Framework 12

A few months ago I tested a laptop with an ARM-based Snapdragon CPU, an experience that left me frustrated as heck. First off, it was a very good laptop (an HP Omnibook), and offered everything I was looking for - snappy performance, excellent battery life, a great keyboard. It was a really good all-around laptop. But, compatibility quickly became an issue. ARM processors are not built on the conventional Intel x86 architecture, the architecture that has dominated the Windows PC industry for decades. The Snapdragon processor is built on a RISC (reduced instruction set) architecture designed specifically to optimize speed and low power consumption. An ideal combination for laptops. Apple's incredibly successful M-series processors (M1 - M5) used in its MacBooks and iPads are also a type of RISC processor.

Since the Snapdragon is not an x86 architecture, it achieves x86 compatibility a few ways. The ARM compatible version of Windows 11 will do an on-the-fly conversion of x86 instructions to ARM instructions, many large software developers (like Microsoft) have released ARM-native versions of their applications, and there are hardware emulators built into the newest versions of Snapdragon processors to handle the translation. Any way you look at it, running a native Windows application on a Snapdragon-based computer is a fancy parlor trick, but it's a parlor trick that works... mostly.

What I quickly found out is that Icom has not developed ARM-compatible versions of their COM port drivers, and based on internet chatter doesn't intend to. This means that you can't connect with and control any current production Icom radio using a computer running a Snapdragon processor. I can drive my Elecraft, Kenwood and Yaesu radios using this laptop, but not my Icoms. And I'm an Icom guy. Grrrrr....

Back to an Intel x86 computer, and the star of this post.

I've got a stack of aging Windows laptops. Some can't be upgraded to Windows 11, others work just fine but have dying batteries. I figured it was time for an x86 refresh, but I didn't see anything in the general laptop lineups from Dell, HP, etc. that would cause me to spend my money. My want list was pretty simple, except for that last bullet item:

• Small form factor - 12" - 13" screen
• Intel x86 compatible processor
• Above average battery life (whatever that means)
• Touchscreen
• Backlit keyboard
• Minimum 16 GB of system memory
• Minimum 512 GB of storage
• Rugged construction
• Easy to open for repairs and upgrades, particularly for battery replacements

I refuse to purchase any laptop that I can't easily open for upgrades and repairs. After spending 18 years at the World's Busiest Airport managing generations of laptops and field data collection devices, and seeing most of them die before their time due to battery issues, I'm not going to buy anything I can't easily fix myself. Note the emphasis on easily. There are plenty of repair shops that, for a few hundred bucks, will crack open your dead Surface Pro or MacBook to do a battery replacement, but the disassembly process is akin to open heart surgery, and just as risky.

Several years ago, while watching a post on the popular Linus Tech Tips YouTube channel, I heard about a new startup that was going to manufacture laptops that were fully repairable and upgradeable. In fact, they were being designed so that, with a single screwdriver, the owner could easily and safely open the laptop and replace the storage, the battery, the keyboard, the display, and even the motherboard. The idea was that you would buy the 'frame' of the laptop - the shell - and fill it with the components you wanted. Hence the name of the company - Framework. Framework's first product was a 13" laptop. The reviews and comments were very interesting, almost polar opposite in many respects. Half of the  reviewers said it was an interesting product, but the specs were middle-of-the-road (they were), it was more expensive than it should be given the specs (it was), and for the average laptop buyer probably wasn't worth the investment (I'd agree). The other half gushed over it. saying that the design philosophy was revolutionary (it was), that the laptop delivered on it's promise of complete repairability (it did), and that Framework would eventually come along with easy to install upgrades that improved system performance (they did). The Framework 13 quickly struck a chord with a large user community that, like me, was fed up dealing with expensive laptops that could not be economically repaired. The Framework 13 took off, and became such a strong seller that Framework often reported availability issues. 

