System76 or Framework laptop?
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?
I have a framework 12th gen. It's great. Fantastic build quality and when I want to upgrade, I don't need a whole new laptop, just the necessary internal components. I can even switch to AMD!
Coreboot is cool, and I can't wait to see the new system76 laptop that is being built in-house, but until that comes out, I don't think I would ever consider the current lineup of system76 computers.
My main motivations are repairability, upgradability, and specificity of components, and system76 just doesn't offer that. They don't tell you what ram or SSD models go into your laptop, they don't sell replacement parts, and there is no upgrade path.
https://tech-docs.system76.com/models/addw3/README.html
I'm pretty sure if you wanted to know more they'd tell you. System76 supports the right to repair, although their Laptops are probably not as easy to repair as a Framework.
I want to know on the purchase page what exactly is going into my laptop, I want to easily be able to purchase replacement parts from a catalog of in-stock components, and I want documentation for repairs and replacements.
Virgo will get motherboard upgrades.
I believe that they want to, but that laptop isn't available yet, and it would be the first example of something like that from them, so I'll wait until they produce a second generation of it to recommend to people.
I bought a Framework DIY. I live in regional Australia and being able to order parts to install myself and extend the longevity of my system was decisive. The Framework was a compromise on specs and wasn't my first choice but nothing compares for sustainability and serviceability. I sourced ram and nvme locally and installed Arch.
System76 are a bit of a fantasy for me. I looked at them for years but I don't want to pay a premium then deal with international RMA on a rebadged Clevo. I always bought whatever looked good in locally available Windows laptops instead before Framework.
Now I am in the ecosystem I very selfishly want Framework to succeed and guarantee my access to upgrades and parts. I respect System76's mission and understand why people would wish to support them, particularly when their own laptop designs start shipping. System76's focus on North America and dependence on white box laptops hasn't delivered as well in my opinion, at least for my needs.
System76 have tried hard to improve openness and repairability but their laptops are still disposable at end of life while Framework have made a huge leap with upgradability that has the potential to reduce ewaste and I want to see how far that model can be pushed.
This!
I will never choose system76, they are strictly murica-centric (until the name lol) and don't respect their potential customers from the rest of the world. Almost all of their laptops are simply clevo with another logo, but even then they don't deign to offer something as extremely basic as keyboards in other languages, even if they are available from their vendor.
Also, in the stores that preset linux there is usually a bad quality-price ratio, but system76 is particularly expert in this. Special mention to the mediocre mechanical keyboard (only for murica, obviously) they designed, 200-300$.
The only good thing I can currently say about them is that they have some open firmware (coreboot, basically), but it's not even that remarkable. Not only are there several companies in the competition that also do it, but it's even the case of tiny ones with a couple of employees like novacustom.
While I don't like their current hardware options, they way they sell stuff, or Pop!_OS, their Virgo laptop could be promising and their new COSMIC desktop environment looks great so far. I hope they start to do other things right, but they have potential to nail both of those and they do contribute back to upstream projects, so I'm still glad they exist.
I think using a framework is a unique experience. I don't worry about breaking it nearly as much as I did with my old thinkpads. Like my hardware key shorted itself and took my usb port with it. But, instead of it costing me a new laptop, it was 1 week, ~$10, and I was back in business.
Also, Linux support has been great so far. The only thing I had to do was install the brightness stuff they document.
I also heard they're working on coreboot, so that may be a thing. Also the fact that the motherboard is released to all repair shops is quite nice (at least there is some potential for some type of community audit).
Also, the laptop is super slick. The only complaint I have is maybe the battery life, but I'm not on the newest generation, and I don't know what has changed. Highly recommend.
You can get a higher capacity battery for them now that's a drop in replacement.
I saw that. I get around 5-6 hrs right now (with napkin math - 61W/55W = 1.1 * 6 = 6.6hrs?) . To be honest I am not sure if the difference is worth it. It is incomparable to the massive capacity of something like an M1.
They already have the Framework Chromebook, which should ship with Coreboot.
One thing to keep in mind is that Framework makes it easier by directly selling in Europe. With S76 there're import fees etc that make it less straightforward. Especially in case of an RMA.
However with Framework you still need to be careful in Europe. It's an US based company and if you have a defect or problem that Framework for some reason doesn't resolve, good luck trying to enforce your EU customer protection or suing them in the US.
Framework is also very strict regarding unsupported countries. If you move within the EU to a country that isn't supported by Framework, you'll have big problems with support in case you need help or parts or whatever.
