I do wish Framework made a model with an optical drive.
this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2026
166 points (84.6% liked)
Programmer Humor
28985 readers
730 users here now
Welcome to Programmer Humor!
This is a place where you can post jokes, memes, humor, etc. related to programming!
For sharing awful code theres also Programming Horror.
Rules
- Keep content in english
- No advertisements
- Posts must be related to programming or programmer topics
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Lenovo won't make any nice, repariable thinkpads any time in the near future. Framework is the best we have.
There are better linux laptops for less. No need to send tour money to the US.
The price was never the reason to buy a framework in the first place. None of the cheaper alternatuves are as performant and as repairable
They'd arguably stopped some time ago. I have a Thinkpad T490s, and a fair chunk of that isn't upgradeable without swapping a fair bit of the body.
The keyboard, for example, is a permanent part of the chassis. Replacing out requires you to swap the entire shell out.
The Ethernet port is some proprietary gubbins, because Lenovo wanted to be funny, and use the same protocols and pinouts as regular Ethernet, but used a special physical connector.
Half the RAM is also permanently soldered into the motherboard as well, so you can't properly upgrade that either.
I got a (very cheap) Thinkpad from my university. It had that proprietary Ethernet port. It came with a ThinkPad-branded USB to Ethernet adapter. The adapter came with the laptop and still didn't use the proprietary port!
Now, there is a chance that the university IT which set stuff up before giving it to me, is responsible for disappearing the proprietary adapter. But because the USB adapter is branded with ThinkPad, I really think it's just what it came with.
load more comments
(1 replies)
Laptops for consumers have never been good, the reason thinkpads are reliable are because they are sold to businesses (with extensive service warranties)
load more comments
(1 replies)
No mention of virgin keyboard backlight vs chad overhead ThinkLight?
as a person who uses a framework 16, and deals with returned lease laptops as a job, people are overstating how "durable" thinkpads are.
of course image of course is a joke, but thinkpads advatage isnt necessarily durability, but how cheap replacement parts are because of how many are leased and eventually returned.
frameworks friction is cost and availability, but strength is ease of repair. lenovos is part availability and cost.
But I have both...
The T14's trackpoint created a pressure spot on my screen simply from being closed. I traveled with it only a handful of times, and when I did, I had it in a light bag with hardly anything else in it. Yes, I need a laptop carry case, but regardless, this really should not be an issue.
I've since put a felt pad between my screen and keyboard for when I close it, but that should not be something I have to do with a $1200 laptop.
Otherwise, it's been great.
load more comments
(2 replies)
The TPM 2.0 requirement for Windows 11 is artificial however and can be bypassed in the installer.
Stop ruining ThinkPads for me!!!
Microslop has been patching that out over time though
As a Framework owner, this meme is absolutely correct.
How do you really like it?
I'm considering getting one.
Not the one you were replying to, but I'm answering you from a Framework 13. It's the best laptop I've owned. It's solid, runs well, is theoretically repairable without having to buy used equipment off ebay, and runs Linux quite well. I've put a few distros on it, and they've all just worked, even the finger print reader.
It's certainly not the best price for performance, but I like the build quality, and it let me bring my own RAM and NVME, which really helped close the price gap.
and it let me bring my own RAM and NVME, which really helped close the price gap.
not any more 😭
More so now, I still have lots of old RAM laying around. No need to pay markup prices for me.
load more comments
(2 replies)
Thanks! It's interesting to hear folks say that other machines are as powerful and less expensive. The irony is, they're less expensive because they have everything soldered on and designed to be eventual e-waste more quickly.
load more comments
(5 replies)
I have a Framework 16, and love it. However, it's probably the priciest bit of tech I've ever purchased (partially my fault for trying to make it as "future proof" as possible while building it).
Great hardware for Linux too, it's wonderful to never have to worry if your hardware will work or not. Bazzite even has an OS image specifically for Framework hardware.
I was running a little low on space last year so I bought a 1tb expansion drive. Took about 30 seconds to install. Didn't even have to turn the laptop off to do it.
load more comments
(1 replies)
load more comments
(12 replies)
Also Framework are American.
If your ThinkPad is old enough, so is it.
Tbh the T470/80 seems to be one of the last real Thiccpad series.
