Tired of replacing your laptop every few years? Not able to find any parts to your laptop? With Framework laptops, here’s why that isn’t a problem anymore.
The most annoying thing in the world is when your MacBook breaks down and you need to get it repaired. A simple screen fix can cost you up to $350 with AppleCare+. It’s costly and inconvenient but it doesn’t always have to be. Take a router, for instance. An old router gives you none of the range compared to the device with the Cox internet plans. The older just don’t have the capacity to. It would be convenient, but you cant just replace parts to upgrade a router. But what if you could upgrade the parts on your laptop?
As it turns out, Nirav Patel, the founder of Framework, had the same idea as well.
Table of Contents
What Is Framework?
There’s a new startup in town that’s made its mission to offer its customers easily repairable and upgradable laptops for use. Framework lets its users replace or upgrade every component in their laptops. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the screen, keyboard, or the battery, if it’s a Framework laptop then its parts can all be replaced.
This isn’t the first time a company has come up with an idea like this. A few companies in the past have explored the opportunity of replaceable hardware on a device. Nirav Patel, the founder of Framework is optimistic that his company can produce a sustainable model that can make it all work. The founder, when interviewed by Forbes magazine said this, “we’re not dabbling in this. This is actually the core of our company.” He’s confident that his team can sail through the storm by product performance alone. “We exist for the purpose of building long-lived, upgradable, repairable products,” he said.
Nirav Patel has had a pretty outstanding career so far. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in computer engineering he went on to work at Apple and then later joined the founding team at Meta’s Oculus VR in 2012. He finally left Oculus in 2019 to found Framework and despite the barrage of problems that covid-19 placed in his way, has already started shipping his laptops to the US, Canada, and a few countries in Europe.
How a Framework Laptop Looks Like
Most laptops aren’t easy to repair and some are pretty much impossible to. In many cases, laptop makers glue or solder parts together which means if one part breaks, everything needs to be replaced. Technicians will tell you of the necessity to glue certain parts in order to waterproof them or to get the designs to look incredibly thin. There are also conspiracy theories out there that the industry giants don’t want you to repair old laptops so you’d buy them again. Now I’m not one for conspiracy theories but there are bits of truth in both these ideas.
Framework exists to break this cycle and revolutionize the concept of long-lasting laptops. The average Framework laptop is meant to last you 10 years before you need to change it. Each and every aspect of the laptop is replaceable and upgradable just like a desktop PC. Framework laptops have a smart and sleek design that looks and feels just like an Ultrabook. Its screen measures 13.5 inches. The display offers a high-resolution output of 2256 x 1504. This is quite decent considering the laptop’s price. Instead of using ports, Framework uses expansion cards in its laptop. They allow you options to decide which ports your laptop should have.
Ordering a Framework Laptop
Currently, Framework laptops can only be purchased from their website. The current price is $999 for a device. but it can be cheaper if you are willing to add certain pieces of the hardware yourself. The company offers two options for their customers while purchasing their device, a do-it-yourself (DIY) option or a prebuilt option. The DIY option simply means that you’ll have the option to choose (or reject) equipment. This includes your storage, memory, CPU, WiFi card, and operating system. The laptop should ship to you in a box. That includes all the hardware pieces which you can assemble together yourself.
The prebuilt version allows for the same customizable options. The only difference is that you’re shipped an already assembled piece of equipment.
Are There Any Cons to Framework Laptops?
In all honesty, from all the reviews we’ve seen, there’s only one issue that repeatedly makes headlines, the battery life. Right now, the company offers only one size for its battery. This has been tested to have a lifespan of only 7 hours. Its short battery life has been a cause of concern for many of its customers. But surely, Framework is going to look into this issue as the next models come out.
