In an effort to bring a new green touch to laptops, co-founder Oculus VR has announced plans for a new, fully customizable laptop.
The Framework laptop will be the premier product of the new Nirav Patel consumer electronics company, which promises to make hardware that can be customized and upgraded, all the time.
“Most consumer electronics are individual disposable parts by design. The best way to reduce the environmental impact of electronics is to make them last longer. In addition to enabling longevity, we focus on improving durability throughout the life of our products,” Patel said in a blog post.
Not to be outdone
The Framework laptop is housed in a milled aluminum case that weighs less than three pounds. It has a 13.5-inch screen and is just 15.85mm thick, making it one of the thinnest laptops.
In an email exchange with TechRadar Pro, a company spokesperson said the laptop uses a dedicated motherboard to ensure it can deliver performance while keeping the device thin at the edges.
The laptop will be available in a range of 11th-generation Intel processors that will be configurable with 6E Wi-Fi, up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM, and 4 TB or more of NVMe Gen4 storage.
(Image credit: Frame)
The laptop’s strong point, however, is the DIY (DIY) approach to repairs and updates. “Our expansion card system makes switches a thing of the past, allowing you to choose exactly which ports you want and which side of the laptop you want,” Patel writes.
The laptop also allows users to swap out the entire motherboard with the company’s new offerings. In addition to the pre-assembled modules, it will also be offered in the DIY version as a standard kit. Either way, Patel adds, all models “will include a screwdriver in the box so you can upgrade over time.”
The laptop is expected to ship in the summer of 2021 in fully recyclable, single-use plastic-free packaging, in line with the company’s goal of reducing the environmental impact of modern technology.
