Framework Laptop 16

I like Framework as an idea, but we're talking about a 1500$ premium over this competing 16 inch laptop.

1200$ https://www.bestbuy.com/product/gigabyte-aero-x16-copilot-pc...

I literally can buy 2 of the Gigabyte laptops for the same price.

Even if I can swap out some parts, odds are it's still easier( and cheaper) to just buy a new competing laptop ever 3 years.

If your motivation is "the environment" you can always just donate your old laptop , give it to a friend, etc. "Gaming" laptop might as well be for code for cheaper , but it has RGB and your co-workers might look at you weird.

I tried to configure it as my Thinkpad P15 from 2021, and it takes about 1000 euros more, no way I am paying over 3 000 euros for a laptop.

> If your motivation is "the environment" you can always just donate your old laptop

If you care about environment make regulator force companies to make repairable and upgradeable hardware. That could actually have an impact.

Putting burden on consumer choices is one of the biggest hoaxes of modern capitalism.

My big issue with any expensive portable device is I might just drop it.

I'm typing on this laptop right now. I brought it for 450 USD on sale. https://www.bestbuy.com/product/asus-vivobook-s-14-14-oled-l...

Aside from Linux driver issues, shame on our community for downplaying this, it's an amazing computer. I swapped in a 2TB SDD, and I'll be using it for years.

If I drop it or do something stupid, I'm out 450$. Even a decent Macbook is only going to be about 1500$.

At 3000 Euro, 3500 USD I'd be afraid to take it out of the house, at which point a desktop is going to be significantly cheaper, better, easier to fix and less accident prone.

All I want is safe to replace batteries and SSDs.

Both are wear parts.

For what it's worth, I accidentally flung my Framework 13 across several stairs of a lecture hall. All in all, a 3 meter drop on an arched trajectory with the lid closed. The device has not been damaged except for scratches.

I wouldn't repeat this on purpose obviously, but I came away with the impression that Framework builds are not particularly brittle.

I would not consider a single anecdote about (no) damage from dropping to mean anything at all as there is always a very high variance with that. For many devices you can drop them dozens of times without any major issues or you can get unlucky once.

Many laptops just use regular M.2 SSDs which are easy enough to replace. For me this is a requirement not just for repairs but also for the initial configuration - bundled storage options are usually too limited.

Batteries are harder because the race to reduce thickness and weight means that they are usually optimized for that rather than being some standard format you can find replacements for.

Macs already don't offer replaceable storage.

The new Surface 12 is in the same boat.

I'm not a big fan of regulation, but it would be nice to see OEMs offer professional battery replacement at a reasonable price.

100$ would be fair.

A lot of really stupid stuff can happen if you try to replace a battery.

Sadly I pulled mine off a desk by the cord with my foot and dented the top right corner bending under the power button slightly breaking it so had to replace the keyboard, top and bottom case. That’s fine, happy I fixed it myself but just an anecdote to the opposite. ;)

I'm tired of buying premium machines and having the hinges blow out. I had a sager where the metal frame itself next to the hinge fatigued and broke. They refused to honor their warranty and claimed it was user induced damage. Shit like that sticks with you, and that machine was $2,400. I can deal with buying cheap junk and having it break, I can also deal with spending and arm and a leg and getting a premium machine that holds together. The issue is today if you are foolish enough to spend and arm and a leg on a laptop, it will fail you just as readily as the junk. I just lost my MBP because the shift key went out (MBP has 0 liquid protection, liquid got in a hole that goes directly into the membrane layers). An entire 1.5k laptop is e-waste because the keyboard is riveted to the chassis with a hardware locked fingerprint reader. I'm done buying junk, I got a fw-13 and had the mainboard replaced under rma. It took me 10 mins to swap out the entire mainboard and send it off.