Framework 13 Pro: The Modular Laptop is Real!

[00:02] Framework Laptop, the Framework 13 Pro. I have one word for you: that word usually raises a bunch of little red flags in the back of my head.

[00:17] stuff Project Ara; Then a demo video at Google I/O,

[00:29] and then we just never heard from it again. but sometimes they actually make it all the way to a finished product And I've talked about the Fairphone on this channel.

[00:44] but not necessarily a product that everyone is willing to buy right now. Framework Laptops also kind of started off on the same line for me. Again, everyone is easily rooting for it,

[00:59] where it doesn't but they slowly but surely improved. is making their biggest leap towards an actually

[01:12] And they're calling it, in their own words, Our internal prompt for this product was actually You want MacBook Pro-level battery life in a machine that

[01:29] the MacBook Pro for Linux users? if they can actually make it happen, I don't see why I wouldn't love this laptop straight away.

[01:41] a lot of what makes their laptops so good is how tightly integrated everything is. everything is all part of the same chip,

[01:55] and you need special tools to even get in to replace things like ports, is a super premium, all-metal unibody, like, gold-standard, So this Framework 13 Pro comes as either a build-it-yourself DIY or pre-built.

[02:10] So all I have to do after unboxing it is, is just decide which ports I want. So I decided to go with three USB Type-C ports and one SD card reader. if I ever want an HDMI port or a DisplayPort,

[02:25] They sell a ton of other plug-and-play... modules, Ethernet, et cetera. That's already pretty sick. right off the bat, immediately, this thing looks

[02:38] I mean, it is matte black, I'd argue it looks maybe even a little bit better, while still being premium...

[02:52] It hides fingerprints about as well as it possibly could. And then it's a full-size backlit keyboard with a large haptic trackpad...

[03:04] This deck But since it's a Framework Laptop, with a more colorful version.

[03:17] And in literally five to 10 minutes, you can replace the whole thing with that more colorful one with Same thing with

[03:32] but... So you can actually see, like, This can also be replaced with a more colorful one or a

[03:46] There is literally a whole parts replacement guide on their site and listing which tools you'll need, just the included Framework screwdriver. I love...

[04:01] laptop, built for repairability, and replaceability, and upgradability, way as far as build quality... Now,

[04:13] is it exactly as well-built as a MacBook Pro? It's probably 85% as well-built as a MacBook Pro. I can actually get the top piece to separate from

[04:28] from the bottom pretty easily, which doesn't feel great... wobbles a bit more than some other laptops I've used once it's open. This is their best build yet.

[04:43] They're finally doing what people have been asking for what about that modular part? Okay, so I feel like you can think about each individual

[04:56] along against something like a MacBook Pro?.. And is it... against something like a MacBook Pro?..

[05:10] I think you'll pretty quickly start to notice a theme here It's actually a custom display. It looks great, and it's a 3:2 aspect ratio, which is underrated.

[05:23] And I think everyone else seeing the 2880 by 1920 resolution will appreciate, or code, or whatever you're reading...

[05:35] you also appreciate the anti-glare finish. That would have cost an extra 150 bucks if you're getting it on a MacBook Pro. to be a touchscreen too.

[05:48] It's pretty great. 100% of sRGB, but not of DCI-P3 like the MacBook Pro. MacBook Pro type of stuff, photography, video editing, then that difference

[06:03] I feel pretty comfortable saying this screen is But you can take it off and replace it with a single screwdriver...

[06:15] 60-minute iFixit guide where you need about six different types of Not to mention good luck getting your hands on actual Apple parts So the Framework is 80-something percent of the quality

[06:32] 80% of the quality, way more modular. The keys have some nice travel. but I can still type really fast on them.

[06:45] See, it's got the function keys, the haptic trackpad is large And the fingerprint reader in the corner, it is a bit slower, So really solid keyboard deck, maybe 80, 90% of the MacBook Pro,

[07:01] you can take it off and completely replace it with a single screwdriver. Now the computer itself. It starts at 16, but it's fully upgradable...

[07:14] also fully upgradable. It's got a 74-watt-hour battery inside which is way bigger than the last gen... It's maybe a bit harder to give it a percentage for like how

[07:28] good of a performer it is versus, you know, Apple Silicon with like the M4, different architecture But what I can tell you from experience...

[07:40] all of the productivity type of stuff that I've thrown at it, and Slack, and Notion, and task managers, It's snappy and it's great at that. No problem.

[07:54] but the whole Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chip lineup... and with solid enough integrated graphics to even play some light games. you could again say like 80% of the MacBook Pro,

[08:10] So really the only things that have fallen short that aren't the speakers... Unfortunately... but don't let that fool you. These are

[08:24] of the godlike MacBook Pro Not that the MacBook Pro has some amazing webcam, yeah, I don't know why this one's so bad. It's 1080p,

[08:37] it looks terrible in any sort of video call or recording that I try. What I do appreciate, though, is... the webcam or the microphone independently...

[08:53] built into the bezel... That is nice. you've probably noticed by now that I'm using... been a hot minute since I've dailied a Linux machine,

[09:06] choose to configure Framework 13 Pro with Windows 11 if you want, Like, they're all okay, they're fundamentally pretty similar as far as UI and capabilities.

[09:20] The real difference is obviously way more in developer support. and... so many people are I definitely think if you can get all the tools you need

[09:32] there's never been a better time to try it. but there's plenty of others. Then there's GIMP for photo editing, plus some other tools like that.

[09:47] and even some other games in the App Center. AI and ads and stuff that's been tainting the Windows experience lately.

[10:00] subtle thing. The Ubuntu experience: Have they actually built a modular laptop that's worth buying over...

[10:13] the word "worth"... tech, as we all know, because of this memory shortage crisis. more expensive than previous Framework laptops,

[10:28] bumped up the price of this laptop... now it's $1,600, So it has the high price tag

[10:43] it's close to the MacBook Pro as we've been saying, not... 100%... And there are some other Windows and Linux computers that maybe

[10:57] So the day that you buy the laptop, the day one, the day zero that you get, this is the day that it feels the longer you keep this laptop,

[11:10] Especially the second you do your first upgrade or replacement part, and then just replace the keyboard deck or replace the ports or whatever was damaged without having to do a whole new expensive repair or get a new laptop...

[11:25] So you know, on day one, a MacBook Pro is also amazing and you can use it for years and there's a long time with software support, or if the software you use suddenly has bigger requirements or things

[11:41] something... about it, to be upgraded, So Framework's over here where literally their main selling they're also committed to a long time of software updates...

[11:56] this is a fun fact that almost didn't make it into this video, but they will let you buy the new motherboard and put it in... to take advantage of the faster Wi-Fi and better memory and all that

[12:13] So with that backwards compatibility, they are actually committed So as a customer, if you can commit to this... that's what makes it worth it.

[12:28] and why I'm glad it exists. We'll see either way. Peace!