Framework laptop part made with love by team

Framework Computer Inc, commonly referred to as Framework, is an American laptop manufacturer. The company positions itself as a proponent of the

electronics right to repair Electronics right to repair is proposed legislation that would provide the practical means for electronics equipment owners to repair their devices. Repair is legal under copyright law and patent law. However, owners and independent technicians ...

movement, and their laptops are designed to be easy to disassemble, with replaceable parts. The company's approach has earned them praise from

Louis Rossmann Louis Anthony Rossmann (born November 19, 1988) is an American independent repair technician, YouTuber, and right to repair activist. He is the owner and operator of Rossmann Repair Group in Austin, Texas (formerly New York City), a computer rep ...

Linus Sebastian Linus Gabriel Sebastian (born August 20, 1986) is a Canadian YouTuber. Sebastian is best known for creating and hosting YouTube channels that cover technology, especially ''Linus Tech Tips'' (LTT)''.'' His channels have a combined subscriber ...

, the latter having invested $225,000 into the company, and

Cory Doctorow Cory Efram Doctorow (; born July 17, 1971) is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who served as co-editor of the blog ''Boing Boing''. He is an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent of ...

. In November 2021, ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine listed the Framework Laptop on their list of the 100 Best Inventions of 2021. ''

Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is a monthly American business magazine published in print and online that focuses on technology, business, and design. It publishes six print issues per year. History ''Fast Company'' was launched in November 1995 by Alan Web ...

'' listed the Framework Laptop on their list of the Most Innovative Companies of 2022.

History

In January 2020, the company was founded by Nirav Patel who was the head of hardware at

Oculus Oculus (a term from Latin ''oculus'', meaning 'eye'), may refer to the following Architecture * Oculus (architecture), a circular opening in the centre of a dome or in a wall Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Oculus'' (film), a 2013 American ...

. In the first half 2021, the company was funded with a $9 million

seed round Seed money, sometimes known as seed funding or seed capital, is a form of securities offering in which an investor invests capital in a startup company in exchange for an equity stake or convertible note stake in the company. The term ''seed'' su ...

. In January 2022, the company was funded with an $18 million

series A A series A round (also known as series A financing or series A investment) is the name typically given to a company's first significant round of venture capital financing. The name refers to the class of preferred stock sold to investors in exchan ...

. The company shared their

pitch deck with reducted parts.

Products

For the products repairability and upgradability, the company's website provides guides for the replacement and repair and the marketplace.

Framework Laptop

In July 2021, Framework started to ship their first product Framework Laptop with an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 chip to the US and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. In December 2021, Framework opened pre-orders to the UK,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. In February 2022, pre-ordering became available for

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. The Framework Laptop received a 10 out of 10 in iFixit's repairability score. The standard Framework Laptop ships as a fully assembled laptop, while the Framework Laptop

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi ...

Edition ships with the RAM, storage, operating system, and in 11th Gen, the WiFi module uninstalled. All of these modules can be ordered with the DIY edition, or left out and purchased separately. In May 2022, the company launched their second generation Framework Laptop with a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 chip that ships with an upgraded back panel, alongside their 12 Gen Upgrade Kit, to allow 11th Gen users to upgrade their laptops. In September 2022, pre-ordering became available for

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. In September 2022, the company started to pre-order the Framework Laptop

Chromebook A Chromebook (sometimes stylized in lowercase as chromebook) is a laptop or tablet running the Linux-based ChromeOS as its operating system. Initially designed to heavily rely on web applications for tasks using the Google Chrome browser, Chromeb ...

Edition to the US and

Mainboard

In April 2022, the company partly open sourced their

mainboard A motherboard (also called mainboard, main circuit board, mb, mboard, backplane board, base board, system board, logic board (only in Apple computers) or mobo) is the main printed circuit board (PCB) in general-purpose computers and other expand ...

with

CAD Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve co ...

and electrical documentation, being available in their

marketplace A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a '' souk'' (from the Arabic), ' ...

, giving away 100 mainboards to makers and developers. There does appear to be an issue with the first generation mainboard with 11th Gen Intel Core, that requires complete removal and reconnection of both main battery and RTC coin cell battery, if the laptop is not charged for a relatively short period of time. The company said that the issue is by 11th Gen Intel Core silicon bug, and they would work to swap out a replacement RTC coin cell battery or 11th Gen mainboard to the people seeing the issue.

Expansion Cards

A core feature of the Framework Laptop is the detachable Expansion Cards that provide the primary input/output for the laptop. The laptop has four expansion slots that can each accept one of seven expansion cards. These consist of USB-C, USB-A, DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0b, 256GB storage expansion, 1TB storage expansion, and MicroSD. A 2.5GbE Ethernet expansion card is currently under development. In addition, each expansion slot has a recessed USB-C port, which can both be used to connect expansion cards, or as a standard USB-C port, though connecting a USB-C expansion card allows for easier access to the port. The company launched the Expansion Card Developer Program to open card development, released documentation,

templates, and reference designs for Expansion Cards, all under open source licenses to make it easy for both hardware companies and individual makers to create new card designs.

