Framework Blog

How to buy a laptop without breaking the bank or the planet

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 21:20:40 +0000

Most companies want you to buy their products as often as possible. We don’t. We want you to use Framework products for as long as possible. Our philosophy is to build great, high-performance laptops that last, by making them simple to repair, upgrade, and customize. Replacing products less often is the single best way to reduce their environmental impact. As the Founder of Framework, I recently appeared on the Netflix documentary Buy Now to go deeper on this. We’ve shared our thoughts around holiday promotions before, but to summarize it, we believe in keeping pricing consistent and predictable. Instead of running time-based promotions like Black Friday sales to entice you to buy a product when you may or may not need it, we keep pricing stable so that when you do need a product, it’s at the lowest price to date.

You might think that with that operating mode, our products would need to be unreasonably expensive. We price our products competitively and find ways to reduce the cost of entry wherever possible. We have both pre-assembled laptops and our DIY Edition where you can bring your own memory, storage, and Operating System to save more. When we introduce a new product generation, we permanently discount the previous one until we run out of stock. We also refurbish and resell the small number of product returns we get at reduced prices through the Framework Outlet. Additionally, when we have excess material from manufacturing, rather than scrapping it, we find ways to repurpose it into Factory Seconds products.

Once you have a Framework Laptop, we want to make sure it works great for you for as long as possible. It’s your product, not ours, and you can choose what to replace and when. Every part of the system is replaceable using the single tool that we include in the box, and we publish easy-to-follow step-by-step replacement guides. To further reduce waste, we also enable ways to re-use modules like the Mainboard outside of laptop, with open source 3d-printable designs and projects. We’re excited to continue working with you to remake Consumer Electronics!

Framework Laptop 13 in stock and upcoming events and country launches

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 20:45:23 +0000

We’re happy to share that both Framework Laptop 13 (Intel Core Ultra Series 1) and the new configurations of Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen 7040 Series) with the 2.8k display are now in stock. The new modules we introduced this generation are mostly in stock too (2.8k Display Kit and USB-C Expansion Cards in a range of colors are in stock, while we keep selling out of 2nd Gen Webcam each time we stock it). We were able to turn our newly-increased factory capacity over to clearing out pre-orders more quickly than ever. We also manufactured our final set of Framework Laptop 13 (13th Gen Intel Core) systems, which are available discounted through the Framework Outlet.

If you’re interested in getting your hands physically onto a Framework Laptop or would like to chat with members of the Framework team, we’ve started participating in more events throughout the year. Last week, we had a booth at Rails World in Toronto, where dhh championed Framework Laptop + omakub as an excellent pairing to empower developers moving from MacOS to Linux. On Oct 22nd, we’ll be joining the DeepComputing team at the RISC-V Summit in Santa Clara, California to share more about the RISC-V Mainboard they are developing for Framework Laptop 13. Later that week, you can find us at our booth at the Ubuntu Summit in the Netherlands from Oct 25-27, where we’ll also be giving at least one talk. We’ll also have a giant pile of Framework stickers on hand everywhere we go, so come find us!

Also in October, we’re expanding shipments to our next set of countries, Croatia, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia. All configurations of Framework Laptop 13 and 16 are available and in stock, and we have local language keyboards available too. We’re continuing to optimize our infrastructure across the board to enable future geographic expansion, and you can always let us know where we should go next by registering your interest!

Lastly, if you’re looking for more Framework content, we’re publishing a few videos a month to our YouTube channel on topics spanning manufacturing, community projects, technical deep dives, and more. Our most recent video is a take on AI PCs grounded in reality, going through how to run LLMs locally on a Framework Laptop 16!

Reviews are live of Intel Core Ultra Series 1 and the new 2.8k Display

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 13:23:40 +0000

The first reviews are now live for Framework Laptop 13 (Intel Core Ultra Series 1), along with the new modules we’ve launched like the 2.8k Display. We’re also starting shipments of pre-orders for these products this week. Since we’ve built up manufacturing capacity substantially over the last year, we’ll be able to move through pre-order batches faster than ever before.

This is our fourth Intel iteration of Framework Laptop 13, and we’re bringing it closer to perfection each time. Reviewers enjoyed the major improvements in graphics performance delivered by the new processors. Linux press outlets, especially, appreciated the 2.8k display with its 120Hz refresh rate and excellent match to 2:1 graphics scaling. Here are a few of our favorite call-outs:

“Framework Computer has iterated on their thermal solution so that it's both quieter and cooler.”

