Imagine being able to choose the connections that your ideal laptop would have, the type of keyboard to use and even other details that go beyond a mere choice at the level of processor, RAM and storage. Well, that’s what The Framework Laptop proposes, a customizable laptop.
My laptop, my setup
Many users are tired of some brands putting their interests before those of their users, especially those who use their products for professional purposes. This is something that, for example, we have seen with Apple computers by eliminating ports that for some are very useful in their day to day, such as USB A or the SD card reader.
Well, Framework wants to end that problem and is running as the San Francisco-based startup that will be able to give each user just what they need. And it is not a bluff, it is exactly like that or more or less, because its main feature is that it can be adapted to each one.
The Framework Laptop is a 13-inch laptop that, starting and as common features, offers a 13.5-inch screen with a resolution of 2256 x 1504 pixels, an integrated webcam capable of capturing video at 1080p and 60 fps, a 57Wh battery and an aluminum case that would house 11th generation Intel processors, up to 64 GB of DDR4 RAM and NVMe Gen4 storage units of up to 4TB in principle.
This logically does not attract attention, but the fact that the rest of the characteristics can be chosen by you as a user . So that the equipment adapts much better to your preferences or needs. How do you achieve that higher level of personalization? Well, through the option of choosing what type of keyboard you want to use, the screen bezels or even the ports.
Each and every one of these elements are those that you can configure when you purchase the product or change it later thanks to a connection system by magnets and expansion cards . Thus, if you are interested in having several USB C ports and none USB A, you can. Or quite the opposite, reduce USB C to one and the rest USB A. Also add or not HDMI outputs, DisplayPort, micro SD card reader, etc.
Basically, it is shaping the team according to your interests. As if it were a desktop, but with the form factor of a laptop that, at least from the published images, does not look bad at all.
A customizable laptop
The idea of launching a customizable laptop is very striking. It is a risky bet, because it will be necessary to see to what extent it compensates or not to give so many options. Because one of the reasons that have led many manufacturers to make certain decisions, to solder components on board, etc., is to save costs and keep the business viable.
In this case, having a laptop in the purest DIY (Do It Yourself) style is a bit risky. But it is clear that there is a community of users that meets certain minimums in terms of build quality, resistance and price could find in The Framework Laptop the ideal laptop they have been dreaming of for years.
It is a complicated challenge , the company cannot launch a single product and that’s it. It must be able to create an ecosystem, a set of solutions that last over time to achieve something similar to desktops: equipment that you can update little by little. Even take advantage of all its interior to take it to a new case.
We will see what happens with the passage of time, if this is something similar to the late Porject Ara or is going to more. For now, no prices, so until the summer of 2021 they are all promises.