Firmware

The laptop uses a proprietary

BIOS In computing, BIOS (, ; Basic Input/Output System, also known as the System BIOS, ROM BIOS, BIOS ROM or PC BIOS) is firmware used to provide runtime services for operating systems and programs and to perform hardware initialization during the ...

firmware, InsydeH2O

UEFI UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is a set of specifications written by the UEFI Forum. They define the architecture of the platform firmware used for booting and its interface for interaction with the operating system. Examples of f ...

Insyde Software Insyde Software () is a company that specializes in UEFI system firmware and engineering support services, primarily for OEM and ODM computer and component device manufacturers. They are listed on the Gre Tai Market of Taiwan and headquartered ...

and an open sourced

embedded controller An Embedded Controller (EC) is a microcontroller in computers that handles various system tasks. Now it is usually merged with Super I/O, especially on mobile platforms (such as laptop). Tasks An embedded controller can have the following task ...

(EC) firmware based on CrOS EC by Framework. In April 2021, the company mentioned that open source firmware was well aligned to their mission. In January 2022, the company open sourced their EC firmware. The company modifies the BIOS source code they bought from

to meet their specific BIOS needs. The company's

Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which ...

Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS) with

fwupd fwupd is an open-source daemon for managing the installation of firmware updates on Linux-based systems, developed by GNOME maintainer Richard Hughes. It is designed primarily for servicing the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) firmwa ...

is in testing state.

Marketplace

The Framework Marketplace is an online store service hosted on the Framework website that primarily sells parts and tools that can be used to repair the Framework Laptop. These include, but are not limited to, replacement mainboards, audio modules, entire screen assemblies, and additional RAM and storage drives. The Marketplace also sells customization parts, including different colors of screen bezels, different keyboard layouts, and additional expansion cards. Notably, a "Carbon Capture" may be purchased for $100 US that makes "your Framework Laptop carbon neutral by buying one unit of carbon capture and sequestration." This essentially donates money directly to Running Tide, a company that is dedicated to removing carbon emissions from the atmosphere.

Battery life

The battery life has been described as mediocre. The battery drains in a completely shut down state in

version 3.07 or earlier with the 11th

Intel Core Intel Core is a line of streamlined midrange consumer, workstation and enthusiast computer central processing units (CPUs) marketed by Intel Corporation. These processors displaced the existing mid- to high-end Pentium processors at the time ...

, however the BIOS unofficial version 3.08 and later versions fix the issue.

Company or individually driven projects

Third party companies and individuals make their projects in a Framework

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

. In December 2022, Framework joined the 3D printing database site, Printables.com as a brand, highlighting the community projects.

Decoration

* Framework Laptop skins & wraps * Screen protector film * Arts & wallpapers

Parts management

* Module frame * Parts tray

Expansion card

* Magnetic charger expansion card * Dual

USB-C USB-C (properly known as USB Type-C) is a 24-pin USB connector system with a rotationally symmetrical connector. The designation C refers only to the connector's physical configuration or form factor and should not be confused with the conne ...

expansion card *

LTE LTE may refer to: Science and technology * LTE (telecommunication) (Long-Term Evolution), a telephone and mobile broadband standard ** LTE Advanced, an enhancement *** LTE Advanced Pro * Compaq LTE, a line of laptop computers produced by Compaq * ...

Cat 4 Cell modem expansion card * Scroll wheels expansion card *

UART A universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART ) is a computer hardware device for asynchronous serial communication in which the data format and transmission speeds are configurable. It sends data bits one by one, from the least significan ...

expansion card * Solokeys Solo V2 expansion card

Hardware using expansion card

* Box, a hardware for cloud storage alternative that uses Framework Expansion Cards.

Mainboard based

* CJ64, a cyberdeck-like keyboard PC that re-purposes the Framework Laptop's

* Mainboard Terminal, a retro-style round display PC that uses the Framework Laptop's

. * Framedeck, a Framework

based cyberdeck with clear acrylic and brass influenced by

TRS-80 Model 100 The TRS-80 Model 100 is a portable computer introduced in April 26th, 1983. It is one of the first notebook-style computers, featuring a keyboard and liquid crystal display, in a battery-powered package roughly the size and shape of a notepad or ...

. * A tablet that uses Framework parts including the

. Framework-Tablet, a 3D printable tablet case. * FrameStation, a modern game console case for the Framework

. * Framework Desktop Case Adapter, a 3D printable mount to adapt a Framework

ATX ATX (Advanced Technology eXtended) is a motherboard and power supply configuration specification developed by Intel in 1995 to improve on previous de facto standards like the AT design. It was the first major change in desktop computer enclo ...

and

MicroATX In computer design, microATX (sometimes referred to as μATX, uATX or mATX) is a standard motherboard form factor introduced in December 1997. The maximum size of a microATX motherboard is . However, there are examples of motherboards using micr ...

mainboards and cases. * Framework Test Bench, a test and development bench for Framework

Display

* Glider, a 60

fps FPS may refer to: Arts and entertainment * "F.P.S." (''Law & Order: Criminal Intent''), an episode of the TV show ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' * '' fps magazine'', a defunct magazine about animation * ''The Fabulous Picture Show'', a televi ...

