San Francisco-based startup Frame just named a thin, lightweight production laptop, unlike any other on the market right now. Yes, it looks similar to the aluminum options offered by almost every other laptop manufacturer, but this laptop can be upgraded, customized and repaired in ways that others cannot.
For starters, Framework laptops have four swappable port booths, which can eliminate the need for a separate port dock together. The framework calls this the Extension Card System. It has the default USB-C card, which supports USB4, 20V / 5A, and Alt DisplayPort Mode for connecting a monitor; a USB-A card that supports USB 3.2 Gen 2; HMDI card that supports HDMI 2.0; DisplayPort card for DisplayPort 1.4 support; MicroSD port; card for an additional 250GB or 1TB of storage, what kind of functions as an external driver; and Framework has more expansion cards in development for headphones, microcontrollers, and others.
You can not only choose which ports you want, but you can choose which side you want. So if you are like me and use an external mouse with your laptop sometimes, you may want the left port or HDMI port so that the cables do not get on the -slighe. (Good news too for left-handed mouse users!)
The entire laptop’s stomach can be completely customized. The framework states that the entire main board can be modified to increase performance as it launches new models with new processors down the road. The battery, screen, and keyboard are also completely reset, and Frame laptops also allow users to change their language and keyboard layout, as well as the color of the magnetic bezel customize accessible.
The laptops can come pre-assembled or removable for those who enjoy the DIY process.
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according to The edge, Frame founder Nirav Patel, who was one of Oculus’ original employees and also worked at Apple, hopes to address the issue of electronic waste by allowing customers of his laptop several parts different change in their device.
“As a consumer electronics company, your business model effectively relies on exporting a steady ton of hardware and pushing it to channels, and into the market, and into into the hands of consumers, and then letting it down and letting it exist, ”Patel told The Verge. “It promotes waste and inefficiency, and ultimately damage to the environment.”
A frame also places the right to repair directly – and literally – in the hands of customers. By maintaining an ecosystem of easily customizable parts, customers will not have to replace their entire laptop if something goes wrong, or return it to the manufacturer just to stick RAM replaced. (Some companies like to solder the RAM to the motherboard.)
Frame is not the first company to try some sort of modular or mini desktop laptop design. We reviewed before Intel’s NUC 9 Extreme Kit, and Intel also silently launched Phantom Canyon NUC 11 lineup during CES last month. Alienware had a big dream too flexible components with the Area-51m R2, but it didn’t translate as well with customers because Nvidia RTX Super GPUs were not available for update. Google even had a modular phone, Project Ara, it is finally scratched.
But it looks like Framework could be the first company to make a modular lab. Future Intel’s 11th-gen tiger Lake mobile CPUs, in which both the CPU and GPU have a system-on-chip (SoC) form factor, not to mention the sleek design option of portable ports, make this laptop an attractive choice for those who wants or needs that little extra customization. .
The framework will start delivering its custom laptops in the summer of 2021. You can put your name on its website to contact you by email when you can place an order.