this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2023
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(Almost) Everything is greenwashing because ultimately that's what consumers want. They don't really care about making something more environmentally friendly, they simply want to feel better with false claims and splashy marketing.
The whole environmental angle that FW are taking seems OK, but if they are too expensive or don't make a good product or fall behind the competition, then it simply won't work. I just found out my old laptop shit the bed, so I would absolutely take a serious look at what FW offers.
One of the things I absolutely hate about their marketing material is this idea that you can buy a module that adds a X port or Y connector to the laptop. Just build those ports into the goddamn laptop from the get go. Every extra module you add, every extra seam on the chassis, every extra cable there is, is an extra failure point in thw product and for something that is mobile, that's not a great thing. I like the repairability angle they are pushing, but if all the extra modules introduce more failures then you won't have happy customers.
Having used the expansion modules on my framework. I'm kind of in love with them. They remove all cable stress from the motherboard. Because of the modularity, I can just plug in an external disk to boot off of, if I want to run Windows, or a special operating system, and pull the disc out seamlessly through the expansion port.
I didn't think I'd like them, but I really do. The modularity is undersold, day-to-day driving it's great. No complaints about them whatsoever.
I think one criticism that Louis Rossman has that I agree with is more ports. I get that the modularity makes it so you can swap things in and out easily but I wish I could have way more ports like my thinkpad.
I'll tell you what Framework's IO modules truly are: Dongles.
They plug into USB-C ports on the mainboard, just like the bundle of IO dongles a Mac user has to lug around. But in Framework's case, they're "inboard." They snap into the chassis of the Laptop to present the form factor of a built-in port. So unlike pigtail form factor dongles that stick out of the machine, you can leave them plugged in while the laptop is in your bag.
And because the module is supported by the chassis, that relieves the strain on the USB-C port itself, so if you drop the laptop with something plugged into a module, it might break the module but not the mainboard. Modules are cheaper and easier to replace than the mainboard.