratio of 1.5 to 1.78). This simply does not exist. The rare small phones (e.g. Cubot Kingkong Mini 2) all have big borders.
And repairable, of course !
Add my vote for a Framephone that works with US carriers, Verizon has the most coverage geographically. I don’t like Verizon, but their coverage can’t be beat in the US… unless using their towers I suppose.
A Monitor Shell
One that you can “drop” a Framework laptop screen in and use as a second display (would help with end of life and you wouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel). Just make it Thunderbolt powered, aluminum, and with a little stand/ vesa mounting
Laptop Case(s)
Some specifically designed (and logo-ed) for Framework laptops.
A Raspberry Pi CM4 Carrier Mainboard
A Mainboard but with no processor or RAM. Just a spot to plug in a CM4 for a true Raspberry Pi laptop.
I was thinking maybe Solidrun and the HoneyComb LX2 but the A72 might be older than even the RK3588. That’s the only socketed ARM chip I know outside of Graviton and Ampere Ultra though.
Not sure if working with Pine64 to build a carrier board would be better, but might be slower because of being socketed vs built-in.
