One of the major deciding factors when I buy a computer is if the computer supports Windows Hello face sign-in. Nothing beats the instantaneous login support that Hello offers, especially when having to get to work immediately. Fingerprint readers are cool, but I find them unreliable, especially with my extremely sweaty hands messing up the fingerprint image. I’ve consistently had this issue with any fingerprint reader I’ve used in a computer, keyboard, or phone, across many market segments and price ranges, so I doubt that reader quality is a factor. I see that there are two windows on the top bezel. Is one of them an IR emitter for Windows Hello? If not, is there an option to upgrade to a Hello camera?
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+1
(Now have to pad this to 20 characters!)
I’m pretty sure this was covered already
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Fingerprint readers have been notoriously flaky in the past, but we’ve picked a latest-generation sensor that we’ve found to be fairly reliable.
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I’m not technically minded so I am not sure of the correct terminology. When my wife turns on her Huawei Matebook with its power button/fingerprint reader, it ‘remembers’ it so that she does not have to use the fingerprint reader again to log in to Windows. Will the Framework do the same?
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Do you mean that your computer doesn’t ask you to log in again if you simply close the lid? (If this is so, I would suggest you change that, as it can be a security risk to leave your computer unlocked.) Because you can set Windows to only ask you to log in when you log in for the first time and not require it when you wake up from sleep. But that’s a Windows feature, not related in any way to the hardware of the computer. (You can adjust this setting in Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options → Require sign-in.)
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I believe what njf is referencing is a feature also present on some Asus laptops, where when you press the power button it caches the fingerprint it scanned, so that once Windows boots a few seconds later it doesn’t require you to touch the power button/fingerprint scanner again.
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OH. Yeah, that is a clever feature. It would be great if the Framework laptop did that. Sorry about that. Was confused about how it was described.
Yes, Nich describes it much better than I. My current laptop, which can’t do that, is tucked away a bit as it is connected to an external monitor and keyboard and having that caching function would avoid my having to type my password or PIN after Windows has finished booting.
Hopefully, cameras for laptops become better over time and it can be implemented into the laptop.
Windows Hello is incredibly convenient. Simply opening a laptop and having it unlocked feels better than using a fingerprint.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but windows hello on the webcam of my XPS 15 is… janky. It doesn’t know me if I got a hair clip on, nor does it recognize if I simply have my glasses off. A lot of the other facial recognition I’ve used, for instance FaceID is more reliable than that. So I don’t know if it’s just my setup or windows hello itself.
Interesting,
the 5 year old MSFT Surface tablet that I abandoned due to dead battery
was able to recognize my ugly face quite reliably after I added additional trainings to it with glasses, hat, low light etc.
I couldn’t find this information anywhere, will the new web cam for the Framework 13 support Windows Hello Face sign-in?
Cheers
Honestly, it’s a real shame that it doesn’t. I’ve been following Framework for years now, and actually decided to get another Surface because of this matter. I want seamless logins whenever I open my laptop. The holding out on a damn fingerprint sensor is just not for me. Reliable or not, fingerprint sensors have never had the same reliability and ease as Windows Hello does. Am I being petty for having to reach for the power button? Maybe. But I want a device that acts like almost all the other Ultrabooks out there. Framework has dropped the ball on this. They could fix things so quickly though, just release a better camera and potentially a new bezel, but they don’t.
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Hello @anon81945988 ,
I totally agree with @andritolion I think the excuse of quality is not a real excuse, there must be something else. There are plenty of laptops in the market with 1080p web cams that support WIndows Hello and have great quality, so why can’t Framework do the same? Surely for what they charge for the hardware I would say they absolutely should do.
Also the comment about the fingerprint chosen being a good one, well I have a awful experience with the fingerprint read that came on my Framework 13 13th gen. Most of the time doesn’t work, is very unreliable and yes, albeit Framework support has been back and forward with me since last year and even sent a replacement I still feel that Framework is not admitting what they should.
- They have been horrendous when it comes to drivers and firmware updates ( I know there’s the statement and commitment to improve this so they kinda admitted
) - Some hardware is not top quality and they probably didn’t choose it right.
Anyway at least that’s how I feel and the fact that I forked £1600+ for my laptop and I am being let down, completely stopped me for buying the Framework 16. I doubt I ever go back to buy Framework in a near future. As a user the compromises to get a laptop that is easy to repair, modular and easy to upgrade are turning out maybe higher than I was expecting.
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Exactly what I mean. If I’m spending as much as a Surface Laptop on a Framework, it better be as damn close as possible. Fussy fingerprints are not it. I’ve been following Framework since they first started, even before their first hardware was finalized, and I even evangelize the future of easily repairable electronics, like Framework, to multiple friends. However, I still have not purchased one to this date because of these shortcomings, and have even purchased competing devices that aren’t as repairable because they complete the experience better. And until the experience is on-par to a Surface, namely the camera, I won’t be getting one. Everything has face login. Hell, Windows Hello was one of the big ticket features when Windows 10 came out. I use my computer even more than my phone, why can’t I have face login there too?
The Logitech Brio is a $250 4K webcam with features like optical autofocus, HDR, low light mode, and of course, Windows Hello. It’s the only webcam I buy because its quality is on par with most smartphone cameras and even better for conferences than the old DSLR I previously used. If Logitech can do it, why can’t Framework? Surfaces also have some of the best cameras of any laptop, and they also support Windows Hello. There’s honestly no excuse.
Hi @amoun
I didn’t mean to offend I was just trying to make a point since you answered my question with their reply/reasoning for an older webcam, I don’t believe my question was an old question since the new webcam is not even available and it was legitimate.
This devices have premium pricing so as a customer I expect a premium product that was my point. If other vendors around the same price can provide devices with equivalent quality cameras with windows hello support I think is legitimate to ask why Framework can’t, is it not?
Anyway Thanks for helping me earlier and confirmation that it won’t support windows hello, so no point in forking the extra money for it.
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I think Frameworks’ design considerations make sense, with the fingerprint sensor being their current Windows Hello auth method. That said, I would absolutely buy a Hello-enabled webcam upgrade if they someday offer one, as webcam quality is not the most important thing to me.
It’s pretty cool that adding one seems even possible in the future. I hope they can pull it off at some point.
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