3 ms·

I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't think that's a real consumer problem (particularly for the space they're in, which is portable laptops). Being reusabl

I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't think that's a real consumer problem (particularly for the space they're in, which is portable laptops). Being reusable is a solution, and in this case it doesn't seem to be solving a real world problem. Usually people want their desktop computers to be more powerful than their laptops, and have dedicated graphics. This gives people a desktop computer which is older and less powerful than their laptop, and barring niche use cases (like a home server) isn't solving a consumer problem.

julianlam 4y ago
I think simply offering it as an option is already a huge step in the right direction. I don't own a Framework, so I wouldn't be repurposing an old mainboard, but I would be more than willing to buy one secondhand to replace my media PC with a unit I can literally tape to my TV with 3M strips. It would work as computers in the third-world, or as first PCs for children, etc.
asveikau 4y ago
Reducing e-waste is absolutely a consumer problem. Ignoring the problem is popular with manufacturers and hence is the default for consumers, but doesn't mean it's not an issue.
jcrawfordor 4y ago
I mean, consider that Framework aren't even the people offering this product, it's Cooler Master. The fact that a third-party company has decided to offer this accessory probably validates somewhat that they think there's a market. It also looks like it's quite inexpensive to manufacture, being mostly or entirely injection-molded plastic, so I don't think they need to sell very many units of this thing for it to work out. What's the downside of having the option for the niche market that does exist? I would guess not that many buyers of this case would be people upgrading their laptops anyway. It's more appealing to me as a nice way to encase a Framework motherboard I bought used, which are already starting to turn up on eBay at decent prices and will probably become more common. This could become a very compelling alternative to a new single-board computer or small-form-factor PC, especially since it's hard to get x86 SBCs or really any architecture at that performance level. One bit of consumer value there on the firsthand market is the ability to readily sell your old motherboard. The easy reusability of Framework motherboards will probably allow them to fetch higher prices than working motherboards for other laptops where the market is limited to repairs. Finally, just buying a new Framework motherboard (it's easy to buy them bare, not in a laptop) and putting it in one of these cases would get you a pretty top-of-the-line SFF PC at prices similar to a bit better than options from Dell, Lenovo, etc. From the photos it looks like this case can go on a VESA mount, and it'll be appreciably thinner than most SFF PCs. Could be a pretty appealing new PC option for situations like wall-mount displays running relatively intensive software... museum kiosks, that kind of thing. I used to work in that space and it can be a frustration to find good hardware options.
awinter-py 4y ago
out of curiosity, three questions: 1. have you ever bought a used laptop, 2. have you ever upgraded a laptop you own, 3. have you ever kept using a device until some EOL event forced you to replace it
- candeira 4y ago
  Yes, yes and yes.
- guywithahat 4y ago
  Yes no yes What I described was my computer setup. I have a laptop which I use for minor projects, and a desktop for training models (and video games). Like the Framework laptop, my laptop was designed to be thin and doesn't have a dedicated graphics card. My desktop receives regular upgrades, my laptop goes about 4-5 years by which point I want a new one anyways (usually the battery is dying and the cpu is starting to show its age). Most importantly however I would never use a desktop that's worse than my laptop, because if that were the case I'd just plug my laptop into my monitor instead of using a desktop (and I assume this is the case with most consumers).
simjnd 4y ago
The desktop computer you get can either become your own desktop computer, your partner's or your child's new desktop computer, it can become your parent's new computer if the one they have is aging. It can become a homeserver or a low-spec game console (SteamOS, or emulation stuff). If you don't do any sort of 3D-heavy stuff, then the powerful CPU and iGPU you get is PLENTY of power.

julianlam 4y ago

I think simply offering it as an option is already a huge step in the right direction. I don't own a Framework, so I wouldn't be repurposing an old mainboard, but I would be more than willing to buy one secondhand to replace my media PC with a unit I can literally tape to my TV with 3M strips. It would work as computers in the third-world, or as first PCs for children, etc.

asveikau 4y ago

Reducing e-waste is absolutely a consumer problem. Ignoring the problem is popular with manufacturers and hence is the default for consumers, but doesn't mean it's not an issue.

jcrawfordor 4y ago

I mean, consider that Framework aren't even the people offering this product, it's Cooler Master. The fact that a third-party company has decided to offer this accessory probably validates somewhat that they think there's a market. It also looks like it's quite inexpensive to manufacture, being mostly or entirely injection-molded plastic, so I don't think they need to sell very many units of this thing for it to work out. What's the downside of having the option for the niche market that does exist? I would guess not that many buyers of this case would be people upgrading their laptops anyway. It's more appealing to me as a nice way to encase a Framework motherboard I bought used, which are already starting to turn up on eBay at decent prices and will probably become more common. This could become a very compelling alternative to a new single-board computer or small-form-factor PC, especially since it's hard to get x86 SBCs or really any architecture at that performance level. One bit of consumer value there on the firsthand market is the ability to readily sell your old motherboard. The easy reusability of Framework motherboards will probably allow them to fetch higher prices than working motherboards for other laptops where the market is limited to repairs. Finally, just buying a new Framework motherboard (it's easy to buy them bare, not in a laptop) and putting it in one of these cases would get you a pretty top-of-the-line SFF PC at prices similar to a bit better than options from Dell, Lenovo, etc. From the photos it looks like this case can go on a VESA mount, and it'll be appreciably thinner than most SFF PCs. Could be a pretty appealing new PC option for situations like wall-mount displays running relatively intensive software... museum kiosks, that kind of thing. I used to work in that space and it can be a frustration to find good hardware options.

awinter-py 4y ago

out of curiosity, three questions: 1. have you ever bought a used laptop, 2. have you ever upgraded a laptop you own, 3. have you ever kept using a device until some EOL event forced you to replace it

candeira 4y ago
Yes, yes and yes.
guywithahat 4y ago
Yes no yes What I described was my computer setup. I have a laptop which I use for minor projects, and a desktop for training models (and video games). Like the Framework laptop, my laptop was designed to be thin and doesn't have a dedicated graphics card. My desktop receives regular upgrades, my laptop goes about 4-5 years by which point I want a new one anyways (usually the battery is dying and the cpu is starting to show its age). Most importantly however I would never use a desktop that's worse than my laptop, because if that were the case I'd just plug my laptop into my monitor instead of using a desktop (and I assume this is the case with most consumers).

simjnd 4y ago

The desktop computer you get can either become your own desktop computer, your partner's or your child's new desktop computer, it can become your parent's new computer if the one they have is aging. It can become a homeserver or a low-spec game console (SteamOS, or emulation stuff). If you don't do any sort of 3D-heavy stuff, then the powerful CPU and iGPU you get is PLENTY of power.