I Saw Framework's New 'macbook Pro For Linux' And It's The Hardware Enthusiasts Deserve

5 days ago

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Framework's caller Laptop 13 Pro is simply a caller merchandise pinch a redesigned chassis.
It features premium elements for illustration a haptic touchpad, an improved battery, and is pre-loaded pinch Ubuntu.
It's afloat modular and backward-compatible, starting astatine $1,199 for nan DIY version.

Framework, makers of modular, repairable laptops, conscionable announced an all-new product: nan Framework Laptop 13 Pro, a thin-and-light modular laptop pinch a redesigned chassis, Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, importantly improved artillery life, and premium touches for illustration a haptic touchpad.

Dubbed nan "MacBook Pro for Linux users" by Framework CEO Nirav Patel, nan Laptop 13 Pro comes pre-loaded pinch Windows aliases Ubuntu and breaks from nan DIY artistic of Framework's different laptops pinch a sleek, extruded aluminum build.

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I sewage my first glimpse of nan Laptop 13 Pro connected a video telephone pinch Patel, who made clear this laptop is nan consequence of six years of personification feedback. "The 13 is nan eventual developer machine," he said. "It gives you nan artillery life and capacity for powerfulness users, while still being repairable and upgradable."

And that it is, while pushing a sleeker, much design-forward build but making nary concessions to Framework's existing mission. It's priced accordingly, starting astatine $1,199 for nan DIY version, $1,499 for nan pre-built pinch Ubuntu, aliases $1,699 for nan pre-built pinch Windows. If you already person a Framework Laptop 13, it's conscionable $449 for nan caller mainboard.

Modularity, meet artillery efficiency

Patel says nan biggest leap guardant is nan 13 Pro's artillery life. I tested Framework's 12-inch and 16-inch laptops past twelvemonth and noted mediocre longevity connected nan 16-inch model. The 13 Pro sets retired to alteration each that, pinch a 74Wh artillery and Intel's Panther Lake chips, providing complete 20 hours of video playback successful its trial -- longer than a 14-inch MacBook Pro M5.

There are 3 configurations of nan Laptop 13 Pro pinch Panther Lake: Core Ultra 5, X7, and X9, pinch nan highest-performing integrated GPU connected a Framework laptop, which Framework says enables AAA gaming capacity successful titles for illustration Cyberpunk 2077. Of course, you don't person to perpetrate to an Intel SoC -- pinch nan action for an AMD Ryzen AI 300 series.

Also: Lenovo showed maine its modular ThinkBook laptop, and I wish it wasn't conscionable a concept

Another large contributor to artillery ratio is nan RAM. The Laptop 13 Pro uses nan LPCAMM2 (low-power compression attached representation module 2) format, enabling higher representation bandwidth (module speeds up to 7467 MT/s) successful a power-efficient package while maintaining an upgradeable format.

The laptop will travel successful either a 16GB, 32GB, aliases 64GB configuration, and crucially, is upgradable down nan statement -- a awesome tie arsenic RAM prices continue to skyrocket.

A amended display, but still nary OLED

Patel said that Framework developed nan show wholly from scratch, customizing it for programming and productivity. It's a 13.5-inch touchscreen LCD show pinch a 2880 x 1920 (3K) resolution, 700 nits of brightness, and a 30-120Hz adaptable refresh rate.

There's still nary OLED option, however, and that's owed to some value and artillery life. "We built from scratch nan champion looking LCD that we could, that's besides highly powerfulness efficient," he said. Noting nan $1,699 value of nan pre-built pinch Windows, this would surely push it person to $2,000.

Also: How this DIY Windows laptop stole my bosom from much costly models (and it useful pinch Linux)

The modular quality of Framework's components intends parts tin beryllium swapped betwixt devices, fundamentally allowing nan Laptop 13 Pro's show to beryllium slotted into earlier models aliases vice versa.

The much subtle touches

Framework's laptops weren't precisely known for being bladed and lightweight -- nan Laptop 16 is astir 5 pounds -- but nan Laptop 13 Pro weighs 3 pounds and is 0.6 inches thick. Its aluminum graphite chassis is caller and explicitly MacBook-esque, peculiarly nan keyboard and an optional haptic trackpad, a first for Framework.

"Windows laptops person historically fallen down Macs successful this area," Patel said, citing a renewed attraction connected mechanical firmware for a much premium experience. Customizability is wherever Framework differs; however, pinch grey and orangish colorways disposable for nan keys, on pinch a fingerprint scholar pinch Linux support retired of nan container that breaks up nan firm achromatic and metallic pinch its signature DIY aesthetic.

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The build supports different cosmetic customizations arsenic well, including bezel plating astir nan edges successful bold colour options for illustration orangish aliases translucent. Like older versions, nan Laptop 13 Pro will besides travel pinch 4 Thunderbolt 4 interface ports, connected done nan description paper strategy that allows you to hand-pick each larboard and its placement (and color).

All of these elements are compatible pinch nan existing Laptop 13 product, contempt nan creation overhaul. Both nan mainboard and show from nan 13 Pro tin beryllium dropped straight into an existing system, but nan bottommost screen is somewhat larger acknowledgment to nan improved battery.

It comes pinch a caller chassis upgrade kit that includes nan haptic touchpad, committing to nan per-component modularity that allows users to switch and upgrade components portion by piece. Even better: "Every portion is swappable pinch a azygous screwdriver," Patel said.

Other announcements

Besides nan Laptop 13 Pro, Framework besides announced upgrades to its Laptop 16, which now characteristic an optional haptic touchpad, caller bezel colors, and an AMD Ryzen 5 3400U processor for a much accessible starting value -- a critique I had pinch nan existing Laptop 16, which started astatine $1,500.

Also: I recovered nan apps slowing down my PC - really to termination nan biggest representation hogs

Additionally, Framework is launching its OcuLink dev kit, which includes an adapter board, graphics module dock, and PCIe dock that enables nan usage of an off-the-shelf PCIe paper for illustration a graphics card, 100Gbp/s web cards, and video seizure cards. It functions for illustration a kit, pinch 3D-printable designs for heavy personification customization and setup.