– Michael Larabel, Phoronix

“This might be a contentious statement, but displays with 3:2 aspect ratios rock. Displays with 3:2 aspect ratios boasting a 2880x1920 resolution rock even harder. Then you add a 120Hz refresh rate and a full 180-degree hinge to the mix? My socks are rocked right off.”

– Jason Evangelho, Forbes

"By creating laptops with individual components that are upgradeable and backward and forward compatible, the Framework 13 lets you keep everything you like about your current rig while swapping out the parts that need a spec bump."

– iFixIt

In addition to starting pre-order shipments on laptops, Mainboards, and Display Kits, several of the new modules we’ve introduced this generation are now in stock in the Framework Marketplace: USB-C Expansion Cards in a range of new colors, the SD Expansion Card, and the new 2nd Gen Webcam.

We’re happy to share that today we also opened shipments to Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, and Republic of Cyprus. This may seem like a random assortment of countries, but they are the remaining countries in the EU that can leverage our existing Euro currency support and keyboards. We’ll continue to expand shipping to the rest of the EU over the course of this year. We’re also continuing to scale up the Outlet, with refurbished 1TB, 250GB, MicroSD, and Ethernet Expansion Cards now available in the US and Canada. We’re excited to keep living up to our mission and scaling up both this ecosystem of long-lived products and the number of people we can reach with it.

Framework Laptop 13 Deep Dive - A laptop webcam with smartphone technology

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 21:14:24 +0000

Today we’re sharing more about the new second generation Webcam Module we developed alongside Framework Laptop 13 (Intel Core Ultra Series 1). Webcams in laptops often have poor image quality because laptop makers prioritize making the top bezel as narrow as possible, limiting the size of image sensors that can fit to tiny optical formats like ⅛” or even smaller (that’s smaller than a grain of rice). Worse, the image sensors available for notebooks typically use several-generation old sensing technology. All of this has resulted in a world where our smartphone cameras continue to achieve mind-blowing improvements in quality every year while our laptops are stuck with a grainy mess in a time when video conferencing is used more than ever.

We’ve been closely following image sensor roadmaps from suppliers to get around this challenge and were excited to see Omnivision announce the 9.2MP OV08X sensor in late 2022. This was the first and possibly only recent sensor bringing new smartphone image sensor technologies into a laptop-ready 1/5.7” optical format. The two most important improvements this sensor brings are backside illumination (BSI) and pixel binning. BSI is an image sensor manufacturing process improvement that enables much greater light sensitivity by moving the photodiode layer that measures light closer to the sensor surface. In the OV08X, BSI comes in the form of what Omnivision calls “PureCel Plus-2”, which is their marketing name for their set of advancements beyond traditional BSI that reduce pixel cross-talk.

With pixel binning, instead of using the 9.2MP image sensor at its native resolution, each group of four subpixels are grouped together into one larger, more light-sensitive subpixel. This means we can run the sensor at 1080p natively, which is what video conferencing applications can use directly. Between BSI and pixel binning, low light performance on this webcam is substantially better than our first generation camera. All of these improvements sound great, but of course it’s best to get a real look at the results. We’ve posted a video on our YouTube channel with comparisons between our original and new webcam modules in a few lighting conditions.

We’ve made a few interesting improvements beyond picking a better image sensor. We worked with our Taiwan-based partner Chicony (who also manufactures our 180W Power Adapter for Framework Laptop 16) to make the new module. A great sensor of course needs to be paired with an excellent lens. We used a 5-element 2.0 f-stop lens (up from 4-element in the original webcam) with a wider 87 degree field of view. We’ve also brought in new 67 dB SNR microphones from AAC for greater audio clarity. We’ve made some improvements in the hardware privacy switch circuitry to slightly reduce standby power consumption too. The privacy switch behavior on the camera also uses a new mode where instead of powering off the full camera, it cuts off the image sensor power and generates a placeholder blank image in the camera controller. This results in better behavior in applications and faster privacy mode switching.

We’re excited for you to get a look at this new Webcam Module when we start shipping it this August. The module comes pre-installed on Framework Laptop 13 (Intel Core Ultra Series 1) and the new Ryzen 7040 Series configurations with the 2.8k display. It’s also compatible with all of our existing Framework Laptop 13 and Framework Laptop 16 models, so you can pick it up in the Framework Marketplace and upgrade the laptop you already own.