About support: I have a Framework laptop. With my initial shipment I received a defective Ethernet expansion port. The failure was difficult to identify, but support was incredibly responsive and helpful. Once it was confirmed the issue was due to a defective Ethernet card (which took some investigative effort), a replacement was shipped immediately.
All this to say that, if you live in a supported country in the EU, I see no reason that people may find their support lacking.
As someone who has been plagued by broken, hard to repair laptops before, I went for the Framework Laptop. Of course, your needs and wants might be different.
System 76 laptops are probably a bit better for Linux considering they were built specifically for it. They also have more variety in what kind of laptop you can get, whereas the Framework only comes in a 13 inch "ultrabook" form factor and a future 16 inch gaming laptop. And battery life I believe is a bit better than the Framework.
However, Framework still works really well with Linux (I use Linux Mint on mine, and it works great.) And the flexibility in being able to repair, upgrade and customize your laptop is really nice. Plus, the battery thing is slowly but surely getting fixed, and while it's still not entirely great, it has gotten me through the day as a computer science student.
Framework selects components that work well with Linux. They're acutely aware how many Linux users they've got from the activity in their forum. We're very loud.
System 76 laptops are probably a bit better for Linux considering they were built specifically for it. TL;DR: Research the model of computer you're looking to buy with the distro you want before making the purchase no matter who you're buying from.
I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about this. In 2018 I bought an Oryx Pro specifically because of this and because at the time JB was advertising them as "machines born to run Linux". However, this was not the case. The machine would constantly fail to resume from sleep and when it did, the wired network adapter would sometimes stop working until you rebooted the machine. This was on Pop!OS. The wired network adapter issue did not occur on Debian Testing at the time, but at this point I was just doing all the same workarounds on a System76 machine that I would have to do on any other machine, which completely defeated the point of buying a machine "born to run Linux". I ended up returning the machine despite this meaning that I would lose $1000 AUD in shipping (roughly $500 AUD each way). System76 did refund the cost of the machine as promised though and I appreciated the honesty and professionalism from their support. I believe the network issue was due to a regression in the kernel which had not yet trickled all the way down. To be fair, maybe System76 have ironed these issues out on their new machines.
Don't buy a machine from a manufacturer because they specifically sell Linux laptops hoping that it means you won't run in to any issues. Do some research on the model you're looking to buy for any issues with the distro you want to run and make your decision from there. The Ubuntu computer certifications are really useful here. I believe Ubuntu tested the ThinkPad P52 I bought afterwards and said everything but the fingerprint sensor worked, but to NEVER turn on one of the BIOS options because I would brick the machine, so I knew this before buying the ThinkPad and could make an informed decision.
The one advantage you might get with a Linux manufacturer is that they might be able to help if there is an issue, where-as you might have to hide the fact you run Linux from other manufacturers.
I didn't know they were planning a gaming laptop. That would be nice because I do some gaming but bot enough to want to buy a whole new rig every couple of years. Having a modular means to upgrade it would hopefully make it more affordable.
I got a System76 laptop in 2018, and it was a huge disappointment. Had to return it after a couple days because it stopped working, and they wanted my credit card info again before they'd ship me a replacement. The screen is awful and has a purple tint to it, and not all the features worked on Linux for the first year I had it.
If I wanted that level of frustration, a Windows laptop with similar specs would have been half the price.
I don't think you can go wrong with either. But I love that I can swap my ports around on my framework laptop. Especially after my display port got broken last year (cable got snagged). Instead of it being damaged until I replaced the laptop, I ordered a new module for $20.
Eta: I'd love to see a partnership between them in the future.
Framework definitely. They actually build laptops, S76 are just rebeands afaik
Not just rebrands, they do put coreboot and as much OSS firmware on them as they can. So do contribute quite a lot to software around this, not to mention they maintain PopOS.
But also they have released the motherboard design for their Virgo laptop recently: https://twitter.com/jeremy_soller/status/1678891840093978625
My next laptop will be a Framework. I like the idea of not being frustrated at the ports because I can just swap the ones I need in, and I like repairability, upgrades that reduce e-waste, and not having to buy things like the SSD with the computer if I can find better gear/prices elsewhere. I respect what System 76 do but Framework wins for my use case.
