Framework’s next‑gen Linux‑friendly, repair‑it‑yourself laptop hits a speed bump, with shipping pushed from June to July over last‑minute touchpad and display fixes.
Framework is going to be a teeny bit late pushing its anticipated Framework Laptop 13 Pro out the door. Pre-orders which were going to start shipping in June are now expected to begin shipping in July.
In case you don’t know, Framework is the company behind the eponymous laptops that can be ordered preinstalled with Linux — or, if you insist, Windows 11. What makes them different from computers from System 76 or other Linux-focused computer makers is that Framework’s laptops are as close as possible to being totally modular, making repairs and upgrades so easy that most users can do it themselves.
On Wednesday, the company sent an email to customers who’d pre-ordered the new 13 Pro to say that prior to ramping up for mass production it discovered problems with the device’s new haptic touchpad and with its display. The delay has mainly been brought about by a touchpad issue, which required a wait for new material to be delivered.
Nobody likes to wait, but it should be worth it, because this new model will arrive with pluses that up the company’s game. That starts with up to 20 hours of battery life and a rugged chassis that’s been milled out of solid aluminum blocks on CNC machines. The company says the chassis is past- and future-proofed: “It works with every Framework Laptop 13 Mainboard, from earlier generations to what’s next.”
The base, or starter, CPU option on the Framework Laptop 13 Pro is an Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processor, paired with LPCAMM2. The latter is a new laptop memory module that’s fast and low‑power, similar to soldered LPDDR, but removable and upgradeable like traditional RAM sticks. It can also be ordered with AMD Ryzen AI 300 processors.
The laptop ships with a custom 13.5″ 3:2 touchscreen display with 2880×1920 resolution. SanDisk storage is available — from 500GB to 8TB — or users can order it without storage and add their own when it arrives.
Although it can be ordered with Windows 11, the laptop is designed with Linux in mind, and can also be ordered with Ubuntu preinstalled. The company also works closely with other major Linux distros — which includes supplying them with financial help — to make sure they’re optimized for Framework.
Christine Hall has been a journalist since 1971. In 2001, she began writing a weekly consumer computer column and started covering Linux and FOSS in 2002 after making the switch to GNU/Linux. Follow her on Twitter: @BrideOfLinux
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