Build Your Own Device
This isn't a full review of the Framework 13. There are plenty of those out there. Rather this is a story telling of my experience.
I started sketching out this post back in December 2023. I was part of the Framework 13 AMD pre-order and I finally had my laptop in my hands. Back then I was getting familiar with my Framework laptop and loving every aspect of it except for one of its feet being slightly deformed. I was mostly willing to look past this issue but it was really irritating me when typing. If I had the laptop on a flat solid surface (kitchen bench, solid table, etc..) the foot was sticking out just enough to make the laptop rock. Very annoying!
So I contacted Framework and went through the warranty process. Honestly I didn't expect too much, maybe a new foot in the mail, a replacement case bottom. I was even ready for the cold shoulder and was gearing up to take matters in to my own hands with the help of a Dremel.
What happened instead made me a customer for life. Now, the process was entirely different to any warranty support experience I've ever been through: the assessment process involved countless photos of my laptop from various angles while putting a strait edged ruler on it. Then a new laptop was shipped to me, I performed a component swap, kept the not-wonky parts and then shipped the rest back to Framework.
Yes, it's a process that would prove too much for the non-technical out there. But I don't believe that's Framework's target demographic. After all, Framework ships a screwdriver with your laptop and openly encourages you to source your own RAM & SSD to build it with. As someone who is technical it was refreshing to be trusted to just get on with performing a component swap. Given that I'm not in the same timezone as Framework in the US or Taiwan, I was expecting at least 24 hours between each round of communication, but the Framework team was super fast to respond to each email, often completing a whole line of inquiry in a single sitting.
I'm so impressed I've started making sure that every new laptop is a Framework.
Now I need to back-peddle here for a moment. I don't often buy laptops. Not new ones anyway. Now don't get me wrong, I have enough tech in my house that I could start a small to medium enterprise by just clearing out a few cupboards and using what I find in them, but I don't typically buy new laptops. The last new laptop I purchased was 10 years ago. It was a Lenovo X240 that still works to this day. Since then I have been making do with second hand hardware, mostly by taking advantage of my role in IT to pick up end-of-life laptops once they're pulled from circulation and disposed of. I've found that a 4 year old laptop typically works quite well if you're willing to give it some more RAM and perhaps replace its SSD.
So back to today. Before Framework my last new laptop was purchased 10 years ago. I now have 3 new Framework laptops in my house.
- Two AMD 7840Us - one running Windows, one running Linux
- One AMD 7640U - running Linux
I've even been able to colour code the bezels so I know which machine is which at a glance.
I don't have a photo for it, but I even replaced my Dad's tired old laptop for a Framework 13. His running an Intel i5-1340P. I feel trying to remember which port does what on an AMD Framework is asking a bit much for non-technical users, so having 4x Thunderbolt ports that work with any expansion card in any port is a big advantage here.
The expansion card system is awesome, and having found a wallet style case that holds them neatly (thinkTANK Secure Pixel Pocket Rocket) I can carry one set to cover all the laptops.
The Linux support is brilliant. Even though I'm using a distro without official support (Linux Mint) the amount of community support out there means this is the first time I've had a working finger print reader on Mint.
Even little things like the battery life have surprised me. Typically Linux would tank the battery life on my other laptops.
Framework even included enough stickers that my other old laptops can hide their shame and pretend they're one of the cool kids.
So, from no new laptops in 10 years, to 3 in quick succession. Framework has reinvigorated my interest in the laptop market. As someone who has enormous levels of gadget OCD - everything gets its own padded case, I never place hard objects on hard surfaces to avoid scratching etc.. I'm confident that my Framework laptops will last for an extremely long time and provided the current shape of the Framework 13 continues to receive revisions I may even be able to keep the hardware somewhat up-to-date over that time-frame.