I feel like these both lack really good high res displays. Why? It’s be awesome if it had something comparable to a MacBook Pro resolution.
not that it helps, but i think i heard framework is keen for 3rd party components? so there’s nothing stopping someone selling a 3rd party high res display for a framework laptop
hell i’ve seen people tear up old laptops and repurpose the screen: i wonder if you could part out an old macbook and replace a framework screen! :p
I'm holding out for some company to do an OLED one, or at least for an OLED mod to be available
The Framework is 2256x1504 in a 3:2 13.5" display and Macbook Pro 13" is 2560 x 1600 16:10. The Mac wins as they should with Apple's massive vertical integration and profit margins but I would argue those numbers are comparable when a lot of laptops are still shipping with 1920x1080 16:9 displays.
The Framework 16" is going to be a 165Hz 2560x1600 16:10 which is well behind the Macbook Pro 16" but they are addressing very different markets. Many Linux and possibly still some Windows users are skeptical about the battery use, performance and os/app scaling of very high res displays while Apple addressed those issues a long time ago. I considered scaling a negative over using native resolution when looking at the Framework 13. It turned out not to be a problem.
Framework is a sustainable/repairable device for Windows/Linux/BSD/ChromeOS and they only really need to compete with what is available to those users. Their Chromebook is way ahead of the Chromebook market. They can't compete against Apple because Apple doesn't licence their OS or processors to other manufacturers so it is a pointless comparison.
Thanks for the info. I wasn’t quite aware of the 13” and it’s resolution. That is quite comparable I agree.
TBH, that's not a factor for me. I use an HMD for everything these days so, it's likely favorable to have a lower res to save power.
I have a Framework and it's been an amazing device! As a company, they have definitly followed through with their promises too and I've been very satisfied with them. I've heard that System76 devices are fine too, and they have nice stuff like coreboot and lvfs, which Framework lacks right now, but they aren't nearly as unique as Frameworks, and in my view, are a bit generic. I would definetly reccomend the Framework! Just note that you may have to wait a while to get one, so if you need a new laptop asap (which it sounds like you don't), you may have to look elsewhere. If you can wait though, definitly get a Framework!
sadly both of them don't ship or even sell in Indonesia... sad sad life
God damn man I wish Framework did the same coreboot open-source firmware...
They do have open-source firmware though. Not sure if all of it is but at the very least released:
And it looks like they are looking at coreboot, they have made attempts to port it (unsuccessfully) and given unlocked laptops to people in the coreboot community - though it seems like this is not a trivial task to do: https://community.frame.work/t/responded-coreboot-on-the-framework-laptop/791
This is awesome
As a System76 laptop owner, don’t buy them. Their product is just… bad.
I can agree with this, my Darter has horrendous battery life and had a ton of bugs that made the thing really annoying to use until a recent BIOS update. I can't help but feel like I got burned.
Next laptop is a Framework for sure.
The same. I currently still uses my Galago Pro(galp5), but right now I have to plug the power at all times and also switched distro to Fedora which surprisingly supports this laptop better than their own Pop!_OS
I can second this. I've had two bricked System 76 systems because the DC jack burned itself right off the board.
I believe frameworks firmware is open source as well. If money was no object I'd go framework. Modularity and reparability are unmatched. I love that I can just take the camera and microphone physically out of the laptop with ease. I really wanted to get the 16 but its just simply out of my budget. Hoping the price will come down over the next few years.
@topRamen
@MashingBundle
At the very least you'll probably be able to get a refurbished one later for cheaper
My Framework Laptop experience was really poor. Battery life was impossibly bad, Linux support was not as stellar as promised, the thing had the loudest fan I've ever heard, & my entire mainboard died & it took support 2 weeks to diagnose the issue. I'd go System76. I went with a Mac for Apple Silicon, & I'm going to try Asahi Linux soon
I’m not trying to start shit, but someone’s gotta ask:
With all the bad experiences itt from owners of both companies products, why not just get a thinkpad or mbp? You can still get socketed everything in the t and p series and eventually there’ll be Linux on the m1&2.
I could see buying framework or s76 if you were getting a good open laptop but at the place both companies products seem to be why not buy a known good computer and donate some money to whatever group is doing the work you wanna see done?
I've worked with both s76 and framework's support and they've been great. Community support for framework is also especially good (for Linux)
MBP are all-soldered these days. Repairability is 0. ThinkPads still have replaceable RAM and SSDs but not motherboards, batteries are expensive if you can even find a genuine one, same with their keyboards. With a Framework, you can get all the parts from the source. They're cheap and trivial to replace. In my book MBPs are simply not an option, ThinkPads are good if you get them off-lease for cheap. Otherwise - Framework.
I didnt hear a lot about negative experiences with both of those companies, do you have any examples?
