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Can someone summarize the Framework value proposition? Is it for tinkerers, or people who can't afford to buy an entirely new laptop every three years?

by 7e 3y ago

vaylian 3y ago
It's for people who rely heavily on their computer. If something is broken, you want it to be fixed asap. The best way to achieve this is if you can DIY. It's also a good long-term investment, because you can upgrade the hardware. > or people who can't afford to buy an entirely new laptop every three years? A laptop should really be useful for longer than 3 years.
- MostlyStable 3y ago
  Yeah, although price/cost is another thing I noticed in a lot of the reviews for the 16 that dropped yesterday. They made a point that the Framework is generally more expensive for similar performance than competitors, which is true! But in the 13, upgrading to a new mainboard with a new CPU was ~half the cost of buying fresh. So, if in 3-5 years when the user decides they need an upgrade, they don't _need_ to buy an entire laptop, just a new mainboard. It seems to me that even a single upgrade cycle like this brings the cost at _least_ to parity, if not cheaper than competitors.
- em-bee 3y ago
  this. i was very close to consider buying a a laptop with a soldered SSD because low weight is a critical feature for me , but then i realized that a similar model with replaceable SSD almost had the same low weight, and so i chose that, and i am glad i did. only a year later i needed to replace the SSD with one twice as large. worse. the old SSD also showed signs of failing for unknown reasons. warranty would probably have covered it, but getting that would have been a hassle and without a working laptop until it was fixed, and i needed more space anyways. i'd rather have warranty on individual components that are expensive (like the motherboard) and spend some money to replace smaller parts than waiting for a fix.
- 7e 3y ago
  If I need a laptop ASAP, I would buy a MacBook Pro and use Time Machine to back it up continuously. Then I would pick up a used MacBook Air for $700 to keep as a spare. If you can’t afford to be without a laptop for a few days, you can afford that expenditure, most likely. Or, if one wishes to self insure, maintain only one laptop and buy another one at the Apple Store the same day yours breaks. Sell the old one back to Apple once it is repaired. Slightly more expensive, but you can defer the cost until the event. Always backup continuously.
  - vaylian 3y ago
    If your strategy is working for you then that's great. I do wonder why you need a new computer every 3 years, but I don't know your personal circumstances. The things you do might actually make perfect sense. But for me personally, you lost me at "Macbook": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cNg_ifibCQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cNg_ifibCQ Then again, life is often about tradeoffs. For me, Framework offers the best tradeoff.
graemep 3y ago
Or people who care enough about the environment not to want to 1) inflict the cost of making a new laptop and 2) produce the ewaste of disposing of their old laptop every three years.

Can someone summarize the Framework value proposition? Is it for tinkerers, or people who can't afford to buy an entirely new laptop every three years?

by 7e 3y ago

Can someone summarize the Framework value proposition? Is it for tinkerers, or people who can't afford to buy an entirely new laptop every three years?

vaylian 3y ago

It's for people who rely heavily on their computer. If something is broken, you want it to be fixed asap. The best way to achieve this is if you can DIY. It's also a good long-term investment, because you can upgrade the hardware. > or people who can't afford to buy an entirely new laptop every three years? A laptop should really be useful for longer than 3 years.

MostlyStable 3y ago
Yeah, although price/cost is another thing I noticed in a lot of the reviews for the 16 that dropped yesterday. They made a point that the Framework is generally more expensive for similar performance than competitors, which is true! But in the 13, upgrading to a new mainboard with a new CPU was ~half the cost of buying fresh. So, if in 3-5 years when the user decides they need an upgrade, they don't _need_ to buy an entire laptop, just a new mainboard. It seems to me that even a single upgrade cycle like this brings the cost at _least_ to parity, if not cheaper than competitors.
em-bee 3y ago
this. i was very close to consider buying a a laptop with a soldered SSD because low weight is a critical feature for me , but then i realized that a similar model with replaceable SSD almost had the same low weight, and so i chose that, and i am glad i did. only a year later i needed to replace the SSD with one twice as large. worse. the old SSD also showed signs of failing for unknown reasons. warranty would probably have covered it, but getting that would have been a hassle and without a working laptop until it was fixed, and i needed more space anyways. i'd rather have warranty on individual components that are expensive (like the motherboard) and spend some money to replace smaller parts than waiting for a fix.
7e 3y ago
If I need a laptop ASAP, I would buy a MacBook Pro and use Time Machine to back it up continuously. Then I would pick up a used MacBook Air for $700 to keep as a spare. If you can’t afford to be without a laptop for a few days, you can afford that expenditure, most likely. Or, if one wishes to self insure, maintain only one laptop and buy another one at the Apple Store the same day yours breaks. Sell the old one back to Apple once it is repaired. Slightly more expensive, but you can defer the cost until the event. Always backup continuously.
- vaylian 3y ago
  If your strategy is working for you then that's great. I do wonder why you need a new computer every 3 years, but I don't know your personal circumstances. The things you do might actually make perfect sense. But for me personally, you lost me at "Macbook": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cNg_ifibCQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cNg_ifibCQ Then again, life is often about tradeoffs. For me, Framework offers the best tradeoff.

graemep 3y ago

Or people who care enough about the environment not to want to 1) inflict the cost of making a new laptop and 2) produce the ewaste of disposing of their old laptop every three years.