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The new and upgraded Framework Laptop

(community.frame.work)
1680 points etbusch | 7 comments | 19 May 22 12:19 UTC | HN request time: 1.278s | source | bottom
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doyougnu ◴[19 May 22 17:07 UTC] No.31437263[source]▶
I recently bought a framework laptop for a daily driver when I'm not on my desktop. For context I was running NixOS on an old 2014 macbook air, and I work on the glasgow haskell compiler in my day job so I do a lot of CPU heavy tasks.

I've got to say, as long as these things are being produced I'll never go back. They are just too good and I cannot recommend them highly enough. One of the things that didn't occur to me before I bought it was that _because_ of the modular design I can switch the side the power port is on. That may not seem like much but it was a revelation the first time I sat on the couch and thought "huh I really wish this was over on that side....wait a minute!".

I've also had absolutely no problems with NixOS on my machine, even my apple earbuds easily connect via bluetooth, something that I never quite got working on my macbook.

10/10 This is damn close to my dream laptop and I'm excited a new version is on the way.

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fiddlerwoaroof ◴[19 May 22 19:36 UTC] No.31439099[source]▶
This is interesting: over the last several months, a friend has been running NixOS on a Framework and has been told by Framework employees that they can’t help him with Linux kernel issues because he’s using an unsupported OS and he’s also had lots of complaints about battery life and power management.

I love the idea of the Framework, but it seems to suffer from all the issues that made me switch to MacBooks in the first place.

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trelane ◴[19 May 22 22:50 UTC] No.31441178[source]▶
I wondered. It looked very Windowsy, and I'd guessed the Linux support was non-existent. Sounds like I'm going to stay away then.
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Shared404 ◴[20 May 22 00:20 UTC] No.31441919[source]▶
The article says:

    We continue to focus on solid Linux support, and we’re happy to share that 
    Fedora 36 works fantastically well out of the box, with full hardware
    functionality including WiFi and fingerprint reader support. Ubuntu 22.04
    also works great after applying a couple of workarounds, and we’re working
    to eliminate that need. We also studied and carefully optimized the standby
    power draw of the system in Linux. You can check compatibility with popular
    distros as we continue to test on our Linux page 322 or in the Framework 
    Community 39. [0], [1]
There's semi-official Linux support it sounds like!

[0] https://frame.work/linux [1] https://community.frame.work/

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trelane ◴[20 May 22 00:29 UTC] No.31441983[source]▶
"semi-official" is pretty far away from full support.
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1. Shared404 ◴[20 May 22 00:33 UTC] No.31442007[source]▶
But just as far away from no official support, which is where we stand with most hardware that I'm interested in.
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2. trelane ◴[20 May 22 01:37 UTC] No.31442379[source]▶
I don't get why you're not interested in hardware that fully supports Linux, and which comes with great support, but you do you I guess.
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3. samtheDamned ◴[20 May 22 02:17 UTC] No.31442615[source]▶
because this hardware is uniquely repairable and upgradable and it has better linux support than most of the industry. Unless you just want another rebranded clevo laptop this is very good.
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4. Shared404 ◴[20 May 22 02:25 UTC] No.31442655[source]▶
I did say most.

Next time I buy a laptop, it will be System76 or Framework, depending on which offering I like better at the time.

5. trelane ◴[20 May 22 02:34 UTC] No.31442711{3}[source]▶
Framework is not that different from System76 afaict. Except Framework has no CoreBoot and no Linux support.
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6. frickinLasers ◴[20 May 22 03:32 UTC] No.31443054{4}[source]▶
First, "no linux support" is disingenuous. Second, with a Framework you can replace a USB-c port with a 1TB expansion card, or with an Ethernet port, or whatever is in stock. Those who bought the first model can now upgrade to a next-gen processor and/or reinforced lid, without throwing the whole laptop away. While System76 has surprisingly lower prices than I expected, it does not appear to have similar features--you still have to replace the entire system whenever your Pangolin becomes obsolete in 3 years. Framework was always more about sustainability. They didn't anticipate the demand for Linux/FOSS stuff, but they're adjusting for that. Hopefully some future motherboard will have Coreboot, and I can buy that motherboard and pop it in my laptop.
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7. trelane ◴[20 May 22 12:31 UTC] No.31446474{5}[source]▶
> First, "no linux support" is disingenuous

Nope. If I can't file a ticket or call and get an issue fixed, that's not support.

> with a Framework you can replace a USB-c port with a 1TB expansion card, or with an Ethernet port, or whatever is in stock. Those who bought the first model can now upgrade to a next-gen processor and/or reinforced lid, without throwing the whole laptop away.

Ah, that _is_ a great difference then.

Hopefully they get their Linux act together.