E-ink Electronic paper, also sometimes electronic ink, e-ink or electrophoretic display, are display devices that mimic the appearance of ordinary ink on paper. Unlike conventional flat panel displays that emit light, an electronic paper display ref ...

replacement display.

Software

* Embedded Controller Modifications, an EC tool that changes the colors of LEDs and the keyboard layout on the firmware level, plus a suite of tools for talking to and manipulating the EC.

Others

* Framework input cover controller, a

RP2040 The RP2040 is a 32-bit dual ARM Cortex-M0+ microcontroller integrated circuit by Raspberry Pi Ltd (was Raspberry Pi Trading Ltd). At the same time, it was released as part of the Raspberry Pi Pico board. Overview Announced on 21st January 202 ...

-based controller for the palmrest, connecting to the keyboard matrix, touchpad, power button, fingerprint sensor

LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...

s, keyboard backlight and CAPS LOCK

. * Adjustable laptop stand

Support

The company supports by their

knowledge base A knowledge base (KB) is a technology used to store complex structured and unstructured information used by a computer system. The initial use of the term was in connection with expert systems, which were the first knowledge-based systems. Ori ...

articles, community forum, QR codes on the products and parts, and inquiry form. The company's customer support is controversial. It has both positive reviews that they are transparent, honest, and customer-focused and negative reviews that they close the door.

Supported countries and regions

Framework Laptop is available for order in the US, Canada, The UK, Germany, France, Ireland, The Netherlands and Austria. The company announced they will add additional countries in 2022, introducing their region selection page. In December 2021, the company announced that they chose the additional supported countries UK, Germany and France based on both the number of people who registered interest through the region selection page and on logistical complexity. In February 2022, pre-ordering became available for Ireland, Austria and The Netherlands. Pre-orders also opened in Australia in September 2022, with shipments arriving from October. For people asking to buy Framework Laptop in their region, the company recommended them wait until the company officially launches in their region before ordering. The company mentioned that if an import service was used, they would not be able to support the laptop or warranty.

Linux

In December 2021, the company released a statement asking users who are not using Ubuntu 21.04.3+ or Fedora 35 to troubleshoot with Framework's

community instead of contacting Framework support as no other

distribution has been verified by the company for hardware compatibility, mentioning that the company could troubleshoot general product usage issues on a supported OS, but could not troubleshoot OS related issues not related to the product functionality. In April 2022, the company announced their

compatibility page.

BSD operating systems

The company doesn't support

BSD The Berkeley Software Distribution or Berkeley Standard Distribution (BSD) is a discontinued operating system based on Research Unix, developed and distributed by the Computer Systems Research Group (CSRG) at the University of California, Berk ...

operating systems. In June 2022, the

FreeBSD Foundation The FreeBSD Foundation is a United States-based 501(c)(3) registered non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the FreeBSD project, its development and its community. Funding comes from individual and corporate donations, and is used to sp ...

announced their work to ensure that the experience running

FreeBSD FreeBSD is a free and open-source Unix-like operating system descended from the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), which was based on Research Unix. The first version of FreeBSD was released in 1993. In 2005, FreeBSD was the most popular ...

on the Framework Laptop matches the stability that

users expect.

ChromeOS

In September 2022, the company announced the Framework Laptop

Edition with the pre-installed

ChromeOS ChromeOS, sometimes stylized as chromeOS and formerly styled as Chrome OS, is a Linux-based operating system designed by Google. It is derived from the open-source ChromiumOS and uses the Google Chrome web browser as its principal user interfac ...

is available for pre-orders.

Electronics right to repair movement

In June 2021, a

venture capitalist Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth potential or which hav ...

investing in the company said "The conventional wisdom in the industry is that making products repairable makes them thicker, heavier, uglier, less robust, and more expensive. We’re here to prove that wrong and fix consumer electronics, one category at a time.". In October 2021, the company said "The core problem is the idea that consumer electronics are disposable.", and "Right to repair is incredibly important. It is actually a core part of what we are doing. Because increasingly products are not designed to be repaired." in interviews. Framework Laptop was on display as part of the Waste Age: What can Design Do? exhibition displayed at the Design Museum in London from October 2021 to February 2022.

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://frame.work/
Framework Laptop - ArchWiki
the

Arch Linux Arch Linux () is an independently developed, x86-64 general-purpose Linux distribution that strives to provide the latest stable versions of most software by following a Rolling release, rolling-release model. The default installation is a minim ...

wiki site
Framework Laptop - Gentoo Wiki
the

Gentoo Linux Gentoo Linux (pronounced ) is a Linux distribution built using the Portage package management system. Unlike a binary software distribution, the source code is compiled locally according to the user's preferences and is often optimized for the ...

wiki site
Framework Laptop - FreeBSD Wiki
the

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