Framework Laptop 13 Pro: Major Upgrades and Linux Front and Center

I love my Framework laptop. The only thing I haven't seen mentioned in detail is the expansion card bay redesign. Current F13 expansion cards will pull out sometimes when you remove a USB cable, which is a real annoyance. F11 fixed this by creating optional set screws you can install on the inside of the machine that forces the expansion cards to stay engaged.

I know F13pro has redesigned the switches for removing expansion cards, and that the design was headed by the same person who did the F11, so I'm really hoping for set screws or some sort of similar "true" locking mechanism.

If anyone from Framework is reading this, would you be able to fill in some details?

I like their openness on hardware design. They open sourced their design under CC-BY-4.0 (surprisingly no NC!) in hope that it could enable reuse [1].

However, the whole thing is overpriced. Quoting kingsleyopara's comment 4 days ago [2],

  ...matching specs it comes out as more expensive than the MBP - even worse when you factor in potential discounts/sales which framework doesn't offer.

  Framework 13 Pro: £2064 (Ultra X7 358H, 16GB, 1TB, default ports, no adapter)

  Framework 13 Pro: £2264 (Ultra X7 358H, 32GB, 1TB, default ports, no adapter)

  MacBook Pro 14: £1699 (M5, 16GB, 1TB, no adapter)

  MacBook Pro 14: £2099 (M5, 32GB, 1TB, no adapter)

  MacBook Pro 14: £2199 (M5 Pro, 24GB, 1TB, no adapter) - added as I think it’s an even better deal

[2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47852620

Interesting that the new laptop is selling beyond their expectation, and that the Ubuntu version is outselling the Windows one. Maybe their customer base is a "niche", but it seems to be one that makes them good coin nevertheless.

Not sure why would I preorder a laptop of all things. It looks interesting, but I’d rather wait until the reviews are out.

Does anyone know how the Intel and AMD offerings compare?

I take it battery life is better on Intel.

What about performance for different tasks, such as coding, compiling, etc. What about local LLMs? Do both platforms have "unified memory" à la Apple Silicon? Neither?

This is what I don't get, among <Linux> computer uses, apple macs are a minority. I even went around at Linux conferences and counted, like 30-40%.

Why are they so so dedicated to being as much as a look and feel clone as Mac as possible?

I've got zero interest in a MacBook chaser. It's not like those are inaccessible to me. I've voluntarily said no to them. Why would I want someone else's imitation of it?

"If you can see here we've meticulously cloned every detail of the product you are definitionally not interested in because you are here!"

framework advertises themselves as "laptops you own" and "linux-first". but they're misleading you. they're not actually driven by genuine values, but by marketing. unlike the other big manufacturers of linux-first laptops (novacustom, starlabs, system76) framework couldn't be bothered to open-source their firmware. this is despite demand from their own community [0] and the obvious importance it holds in the broader FOSS community (also the reason why they wouldn't be able to get QubesOS certified [1]). they don't deserve all the airtime they're getting

[0] https://community.frame.work/t/responded-coreboot-on-the-fra...

[1] https://doc.qubes-os.org/en/latest/user/hardware/certified-h...

We'll see what happens when it ships.

Honestly I expect significantly cheaper laptops from other oems.

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Would it ever be possible to have this kind of laptops but with ARM CPUs?

Discussion:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47852177

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