I think one thing that is often overlooked is supporting a good idea. I heard/read often enough that people like the ability to repair or tweak their laptops so maybe this is another reason to buy one. In the hope, that the company delivers more and better in the future.
I know this thread is a tad old but I’ve been considering a framework for the family laptop for a while. Problem is stocking and this recent 16 model run also had 13 orders run too. I won’t pay for a unit months in advance. It ruins certain protections from the merchant (like failure to deliver).
Instead I got a thinkpad t480 for like 400 bucks. It will do fine as a laptop mostly used for chrome, paying bills or zoom calls etc.
Altruistic reasons aside there's exactly no good reason to pay a premium for a Framework vs the options you listed. The features they have are all nice-to-have at best, gimmicky at worst. They are honestly over-hyped in Linux circles for the price.
It's a question worth asking, for sure.
I bought a System76 Lemur a few years ago. It has a pretty standard ultra-book form factor, but is pretty light, and the battery life was phenomonal. I regularly got 20+ hours on a single charge when doing light development work. The IPS screen was good, the trackpad was nice, the keyboard was ok, and the speakers are... well, completely terrible. I never really had any software issues on it running Pop. Maybe it would get stuck coming out of suspend every few months or so? I liked it a lot as an upgrade from my 2013 MacBook Air.
BUT....
Support was pretty awful, and I'm not sure I'd recommend getting one because of it unfortunately. :( Out of the box, the ctrl key was bad and would unclip with a nasty "crunch" noise. I had to send it in to get that fixed, though it was pretty painless. Then a few months later the wifi card died, and I had to send it in again. There was a lot of back and forth to get it fixed that time. Then as it was about to got out of warranty it died again. This time was like pulling teeth. I had to triple check things and send them logs multiple times, each time with a turnaround of several days. It took weeks for them to finally say "sounds like a hardware issue, what would you like us to do?". I was flabergasted. It was still in warranty, why would you even ask that?! I spent several weeks trying to convince them my in warranty device needed repairs and they wanted to know if I wanted it fixed?! It took 6 weeks in total to get it fixed, and it turned out that it was a bad connector on the motherboard causing the issues the whole time. When I got it back it was missing a couple screws and the power supply. They basically called me a liar. -_- A couple weeks ago it died completely and won't power on anymore. I chatted with support again, but they just started giving me the same run-around. I gave up.
I pre-ordered an AMD Framework back in March. Now I'm kinda grumpy because I have no laptop and I bought one that might not ship for another month or two. I wasn't too worried if the AMD Framework had some early adopter issues as the Lemur still worked when I put in the pre-order. Grrr. -_- My old 2013 MacBook Air is still in pristine condition though... Considering just putting Linux on that to use for a few months.
Sorry to hear that. I wanted try a system76 laptop, but this is wicked.
Yeah... I'm really conflicted about it. I think my Lemur was a lemon, and I'd be perfectly happy with it if I never had to deal with support. It's not secret that the hardware is rebranded, and what they do is to make the firmware/software work well. That part was honestly great! Their also pretty RTR friendly and publish a lot of information about taking things apart and whatnot. On the other hand... I'm not equipped to fix a motherboard, and why would I want to when it's still in warranty? Spending weeks to convince them that the hardware did in fact fail was... Augh! Having it returned without the power supply and missing screws, then being told I was mistaken was straight up insulting. :(
For as grumpy about RTR as Apple is today, in the past at least I found their service to be pretty excellent. On multiple occasions I got free repairs or battery replacements on machines that were out of warranty and frankly just... worn out. The one time I actually had to send one off for repair it was back on my desk in a matter of days. I haven't been their customer in 10 years, and it sounds like it's probably changed though. (shrug)
I want to be able to swap out parts, or repair the laptop when something breaks. For that it seems like Framework would be the best.
I've been trying to convince my partner that we need to buy one. My only problem is that I have a perfectly good desktop, and don't need a laptop.
Virgo by System 76 is already designed for board-level repairs. All the schematics is already available, and will be found on their website when ready for production:
https://github.com/system76/virgo
Actually Soller said, that they will release everything needed to start your own production line. Has Framework released the schematics yet?
Yeah there are schematics from framework, I don't think they are full though. But last thing I heard was from a while ago, so they may be more complete nowadays.
Here is an old video of Rossman talking about it https://youtu.be/8cJj8PUY0DU
Does anyone know how much the ability to upgrade a Framework machine in the future depends on the company?
Are third parties free to manufacture compatible parts?
AFAIK they are, but it will only happen if Framework sells enough units for it to be profitable to a 3rd party to manufacture parts.
