55 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
55 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
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X-Date: 2021-10-24T10:48:31Z
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X-Note-Id: 8ccd94aa-f36b-4d8a-8816-f92cf3300c31
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Subject: Framework laptop - first impressions
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X-Slug: framework_laptop_first_impressions
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I've been using the [Framework](https://frame.work) laptop for a few weeks now,
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and would like to share first impressions. In short -- it's the best laptop I
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had in years.
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First, there are a few things that this device gets exactly right: screen, keyboard
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and trackpad. The screen is 3x2 which means you can get more vertical space for
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code and documentation. You may think that it's not too much of a difference compared
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to 16x9, but it's enough to compensate for browser's tab bars and search field, or
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the window decorations of your editor if you have them. The key travel is pretty
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decent and the keys are not too mushy. I even prefer this keyboard to the thinkpad's.
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Now, the trackpad won't compare to the one you find on a macbook, but it's in my
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opinion ahead of thinkpads and many other options I've tried. It has a glass surface
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and is large enough to use comfortably. Palm rejection is decent and I didn't have
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any issues with ghost touches registering while I'm typing on the keyboard.
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Other hardware issues that I was used to in other laptops, like "coil whine" where
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you hear a high-pitched buzz while the laptop is actively working, are not present.
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Time will tell if it's just coincidence or good engineering.
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Now let's talk about ports. The ports on this machine are configurable, and I find
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4 ports to be just right for me to cover the basic needs. Here's the modules I purchased:
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- USB-C for charging and connecting to external display with docking capabilities (so
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a keyboard and mouse plugged into the display).
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- HDMI for plugging into the TV to watch movies on the big screen. I find it easier this
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way, because otherwise I have to deal with media players on the TV itself which is
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cumbersome.
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- USB-A port to plug regular flash drives. You know, to install the OS or to transfer files.
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- Micro SD slot to transfer pictures from my camera or drone footage.
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And the most interesting part that is the easiest for laptop manufacturers to screw up
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is Linux support. Many laptop manufacturers try to minimize the price of chips that go
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into the machine and so don't care about the sourcing from any other perspective. If it
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has drivers for windows -- it's enough. So you get weird bugs like sound disappearing
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completely after you plug and unplug the headphones, or inability to properly control
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fan speed or screen backlight. Best case scenario for these laptops is that you have to
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spend time to hunt down configs and custom firmwares on wikis that often go out of date
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as you update the OS.
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With Framework, if you get the latest Fedora build, everything works out of the box, even
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the fingerprint reader (which is the thing that almost never works on other laptops under
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Linux). I also find the default ACPI and suspend options good enough, but people report that
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enabling deep sleep on Linux works without major issues as well. This is something to be
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tested and I'll share my experience in the next posts.
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I don't know what has taken the industry so long to produce a perfect Linux laptop, but
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here we are in 2021. If you don't know what to buy, the Framework laptop is what I would
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wholeheartedly recommend.
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