Introducing a new RISC-V Mainboard from DeepComputing

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:24:22 +0000

We’re excited to share a preview of a Framework Laptop 13 Mainboard with a new CPU architecture today, and it’s probably not the one you think it is. The team at DeepComputing has built the first ever partner-developed Mainboard, and it uses a RISC-V processor! This is a huge milestone both for expanding the breadth of the Framework ecosystem and for making RISC-V more accessible than ever. We designed the Framework Laptop to enable deep flexibility and personalization, and now that extends all the way to processor architecture selection. DeepComputing is demoing an early prototype of this Mainboard in a Framework Laptop 13 at the RISC-V Summit Europe next week, and we’ll be sharing more as this program progresses.

There is excellent philosophical alignment between RISC-V and Framework. Both are built on the idea that an open ecosystem is more powerful than the sum of its parts. To explain why, first we’ll go into what RISC-V even is. RISC-V is a fully open Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), which is the interface point between software and hardware. It’s a defined set of instructions that software is compiled and assembled into that the processor executes to run the actual program. x86 (or the latest version, x86-64) is the most common ISA for PCs today, and it’s what is used in the processors for each Framework Laptop we’ve shipped to date. The x86 ISA was invented by Intel, extended on by AMD, and is proprietary, with Intel and AMD being effectively the only two companies able to use and create processors around it. ARM is another popular ISA, owned by Arm Holdings. Arm licenses the ARM architecture out, which enables companies to pay a license fee for cores to make their own processors that leverage it. What makes RISC-V unique is that it is an entirely open architecture, which means that anyone can extend on it and create their own processors that use it without paying a fee. RISC-V International is the collaborative organization that exists to help develop the standard and define common versions to ensure cross-compatibility of hardware and software. There are hundreds of companies now developing cores and chips around RISC-V, but most of these have been hidden away in embedded applications. The DeepComputing RISC-V Mainboard is one of the first instances of leveraging this ecosystem for the main processor in a consumer-facing product.

All of this is what makes RISC-V unique from an ecosystem enablement perspective. The actual technology is equally interesting. The base instruction set of RISC-V is simple and streamlined, while there are a number of extensions enabling high performance and specialized compute. This means that RISC-V cores can be developed for anything from tiny control CPUs embedded inside a sensor (the Fingerprint Reader we’ve used in Framework Laptops since 2021 actually has a RISC-V core!) to monstrous multi-hundred-core server processors. The DeepComputing RISC-V Mainboard uses a JH7110 processor from StarFive which has four U74 RISC-V cores from SiFive. SiFive is the company that developed CPU cores using the RISC-V ISA, StarFive is the processor designer that integrated those CPU cores with other peripherals, DeepComputing created a Mainboard leveraging that processor, and Framework makes laptops that can use the Mainboard. The power of an open ecosystem!

This Mainboard is extremely compelling, but we want to be clear that in this generation, it is focused primarily on enabling developers, tinkerers, and hobbyists to start testing and creating on RISC-V. The peripheral set and performance aren’t yet competitive with our Intel and AMD-powered Framework Laptop Mainboards. This board also has soldered memory and uses MicroSD cards and eMMC for storage, both of which are limitations of the processor. It is a great way to start playing with RISC-V though inside of a thin, light, refined laptop. The Mainboard will be able to drop into any Framework Laptop 13 chassis or into the Cooler Master Mainboard Case. DeepComputing is also working closely with the team at Canonical and the Fedora Community to ensure Linux support is solid through Ubuntu and Fedora. We’ll continue to keep you up to date as we work with the team at DeepComputing to complete development of this new Mainboard and enable access to it. You can sign up in the Framework Marketplace to get notified when we have updates.

We have a couple of other updates around scaling access to Framework Laptop 13. The first is that just like we did for Framework Laptop 16 last week, today we’re sharing open source CAD for the Framework Laptop 13 shell, enabling development of skins, cases, and accessories. The second is that we now have Framework Laptop 13 Factory Seconds systems available with British English and German keyboards, making entering the ecosystem more affordable than ever. We’re eager to continue growing a new Consumer Electronics industry that is grounded in open access, repairability, and customization at every level.

Framework Laptop 16 in stock and more open source releases

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 18:58:19 +0000

We’re happy (and relieved) to share that after working our way through our largest set of pre-orders ever, Framework Laptop 16 is now in stock and shipping from inventory. This means that orders placed now ship within 1-2 weeks, and soon within 5 business days to all 14 countries we currently deliver to. We’ll be adding Denmark, Sweden, and Finland later this month as well.