So if Framework disappears tomorrow, I wouldn't bet on 3rd party to jump on that niche market. That might change of Framework ships millions of units over the next years.
I believe 3rd party is free to manufacture any of the expansion ports (including the gpu/back expansion port)
I just dont recall if all the mainboard stuff is open, but theoretically a 3rd party could make their own mainboard, theres just no financial incentive to compete against framework doong that as of the moment.
There are third parties (mostly people with 3d printers) selling enclosures to turn an old laptop mail board from framework into a mini desktop.
I think most of their stuff is open source. So the main thing is the barrier to entry to design things like modules etc for the laptop.
I've only owned a System76 laptop and they are alright. Framework would be my next choice for sure.
I wish they had 10 inch option. Something like GPD Win Max 2, but without gaming features
There's not enough thin 10 inch laptops on the market. I'd love to have a simple affordable one without 2010 bezels...
Did FW ever solve the issue with battery drain during sleep? I owned one of the original batch and sold it because I couldn't effectively use it as a laptop. Other than that it was awesome, great build quality, loved the ethics of it and the form factor, but being unable to use it as a portable computer was a deal breaker.
I think it improved by changing the HDMI card thingy and with the new processors.
I feel like it has gotten better for sure. I use Linux Mint on mine, and while I don't think it's quite been "fixed" yet, it's improved enough to be noticeable.
One solution I've seen has been to enable "hybrid sleep", where you can have it sleep for some period of time (30m) and afterward go to hibernate.
I still need to check in on it, but one of the biggest issues with sleep on Framework laptop is that the usb-c adapters (like HDMI) passively draw power. If you use 4 usb-c (or just leave it empty), you have better sleep experience.
Hibernate is it's own challenge in Linux right now as lockdown mode doesn't work with hibernate (and I think a lot of distros use lockdown mode by default for security). I had to patch the kernel to enable this: https://gist.github.com/kelvie/917d456cb572325aae8e3bd94a9c1350
Given that Intel no longer supports S3, hybrid sleep or suspend-then-hibernate is the solution indeed. It works pretty well on my end. I'm using the latter with a 3-hour suspend window. Very rarely I end up cold-booting. Hybrid-sleep is foolproof for those that absolutely can't tolerate lost state.
Another option you may or may not be aware of is Tuxedo Computers which seem to be a more premium option. I have no experience with them but they look pretty sweet.
I own a Tuxedo notebook as well as a Tuxedo desktop PC. I can confirm they are of great quality.
System76 are rebranded tuxedos
I own one (from tuxedo) and can say it is a bomb. Pretty spec'd out from 5 years ago still working great
Source? As far as I know tuxedos are rebranded tongfang. https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDLaptops/comments/hzlcjo/all_of_the_vendors_that_are_offering_the_tongfang/
It is the bomb, or a bomb? In the latter case, I'm sure homeland security would be getting pretty antsy.
I have bought 2 tuxedos and they were okay.
One time they shipped a device where the trackpad did not work. Well, not on Linux at least. Their excuse: The hardware manufacturer chose a newer model not yet supported.
They were helpful and provided a new firmware a few days later, which did solve the issue, but out-of-the-box experience was not exciting.
I'm still using this machine, however.
Both this and a model I bought earlier felt cheaper than the price point. Maybe it is not fair; maybe it's not that important, but at 1000€+ I have some expection on build quantity and loooks.
Those are small things, sure, but they are not perfect, yet.
Thanks for the insight, I’ve been looking at replacing an aging thinkpad that I use to tinker with linux on but not much else on. I keep fluctuating between getting their one of their most basic models and using it as a tinkering machine or completely maxing the specs and using it as my primary machine and fully switching to desktop Linux.
Your insight has made this decision harder so… thanks? Haha!
Virgo will have features which can't be found from Framework:
The motherboard itself is also open-source: https://github.com/system76/virgo/
If money was no object I would go all in on open source hardware. Open source everything for me. Sadly I cannot. And so I am still stuck with decades old closed source hardware. But at least I'm running Linux on it.
I'm using Dell laptop, they are still supported even the 6 or 7 years old one, with new bios fixing CVE, etc and some of them were even sold with Linux at the time!
I bought a E5470 (core I5 6th gen) I love it, less than 200$, 8GB of ram, 14" 1080p IPS, 256GB SSD. Full repair manual available, etc.