I had one in my backpack and slipped on ice, fell straight on my back. Laptop didnt have any issues
load more comments
(6 replies)
Do they have a version with the Ctrl key in the lower left corner where it belongs?
on mine you can switch it in the firmware
my comment on Linux laptops mentioned in the meme:
for Thinkpads are nice but you have to buy a older/used thinkpad for the reasons why people like it and i want to use AARCH64/ARM64(i still think RISC-V is in its infancy personally) due to its power efficiency
for Framework they dont sell it in my Country
lots of yapping about my idea for laptop(or cyber-deck) if your interested click here am not sure if this the right place to put this info
tbh i would rather make a DIY secondary "Laptop" for Linux
and this is my idea
- the pc itself: Raspberry PI 5 8GB Ram(CPU,Ram,etc is not upgradable though storage is upgradable either via NVME HAT or SD cards though i wish they opted for USBC Video instead of Micro HDMI,while the CPU isnt the fastest its fine for my needs) mainly i love its power efficiency (5v 3a,prob cause of ARM SOC) and it has a WI-FI and Bluetooth chip
- screen: portable raspberry pi 16 inch monitor with usbc power input
- PSU: a powerbank that can output atleast 5V 3A both USB C AND USB A for both screen and the pi itself perferably one that can count how much charge it has (ik 5V and 5A are recommended its harder to find power banks for that)
- Case(optional maybe?): either a toolbox(needs drilling) or pizza box(like that one meme,easy to cut throughq but its not durable or none ig
- keyboard and mouse: either current keyboard/mouse am using on my main pc or a portable keyboard/touchpad(but every portable kb and touchpad i find are bluetooth )
- OS: Armbian Linux(while the pi can run Windows it lacks drivers,i also opted for Armbian because i want Gnome like on my main PC)
Laptop purpose: backup PC/server
I've had a few ThinkPads T14s (AMD gen 1 and also gen 2 - one personal, one for work), and a Framework 16 (personal).
I am much happier now with an HP laptop (zbook ultra g1a) than I ever was with either. Framework build quality and reliability are horrible, and ThinkPads have the absolute worst imaginable displays
Last time I checked for the price of a Framework I would be able to buy 2 comparable Slimbooks. I don't know what sense does it make to buy an upgradable laptop if replacing one after couple of years will cost the same. Is it just about reducing e-waste? I still have to do something with old framework parts and I think reusing an old laptop would be easier.
But why would you be replacing them when you can upgrade?
If the lifetime of the device is twice as long, you already made a profit.
load more comments
(2 replies)
Going to be an interesting thread to follow as someone who wants a Framework for the repairability. And friends recommending it; and honestly in a world where social media is probably flooded with astroturfed comments instead of real experience, and review sites are ones I highly doubt actually touched or bothered with the products, I am gonna trust word of mouth. But I can be convinced into reconsidering (price, performance I can get out of a laptop, and the Hyperland/Omarchy thing).
my general consideration points for purchasing
General points
- Typing this from a MacBook as someone who likes the look and thinness of it a lot, and appreciates the "boring gray color scheme" because neutrals will always go with my outfit.
- I see the interchangeable ports as a bonus.
- Any of them, including the weakest possible take-home configuration for the 12, would be a performance upgrade over my current Linux laptop (HP laptop I got for around $249ish).
- I particularly like the upgradeable storage.
- Would be buying DIY and loading some Linux distro on it.
Model-specific
- 12 inch would be great for me if it were not for the color accuracy and me wanting to use it to do a bit of digital art that involves color. And Linux not supporting the sheet music reader I like. Or having any sheet music reader at all as far as I am aware—dedicated sheet music readers as opposed to just PDF readers tend to have nice features like letting you jump back to a specific page without needing to go in and edit the whole PDF file, and setting up setlists of sheet music you can quickly and easily flick through. But being able to totally replace my iPad and my current Linux laptop would be so nice. Putting one foot out of the Apple ecosystem for principles and "what if they start making more changes I don't like and I'm stuck," and consolidating two devices into one.
- 13 inch is better on accuracy but loses the stylus support, so no more art, and having a stylus is really helpful on sheet music annotation for me. Would handle my games better too. Although I don't really play things requiring great performance, never play multiplayer requiring high ping or kernel-level anticheat, and I have pretty good tolerance for low frames per second, I do have a feeling 12 inch would fail to handle anything but the most super lightweight games.
- 16 inch is a total nonstarter. Too big. I like portability.
I would highly recommend the Framework 13. I've had it for a bit more than a year now. The only problem I've faced was that the WiFi card was a bit unstable in EndeavourOS. But that was fixed by replacing wpa_supplicant with iwd. (I hear that it was only an issue for the AMD version, and that it's fixed now.) Battery life is fine for me. I limit charging at 70%, and that usually lasts me the whole day.
I love how Linux friendly it is. On my last laptop (an HP), it was pretty much impossible to upgrade the BIOS from inside Linux. Now it's trivial. There's also good support available when you face issues. (Both from Framework, and community members.) The hardware is pretty nice. I actually like how it's MacBook-like, because it just looks nice in most settings. It's portable too, I really hope they don't make it bulkier like some folks here seem to demand.
load more comments
(2 replies)
view more: next ›