To complete pre-orders as quickly as possible, we more than doubled manufacturing capacity at our factory in Taiwan. That extra infrastructure won’t be going to waste, since we’re a few weeks away from starting production ramp on the new Framework Laptop 13 (Intel Core Ultra Series 1). Our manufacturing setup is flexible and modular, so we balance it between Framework Laptop 16, both the AMD and Intel-powered Framework Laptop 13 models, and the various modules on the Marketplace.

It’s been amazing to see the continuing positive response to Framework Laptop 16 from both customers and press. Bringing high performance, input customization, graphics upgradeability, and repairability to a slim form factor is making sense to people! Wendell at Level1Techs did a great deep dive on setting up DIY Edition and installing Linux.

Software updates

Getting a product through production and into your hands is just the start. Designing a product to last means continuing to update it, support it, and extend on it as we go. We recently released BIOS and driver updates for Framework Laptop 16 that improve performance and compatibility, and we’ve updated guides around the latest Linux distros like Ubuntu 24.04 (which is apparently higher performance than Windows!) and Fedora 40. We have an exciting hardware roadmap ahead as well. During a tour of our manufacturing partner TUL last week, Linus Tech Tips got a sneak peek at an upcoming Expansion Bay module that we’ll be sharing more about soon.

Open source releases

With open source documentation around the module systems in Framework Laptop 16, we’re seeing some incredible community developed projects in progress too. Joseph Schroedl created an open source RGB LED Matrix that can retrofit into the normal LED Matrix Input Module enclosure, and EmilioP designed a carrying case for Expansion Bay modules. To enable even more amazing community projects, today we’re releasing open source 3D CAD of the laptop itself, unlocking development of cases, skins, and other customization parts.

Framework Laptop 13 Deep Dive - Creating a custom high-resolution display

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 16:08:52 +0000

Along with the launch of our latest generation Framework Laptop 13, we announced a new higher-resolution 13.5” display option available on both AMD and Intel-powered DIY Edition configurations. We custom developed this display with our panel partner BOE to improve over our already-great default version. Resolution is increased from 2256x1504 to 2880x1920, which is an amazing 256 PPI. In addition to resulting in sharper text rendering, this resolution is perfect for 2:1 scaling, which is especially convenient for Linux. Brightness goes up from 400 nit to 500 nit, matching what we have on Framework Laptop 16 and making usage in bright daylight excellent. Refresh rate goes from 60Hz to 120Hz with support for variable refresh rate and gray-to-gray rise+fall response time drops to 12ms, enabling smooth scrolling and cursor movement along with an improved gaming experience. We’ve kept the same 3:2 aspect ratio, 1500:1 contrast, 100% sRGB color gamut, and matte anti-glare surface, making this an all-around solid panel for productivity. There is one part of the display that is a slight step backwards from the original though, which is that the corners of the active area are rounded (the top corners with a 3mm radius and the bottom ones with 1mm). You’re probably wondering why we would do such a thing. To explain why, first, we’ll go through the process of manufacturing a display.

Display manufacturing is split into two major segments that are called the “front end process” and the “back end process”. In the front end process, giant sheets of very precisely prepared glass substrate go through a thin film transistor (TFT) process using patterning masks that are custom to each display design. The TFT layer forms the actual electrical functioning of each pixel. Then, the full sheet of multiple displays goes through color filter array and liquid crystal processes that apply the optically functional parts of each pixel. After that, the large substrate is cut into individual panels, which go through the back end process, sometimes in a separate facility. In the back end process, the flex circuit board that the interface chip is on is bonded to the glass and the backlight is integrated. The finished panel is then packed out and sent to our laptop factory.

The earlier processes are substantially more expensive to customize than the later processes. Customizing a TFT patterning mask set for example requires a colossal up-front investment and a sizable minimum order quantity, while customizing the backlight or the final shape of the mechanical module is simpler and cheaper. Going back to our display, we found a panel that BOE was designing for another customer with rounded corners that fit the needs of their product. Rather than paying for our own fully custom panel, we leveraged this existing panel’s mask set (thanks, whichever notebook company paid for this) and customized the back end process to fit the structure we needed for Framework Laptop 13. In addition to supporting our latest generation, we made sure this panel can be swapped into all of our existing Framework Laptop 13 models, going back to the original 11th Gen version from 2021.

You can pick up the new display now as a pre-order option on our latest Intel and AMD Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition configurations, and you can also pre-order the display module on its own in the Framework Marketplace. We’re looking forward to seeing what you think of it!

