NovaCustom – Framework Laptop alternative focusing on privacy

1. cosmic_cheese ◴[28 Jun 25 20:00 UTC] No.44407694[source]▶

I don’t mean to minimize the company’s role in their offerings, but are these rebadged Clevo/Tongfang/etc laptops? There’s a place for those but that would make NovaCustom more comparable to system76 or Tuxedo than Framework, which designs their own hardware.

replies(4): >>44407941 #>>44408011 #>>44408678 #>>44409630 #

2. Fire-Dragon-DoL ◴[28 Jun 25 20:42 UTC] No.44408011[source]▶

>>44407694 (TP) #

I think system76 is now designing their own hardware too?

replies(1): >>44408023 #

3. cosmic_cheese ◴[28 Jun 25 20:44 UTC] No.44408023[source]▶

>>44408011 #

As far as I know, for models currently on sale that applies only to their desktops (which are cool, but considerably more niche since people interested in desktops are likely to build their own), with their laptops being Clevos.

replies(2): >>44408352 #>>44409010 #

4. Fire-Dragon-DoL ◴[28 Jun 25 21:33 UTC] No.44408352{3}[source]▶

>>44408023 #

Ah I see!

5. antif ◴[28 Jun 25 22:23 UTC] No.44408678[source]▶

>>44407694 (TP) #

I’d wish custom development could be minimized and everyone instead assembled next generation systems using the best open, standardized, and reusable parts.. which then could be sourced or salvaged on almost any continent. Just a wish.

replies(1): >>44409818 #

6. qchris ◴[28 Jun 25 23:23 UTC] No.44409010{3}[source]▶

>>44408023 #

My personal opinion is that System76 isn't really targeting personal users with their desktop line, though, but instead is more focused on professional users. For example, I built my own desktop computer at home, but if I needed one for work for doing ML or just to have the increased compute over my company-issued laptop, there's no way that my organization would sign-off on letting me spec out my own parts from Newegg and spend a day or two building and testing the system, then trying to install NVIDIA drivers on Ubuntu.

What they would (and do) sign-off on is a one-time purchase of a desktop from an approved vendor for that desktop, which comes with out-of-the-box support for the NVIDIA GPU I've selected. That's more the niche that I feel System76 is really filling.

7. userbinator ◴[29 Jun 25 01:27 UTC] No.44409630[source]▶

>>44407694 (TP) #

than Framework, which designs their own hardware.

They don't either. I believe Framework is OEM'd by Compal.

replies(1): >>44409716 #

8. Bjartr ◴[29 Jun 25 01:47 UTC] No.44409716[source]▶

>>44409630 #

Did some looking and it appears that Framework does in fact design the hardware. They have a deal with Compal to then manufacture it.

replies(1): >>44409811 #

9. userbinator ◴[29 Jun 25 02:09 UTC] No.44409811{3}[source]▶

>>44409716 #

Depends what you mean by "design". They get to choose some aspects of how it looks in general, but as for the actual schematics/PCB layout, that's based on the CPU manufacturer's reference design.

Edit: the amount of downvoting the original comment got, and the sibling that got killed for saying effectively the same thing, makes me think someone is trying to push a certain narrative, but the truth is out there. No one except a very small number of OEMs actually designs PC mobos, and they are also based on reference designs from Intel or AMD.

replies(1): >>44413149 #

10. userbinator ◴[29 Jun 25 02:10 UTC] No.44409818[source]▶

>>44408678 #

Spend enough time in a repair forum and you'll realise that 99% of laptops out there are already just reference designs from the CPU manufacturers. Of course Apple is the exception, but when they were still using x86 CPUs, so were their designs.

11. Bjartr ◴[29 Jun 25 13:50 UTC] No.44413149{4}[source]▶

>>44409811 #

I mean, isn't laying things out so the ports they need for the expansion slots "design"? It's not like there'll be a reference design that has those in those locations.