System76 or Framework laptop?
System76 or Framework laptop?
Look, we know System76 laptops are based as fuck. I mean, Coreboot, Open source firmware, PopOS, and a fucking open source mobo in the works, just so fucking based.
But man, these framework laptops look cool too. Completely modular and easy to work on. Looks like the company has proved it isn't going to go under anytime soon.
I'm debating what to get once I feel like upgrading from the trusty ol ThinkPad. What would you buy?
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The modularity thing seems too gimmicky to me. Like the Motorola phones with the same concept. I do think it's a good direction for repairability though.
Do either have a touchpad as good as the ones on macs or xps?
The best things about the modularity for me are
- That I can kit it out for different situations. Working on raspberry pis, networking, or 3d printers? Micro SD, Ethernet, USB A, and USB c. Going to a meeting? Dual USB c, USB A, and either HDMI or displayport.
- That I can pop out an HDMI, displayport, or Ethernet module and hand it to someone else who needs an adapter in a pinch bc it's just usb c.
The touchpad on the framework is nice, but its definitely not as nice as my partner's 2022 MacBook pro 14. I had a Mac before this, but honestly I don't miss the trackpad that much.
How is the ability to swap out dongles better than a laptop that already has all the ports to begin with?
The framework 13 only has 4 ports. There is plenty of space in laptops of that size to include all of the ports you mentioned, if the laptop was built like a normal laptop.
The swappable ports thing is nothing more than a gimmick. It doesn't make the laptop better, it makes it worse, because the bulky dongles causes the laptop to have a pitifully low number of ports.
Framework makes very good laptops, but that is despite the modularity and not because of it.
ever seen a laptop with micro-sd, full-size display port, full-size hdmi and a usb-c, that is also repairable and at least committed to making their mainboards compatible with core/libreboot?
well great, cause i haven't
The user lacked courage... Courage to put 6 3.5mm audio jacks on a laptop, never before seen
Don't forget about 2.5gbps Ethernet.
I have seen plenty of laptops with that many ports. A laptop I had back in the day had a full sized HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, micro-sd and several USB ports, and it was the same size as the framework.
The framework 13 would be a better laptop if they just included all the ports instead of making it modular. They could have done that.
A laptop I had back in the day
Great! Can you buy a replacement motherboard to upgrade it to current-gen Intel or AMD? Laptops with that many ports are a rarity now. If you want to dispute my claim you can send me the model number of a sort-of recent laptop with
- 2-4x thunderbolt usb-c
- full size HDMI
- full size display port
- a micro-sd card slot
- a full size SD card slot (not yet released)
- 2.5 GbE
- at least 1 audio jack, 2 would be nice if your friend also wants to listen or whatever
- LTE modem (not yet released)
- a couple of usb-a 3.0 ports
- rs232 would also be nice
...you get the point.
How much are the replacement motherboards on a Framework?
@Kushia
@twei
You can find out on their site, frame.work https://frame.work/marketplace/mainboardsA lot 😄
Many people don't get what Framework is doing and that is fine. Buy a disposable laptop with everything soldered in and throw it in land fill when it breaks if that is what you want. The costs of unsustainable mass consumption isn't properly costed into purchases so the pollution and waste are left to future generations to deal with and plenty of people are more than happy with buying a bigger SUV, rolling coal and throwing out their laptop and phone every couple of years.
The modules are easily replaceable to deal with failure or changing needs without buying a completely new device.
The modules are easily replaceable to deal with failure or changing needs without buying a completely new device.
So are dongles though. Either way you still have to carry them.
If your needs ever change to require you plugging in more than 4 things, will need to buy a new device. A new device like the new Framework 16, with 6 entire ports.
There is no reason they couldn't have gone with a single IO board with all of the ports they offer included. That can be replaced just as easily as the dongles. That would be a better solution.