Most manufacturers today are bent on making their laptops thinner and lighter. However, that trend comes with an unfortunate development: making laptops much harder to upgrade or repair. Soldered parts, for instance, discourage users from undertaking do-it-yourself (DIY) repairs to further extend a laptop’s lifespan.

To buck this trend, a San Francisco-based Framework recently launched a laptop that aims to be “upgraded, customized, and repaired in ways that no other notebook can.” The laptop features fully customizable and modular parts that users can repair and upgrade accordingly.

A laptop like no other

Base specifications of the laptop include a 13.5-inch 2K screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, a 1080P webcam, and a 55Wh battery. A choice of 11th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, up to 64GB of DDR4 memory, and up to 4TB of NVMe SSD storage is configurable too.

As for the operating system, the laptop can come with Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro, or Linux.

Almost everything on this laptop is fully upgradeable, from its internal to external components. Users can easily upgrade or swap the storage, memory card, WiFi card, battery, and even the motherboard. The same goes for the screen, screen bezel, keyboard, and even ports.

Upgrading the ports themselves is a unique proposition, making use of an expansion system users for a quick and easy swap to a USB-C, USB-A HDMI, DisplayPort, or microSD card reader.

Users may scan the laptop part’s QR code which will take them to the Framework Marketplace where they can easily find replacements. The marketplace will eventually feature parts from third-party manufacturers so users can have more options in the future.

The most impressive part here is that Framework manages to cram all these upgradeable parts into one slick profile. The startup boasts an impressive weight of under 1.35 kilograms all thanks to the use of aluminum for the chassis.

Framework will also offer a DIY laptop kit to enthusiasts. The kit will include individual modules and a screwdriver so users can easily assemble the laptop themselves.

Availability

Fortunately, it won’t be a long wait for interested users to get their hands on the Framework laptop. The startup is targeting a summer release, with pre-orders coming this spring. There is no word on the price yet. However, the founder says that the laptop’s price would be “comparable to other well-reviewed notebooks.”

The premise of Framework is indeed unique, rethinking what a laptop should be. Modern laptops today are becoming more and more locked down, which is a far cry from the laptops of yesteryears. Should this laptop find success, it could send a message to every manufacturer that upgradeability and repairability don’t have to suffer in the pursuit of thinner and lighter laptops.

Via: The Verge