The Laptop Framework is an upgradeable and customizable 13-inch notebook that will arrive this spring

A San Francisco-based startup called Framework has just launched an ambitious project: a thin and light productivity laptop that claims to be “upgraded, customized and repaired in ways that no other notebook can.”

Framework founder Nirav Patel said The Verge that the company intends to deal with its longstanding frustrations with consumer technology companies. Patel was one of Oculus’ original employees and also worked for Apple. During that time, he says he “saw an industry that looked incredibly broken in all areas”.

“As a consumer electronics company, its business model effectively depends on producing constant tons of hardware and putting it on channels, on the market and in the hands of consumers, and then dropping it and letting it exist outside,” Patel explains. “This encourages waste and inefficiency and, ultimately, environmental damage.”

To that end, Patel sees the Laptop Framework as more than a product – he sees it as an ecosystem.

The Framework comes with a 13.5 inch 2256 x 1504 screen, a 1080p 60fps webcam, a 57Wh battery and a 2.87-pound aluminum chassis. Inside, you’ll have 11th generation Intel processors, up to 64 GB of DDR4 memory and “4 TB or more” of NVMe Gen4 storage.

As is the case with all types of consumer laptops, buyers can exchange and update various internal parts of the Framework, including RAM, battery and storage. The company is trying to bring three additional benefits to the table. The first is that you can also customize and update external chassis components, including the keyboard, screen, bezels (which are magnetically connected) and ports (via an expansion card system). If you are the type who hates dongles and docks, you can select four ports from a variety that includes the usual suspects (USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DisplayPort, microSD, etc.).

The second is that the Framework will sell its own modules in a centralized online market, which is also open to third-party vendors and resellers. The idea is that if your screen breaks or you want to change your settings, you can jump on the Framework’s website to find replacement parts tailored for your laptop, instead of having to search. The Framework components are printed with QR codes that, when read, will take you directly to the purchase page for your updates.

The third is that, in addition to a pre-built Framework system, you can buy a do-it-yourself kit with the selected parts, which you can use to assemble the laptop yourself. DIY Edition offers some operating system flexibility: you can install “your preferred Linux distribution” on it or choose Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro.

Image: Framework

It is a convincing plan, for sure. But the Framework will not be able to achieve its sustainable and upgradeable future just by announcing an ecosystem – it has to really create an ecosystem that lasts. And whether Framework will continue to manufacture modules for this specific laptop model in the future, or whether third-party partners will compensate, is certainly a question mark.

If you’re a PC enthusiast, you probably know that Framework is far from the first company to try such a scheme. Intel has given modular computers a chance in the past, with little results – its Compute Card was a commercial failure, and its modular Ghost Canyon NUC (which had hardware partners on board at launch) has yet to receive any new components. Alienware’s original Area-51m also never received the promised future-proof upgradeable parts. Phone makers have also experimented with modular devices: Google’s Project Ara smartphone, made up of Lego-style pieces that users could rearrange and exchange, has gone nowhere. The reality is that hardware is difficult to build and modular hardware is even more challenging.

Image: Framework

Patel, for his part, believes that these OEMs have not made enough commitments. “Other companies launched and someone decided internally, ‘Eh, let’s focus on something else this year’, and ended the project,” says Patel. “It is not something we are getting into. It is not a side project for us that anyone finds interesting. This is the core of our company. “

“We are launching new modules, updates, accessories and so on to boost the health of the ecosystem, and we will continue to do so as long as customers want,” adds Patel.

The structure will be receiving pre-orders this spring, and the device is expected to launch this summer. The price has not yet been announced, although Patel says it will be “comparable to other well-rated notebooks”.