Introducing the new Framework Laptop 13 with Intel Core Ultra Series 1 processors

Wed, 29 May 2024 15:47:39 +0000

Today we’re excited to announce the newest version of Framework Laptop 13 with the latest Intel® Core™ Ultra Series 1 processors, an optional 13.5” 2880x1920 120 Hz display on both Intel and AMD systems, a new webcam with 9.2MP image sensor, and configurations designed for businesses and professionals with a 3-year warranty. Pre-orders are open now, with shipments starting this August. These are available in all 14 countries we’re currently in, and we’ll be launching in Sweden, Finland, and Denmark this June. We’ve also permanently reduced the prices of our Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen 7040 Series) systems, making them more accessible than ever.

We designed Framework Laptop 13 to last, and we’re eager to make it better each year. We’ve upgraded nearly every part since first shipping in 2021, and we read through press reviews and feedback constantly to find ways to improve it further. Our focus this year is on refining the end-to-end experience for both current and new customers, making this the ideal laptop for Linux in addition to Windows, and enabling businesses to enter the world of repairable, customizable computing. We’ve also revamped our software pipeline, with new firmware and driver releases now landing regularly for each product.

This is our fourth Framework Laptop 13 iteration with Intel processors, and we continue to optimize performance further each time. With Intel Core Ultra Series 1, Intel delivered major improvements in efficiency and battery life, especially on use cases like video playback. With a new graphics architecture, up to 6 Performance cores and 8 Efficient cores, and support for up to a massive 96 GB of DDR5 memory, the new generation drives productivity performance and a huge leap in gaming capability. In integrating this processor, we’ve redesigned our thermal system and tuned fan control algorithms to keep the system cooler while reducing noise.

The new 2.8k display option with 2880x1920 resolution at 256 PPI makes pixels invisible from a normal viewing distance, resulting in incredibly sharp text and graphics. Even better, that resolution allows for a streamlined experience in Linux through 2:1 display scaling. The 120 Hz refresh rate with variable refresh rate support, 500 nit brightness, 1500:1 contrast, and anti-glare matte surface make this an all-around excellent panel across a range of use cases. There is one oddity with this otherwise ideal display though, which is that the corners are rounded (the top corners by 3mm and bottom corners by 1mm). This is because we repurposed and customized a panel that was originally designed for another company. We’ll share more on how and why we did this in an upcoming technical deep dive blog post. The 2.8k display is a configuration option on DIY Edition, and you can also pick it up in the Marketplace to upgrade any existing Framework Laptop 13.

Like the new display, we developed the new webcam with a focus on improving real world usage. Instead of running the new Omnivision 9.2MP image sensor at its native resolution, we use a mode that groups each set of four subpixels together into large, high-sensitivity pixels, much like modern smartphone cameras do. This means we get amazing 1080p performance, especially in low-light conditions. We’ve also moved to lower-noise microphones for better audio clarity.

For those of you who prefer AMD processors, we’re introducing new configurations of Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition with AMD Ryzen 7040 Series processors that use the new 2.8k display and webcam along with our high-capacity 61Wh battery. We’ve also lowered the prices of our existing Ryzen 7040 Series configurations and our remaining inventory of 13th Gen Intel Core systems to make Framework Laptop 13 more affordable, with prices now starting at $949 USD for pre-built systems and $799 USD for DIY Edition.

We’re introducing new customization options alongside all of the system improvements. The SD Expansion Card that we’ve been sharing regular updates on is now available for pre-order, as are four new colors of USB-C Expansion Cards. We have one last bit of good news for Linux users too: you can now configure an English International keyboard with a “super” key instead of the logo from an OS you aren’t using.

The single biggest surprise we’ve had since starting Framework is how quickly IT Managers came to us requesting longer-lasting, repairable computers for the businesses they support. There are now thousands of businesses switching fully to Framework Laptops. With this generation, we’re expanding our Framework for Business program further, with a set of Framework Laptop 13 configurations with a three year extended limited warranty and Windows 11 Pro with Autopilot support enabled out of the box. Interested businesses and professionals can order directly through our site or reach out to our Framework for Business team to get set up.

Framework Laptop 13 with Intel Core Ultra Series 1, the new Mainboards, the 2.8k display, the new AMD Ryzen 7040 DIY Edition options, and the business-focused configurations are all pre-orderable today. As always, you can pick up any of the new modules in the Framework Marketplace to upgrade and extend the life of the Framework Laptop you already own. There are a number of competing visions for what the future of computing should be. Ours is one that is grounded in the belief that when we make a computer, it isn’t ours. It’s yours. We can’t wait to build this future with you.