Framework continued to develop new products, and recently introduced both 12" and a 16" models. It's the 12" model that caught my eye. It's a 2-in-1 design, with a touchscreen that can be folded back to create a tablet. This is touted as Framework's 'education' model - ruggedly built with a plastic encased metal chassis built to MIL-STD-810 standards. It's not waterproof, or even water resistant, but it can take a few knocks. It can be had with Intel i3 or i5 Lunar Lake series CPUs, a variety of system memory and storage options, and Framework's unique interchangeable connector modules (for USB, HDMI, audio, Wi-Fi, etc). Like with the Framework 13, reviews of the 12 ranged from it being little more than a toy that offered poor performance for the price, to the greatest thing since sliced bread. During my research I kept coming back to a few level headed reviewers that said the Framework 12 wasn't perfect, but within a well defined use case, it's actually a very good option. It just so happened that the 'well defined use case' closely matched my requirements (bulleted above), with one major omission - the back-lit keyboard.

Buying the Framework 12 was a leap of faith, but a carefully considered one. It gets good reviews from people I trust, has a strong user community, and the company operates with a remarkably open philosophy and actively listens to its customer base. I figured if it failed to live up to my expectations it would be an easy sell on the Framework used market (one person-to-person used sales stream is actually hosted by Framework itself, on their website). 

I've had it for a few weeks now, testing it out and running it mainly for digital mode operations, JS8CALL and Winlink. My impressions so far:

• Since it's using an Intel CPU, no compatibility issues with Icom's COM port drivers
• Build quality is actually very good. The chassis doesn't flex any more than other, far more expensive laptops I've owned (i.e., MacBooks)
• The keyboard is a sore spot. The typing experience is very good, but the fact that it's not backlit is aggravating. In fact, within the user community the lack of a backlit keyboard is one of the biggest complaints. But here's something interesting - apparently there is an unused power pin on the keyboard connector that could be used to power back lighting. Speculation is that Framework may develop a backlit keyboard, and it would be a simple matter of popping out the old and dropping in the new. Try that with your Dell or HP laptop.
• The screen resolution, color balance and touch responsiveness is very good. Far better than many reviewers would have you believe
• The modular port design (USB, HDMI, Wi-Fi, etc.) is brilliant. You can have up to four external ports on the Framework 12, but because they are all swappable modules, you can move ports around. One of the neat features is the ability to place USB-C charge ports on both sides of the laptop, a common complaint on even high end models from other manufacturers. And if a module breaks - say a USB-C module fails - we're not looking at a motherboard-level repair. Just buy another USB-C module from Framework (for a whopping $11), plug it in, and keep chugging along
• Battery life. Well, not bad, but not great. The i5 Lunar Lake CPU is well regarded for its low power draw, so I think the issue is the battery doesn't have enough capacity. Now, the laptop will run for almost 6 hours, but I was hoping for something closer to 8. The battery is easily replaced, so perhaps Framework will make a higher capacity battery available?
• Overall performance. I'm not gaming, running SolidWorks or retouching photos with Photoshop. My computing needs are fairly pedestrian. Ham radio apps, office apps, web browsing, basic stuff. So far, the Framework 12 is more than adequate. In fact, it's downright snappy. No complaints there.
• Repairability is best in class. See what the iFixit folks have to say:

On to the single biggest complaint about the entire Framework lineup - the price/performance ratio. I'll be honest - for the specs they offer, Framework is at the high end of the price range when compared to Dell or HP offerings. But there are good reasons for this. First, volume. Framework is a niche manufacturer. For every laptop they sell, Dell and HP sell thousands. Framework can't take advantage of the economies of scale that Dell and HP enjoy. Next, bloatware. Framework sells computers. HP, Dell and even Apple sell gateway drugs, hardware devices loaded with bloatware specifically designed to squeeze money out of you at every turn by selling entertainment, gaming and cloud services. You are paying for the delivery platform, then paying for the content the delivery platform delivers. Manufacturers can shave their hardware margins knowing they'll make it up in on-line sales platforms, and they'll also broker your personal data for extra cash. This is why an HP or Dell laptop will always cost hundreds less than a similarly spec'd Framework. There's just no way around the cost differential - Framework's will always cost more. If you are interested in one of their laptops, you'll just have to accept that. 

To sum things up, I really like this little laptop. With a few exceptions, it's meets all of my requirements and the repairability aspect provides me a lot of peace of mind. I'll pop back in the future with any updates, good or bad, but expect to see this laptop showing up a lot in pictures of my field operations.

W8BYH out