Framework wants you to take its laptop apart and repair it. Seriously. While most laptops are difficult, even impossible, to repair or upgrade, not only can this debut product from Framework be dismantled and upgraded, but the company actually encourages you to do it.
We took an early-production Framework laptop for a whirl. While we have some issues with certain design choices, we have to say it’s refreshing to see a laptop made for upgrading and serviceability.
For example, most laptop bezels and bodies are held together with plastic latches that snap the keyboard deck onto the bottom. While you can usually snap the two together after opening it to, say, swap out the SSD, do that enough times and the plastic latches will eventually break. Framework addresses this by using magnets to hold the bezel and body together. Once you’ve removed the five T5 screws on the bottom, you carefully pry the two pieces apart.
Framework’s screws use a T5 Torx head instead of the far more common Phillips head, which some will take as an anti-repair feature because few people have Torx drivers. To its credit, Framework includes a T5 Torx tool with a plastic “spudger” on one end.
GO AHEAD, TAKE IT APART
With most laptop reviews, you start by testing it, and you may gingerly open it up later to look inside. With the Framework, we did the reverse: We took the laptop apart before testing it.
This story is from the September 2021 edition of PCWorld.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2021 edition of PCWorld.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
5 Compelling Reasons to Buy a Windows Laptop Instead of a MacBook
MacBooks are powerful and chic. That's also true of many Window Notebooks - And they have other advantages that MacBook can't counter.
5 tips to make Gmail more secure
Bank statements, contracts, tickets, love letters…most things in this world can be sent via email, and protecting your email is extremely important.
TunnelBear VPN: It's just right for beginners
Come for the bear puns, stay for the security.
Contour SliderMouse Pro: This mouse saves your hands
Unusual ergonomic mouse is here to save your hands
Woohoo! You can get a Raspberry Pi again
Availability hasn't completely recovered, but it's looking much better already.
Microsoft begins pulling the plug on Cortana
Cortana probably won't live for much longer.
Norton's free Al-powered Genie tool helps you spot online scams
Not sure if the message, email, link or social media post you've received is a scam? The Al-powered Norton Genie is designed to help.
Google now alerts you if your contact info appears online
Better decades late than never.
Microsoft 365 makeover: Office docs are getting new default look
Significant changes are coming to your Office documents with Microsoft 365's new default theme.
Smart Answers: GenAl tool makes it easier to find the info you need on PCWorld
Smart Answers puts you in the driving seat for content discovery.