When the framework's repairable and upgradeable laptop 13 came out a few years ago, it was exactly the mess needed in the portable computing space. This is a laptop that allows you to customize the strings when ordering, allowing you to upgrade or repair a variety of components as needed. It was expensive, but you don't have to fire a lot of cash for a new laptop every five years just because you don't have enough RAM.
The company is back to do it again. Earlier this week, the framework announced the Laptop 12 along with a new desktop PC. Laptop 12 is a budget laptop that doesn't look bad, is not completely modular and does not skimp performance or display. If you don't think it's too good, you're not alone. We don't know the price yet, but this is very important. But keeping it on a “budget” laptop is the framework's dictated goal.
“We're building products to fix what is considered a broken industry. Few categories represent home appliance problems as much as entry-level laptops,” says Nirav Patel, CEO of the framework on the company's blog. Patel is correct about the diagnosis, regardless of whether the framework has an antidote. Buying a cheap Windows laptop today makes me feel depressed about the state of the industry. They often lose their strength and take their time, but needless to say, they are very ugly.
Chromebook Killer
Framework Laptop 12 has a name because it has a small 12.2-inch screen. But this is a convertible 2-in-1 laptop. This means it has a 360-degree hinge that allows you to flip the screen to use it as a tablet. Along with that, there is a touchscreen and an optional stylus. This is the first of the framework.
There are still some details to complete the photo, such as the thickness and weight of the laptop. Details will be delivered when pre-ordering in April, but the photos of the machine show a stylish PC that is better than the budget laptop I've ever seen. Five bold and new color options will also not hurt.
There is a very thick bezel around the display, but there are things you won't see these days outside the world of budget Chromebooks. Laptop 12 makes up for that by making sure the display is better than what you normally find on a budget laptop. It has a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and brightness of up to 400 nits (MacBook Air is top of 500 nits).
A key selling point of the framework is once again modularity. Unlike Chromebooks and virtually every Windows laptop, the Framework Laptop 12 is just as modular as its big siblings. The mainboard system is still installed, so you can easily replace the CPU (and the motherboard is installed) and easily replace it in the latest years. It's easy enough for IT administrators to upgrade boatloads on these PCs in just a few hours.
