Look, we know System76 laptops are based as fuck. I mean, Coreboot, Open source firmware, PopOS, and a fucking open source mobo in the works, just so fucking based.
But man, these framework laptops look cool too. Completely modular and easy to work on. Looks like the company has proved it isn’t going to go under anytime soon.
I’m debating what to get once I feel like upgrading from the trusty ol ThinkPad. What would you buy?
Many people don’t get what Framework is doing and that is fine. Buy a disposable laptop with everything soldered in and throw it in land fill when it breaks if that is what you want. The costs of unsustainable mass consumption isn’t properly costed into purchases so the pollution and waste are left to future generations to deal with and plenty of people are more than happy with buying a bigger SUV, rolling coal and throwing out their laptop and phone every couple of years.
The modules are easily replaceable to deal with failure or changing needs without buying a completely new device.
So are dongles though. Either way you still have to carry them.
If your needs ever change to require you plugging in more than 4 things, will need to buy a new device. A new device like the new Framework 16, with 6 entire ports.
There is no reason they couldn’t have gone with a single IO board with all of the ports they offer included. That can be replaced just as easily as the dongles. That would be a better solution.