I'm running MX Linux on it
besides choosing between the 2 great options, I'm like... : C'MON JUST PICK ONE AND SEND IT TO ME XD because they do not make shipments in my country 😥
The big difference is the GPU. S76 is your only good option to get a decent GPU with secure boot and keys signed.
Framework has the 16 coming out this year, with gpu
Why? 7700S not decent?
Framework: a cool mf swippy swapper. Oh, and here's a Segway to our sponsor! Lttstore.com!
I'd say intro plays, however they removed it
Neither. Instead, a Pinebook Pro (because I'm cheap).
How does that perform? I expect light browsing but nothing more?
I dunno, probably? 🤷 I don't actually own one.
I have a desktop for gaming and anything else that takes real power, so I wouldn't really care about my laptop's performance.
I've got the S76 Pangolin. It's the best laptop I've ever had, but still lacks on the GPU and upgradability. I had to replace my fan once already too, and it cost over 100$ to get the exact component shipped.
S76 is fine, maybe even good, but my next device will be a Framework for sure.
what do y'all think about the star labs laptops?
I'd never heard of them before so I took a look. There's a lot there I like the sound of - removable webcam, physical kill switch for the wireless, CoreBoot and it seems to run 4K @165hz so it's presumably a bit of a beast. The price is a little eye-watering though lol.
Starlabs, slimbook, Tuxedo..
@MashingBundle #TUXEDOComputers is what I advise for linux focused laptops.
Can't agree. 4 out of 6 tuxedos (different timings, different models) had to be repaired - some even multiple times. And still they remain buggy for me especially with usb-c docking stations. And no LVFS.
@binarious WOW, 4/6 sounds like some higher than average odds, that really sucks. I hope you at least gotten it all resolved, money back, or found what works for you. I had a battery swell up on me a couple years in but that's quite common and expected in my work environment. Extremely easy fix as well as they used a common, easy to source battery.
I've not tried a huge sampling of different ones (34), but I've yet to run across a USB-C dock that didn't work for me under gentoo.
The LVFS thing doesn't really bother me as much as the still delayed coreboot/libreboot they're working on. Most people couldn't care less about either of those things, and they're not a show-stopper for me, so it still remains at the top of my very light recommendations list.
I got a framework 12th gen Intel. I love it. One flaw is their board design with batch 5 and 6 boards can drain the RTC battery dead so you need to jump start it with a dumb USB brick on one side and fast on the other. I just got a RMA board from them no cost and I think it was my fault (plugged something into USBC port that I should not have). The big downside is not everything works perfectly like something from Microsoft when using windows OS. There isn't the army of developers for the hardware and stuff. Idk. I love mine. It is hard to justify buying another laptop when there are upgradable options.
As someone who is a die-hard linux user who would never even consider using windows, I would never even consider a system76 over a framework, honestly.
I don't get the hype of paying a premium for these laptops over just doing the research required to make sure you get one that will work fine with Linux instead, for much less.
A modularized laptop is cool but how often are you really going to want to mess with a laptop once it's working anyway?
I pre-ordered the 13" AMD, and here's my 2 cents: In 2013 I bought a MacBook Air. The i7 version was pretty decent for dev, and it had all the other ultrabook niceties (small, light, all day battery, etc). I was still happily using it in 2020, though it was starting to show it's age. In 2023, Apple still makes MacBook Airs in the same form factor. They look almost identical. Several thousand days of active use mine is practically still in mint condition too. If I could pay 2/3rds the price of a new one to upgrade the internals+screen I would totally have done that! I don't expect to change out the modular IO much, but it is nice that I have the option to get an SD card reader or to choose the port layout to match my desk. I've also got what I need to make a magnetic charging adapter for it, so that's awfully nice. So is it worth the extra cost? Maybe not, but I'm an idealist sometimes, and I like their ideals.
The modularity thing seems too gimmicky to me. Like the Motorola phones with the same concept. I do think it's a good direction for repairability though.
Do either have a touchpad as good as the ones on macs or xps?
The best things about the modularity for me are
The touchpad on the framework is nice, but its definitely not as nice as my partner's 2022 MacBook pro 14. I had a Mac before this, but honestly I don't miss the trackpad that much.
How is the ability to swap out dongles better than a laptop that already has all the ports to begin with?
The framework 13 only has 4 ports. There is plenty of space in laptops of that size to include all of the ports you mentioned, if the laptop was built like a normal laptop.
The swappable ports thing is nothing more than a gimmick. It doesn't make the laptop better, it makes it worse, because the bulky dongles causes the laptop to have a pitifully low number of ports.
Framework makes very good laptops, but that is despite the modularity and not because of it.