With pre-orders open to most countries for the Framework Laptop, I’ve been reading some criticism (some serious, some not) on the module design that Framework has created.

Some have stated that the creation of these “pockets” in the body of the laptop is a gimmick and does not truly add meaningful functionality, but I am tempted to disagree. While the concept is simple to execute, it has large implications on how these machines can be configured.

One way to look at this is to peer back into history when, not at computers, but military load-bearing equipment or LBE for short. It wasn’t until recently that this equipment adopted a similar idea to the Framework Laptop known as modularity. Many armies traditionally have had bags or satchels and at best, sewn on pockets to a vest or harness, but these pockets could not be moved or swapped out, so every soldier had the same equipment, but not the same mission.

Over time this got better, but the position and availability of the pockets were often limited to proprietary systems that offered no interchangeability.

The standard practice of MOLLE and other systems brought about huge change in how a soldier could configure their gear. Using a “basket-weaving” style method, you could now swap pouches and pockets to change up the load of equipment you carried without too much difficulty. To me, this is what Framework is trying to do with their laptop.

In short, I am hoping more people are willing to give this concept a chance. It has a lot of merit to be able to configure the machine to perform in a variety of different situations and tasks where ports truly matter. It could also impact how businesses would deploy a fleet of machines and be able to swap ports between them. Not to mention if a module is used frequently, it could also reduce wear on the USB-C port that would otherwise be used with a dongle on a frequent basis.

Since I first posted about the Framework Laptop, many details have been released. Here is everything we know so far about this laptop. Currently, Framework is preparing for pre-orders. You can find out more information in their article here.

1. 1080 Webcam

The Framework Laptop will have a 1080P 60fps camera. Produced by Partron  in South Korea, it will have the following  specifications:

• 1/6″ OmniVision OV2740 sensor
• 80° diagonal f/2.0 four-element lens, using a blue glass IR filter for improved colour performance
• Realtek RTS5853 camera controller
• Hardware privacy switch for the camera and microphone array

2. The Motherboard

The motherboard planned is designed to be removed and replaced with other motherboards of the same form factor. It also sports:

• Removable memory modules
• Tiger Lake CPUs at launch (i5-1135G7, i7-1165G7, i7-1185G7)
• Thermal system designed for 28W continuous load
• 65mm x 5.5mm cooling fan

In terms of other items such as SSDs, WiFi cards and more, see the summary below:

• You can buy  the Framework Laptop without RAM, SSD or WiFi so you can use your own parts
• M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe (up to 7,000MB/s and write speeds of up to 5,300MB/s)
• Prebuilt models will ship with Western Digital’s SN730
• 2 SO-DIMM sockets supporting DDR4 DRAM at up to DDR4-3200. Maximum of 64GB of RAM over 32GB modules
• Prebuilt models will ship with Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron
• WiFi is handled by support for 2×2 WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E modules through an M.2 2230 socket

3. The Keyboard

The keyboard of any laptop is an essential component as you spend more time touching it than any other part of the machine. Here is what we know about the keyboard on the Framework laptop:

• 1.5mm key travel
• Backlit
• Keyboard and top decks will be available for purchase
• US English, UK English, International English, French, French Canadian, Korean, Chinese Pinyin, Chinese Traditional, Japanese, German, Italian, Spanish, Latin American, and Dutch Belgian variants are being planned
• Completely black and clear keyboards will also be available

4. Storage Expansion Cards

One of the eye-catching design choices of the Framework Laptop is the expansion modules. These allow for functionality and ports to be swapped on the fly through the use of the USB-C form-factor. Several modules like USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DisplayPort, MicroSD are already planned and now they have added storage to this list. 250GB and 1TB are the current sizes being tested.

• Cards being made by BizLink and Phison
• U17 Flash Controller, N28 NAND
• 1TB card exceeds 1000MB/s read and write
• 250GB clocks in at  1000MB/s read and 375 MB/s write

5. 3:2 Display

Let’s get right to the point. This display looks amazing. To remove it, simply remove a magnetic bezel and four fasteners.

• BOE’s 13.5” 2256×1504 LCD
• 1500:1 contrast
• 100% coverage of sRGB
• Lay flat design (180-degree hinge)
• Ambient light sensor
• DC mode backlight controller to avoid flicker
• 400 nit 
• Bezel colour options available

6. The Power Adapter

Power adapters are important, for without them, you have a paperweight. Here is what we know about the adapter that will be bundled with the Framework Laptop:

• 60W 20V/3A USB-C (USB-PD 3.0 and PPS)
• Developed in partnership with Phihong
• 58mm x 58mm x 27mm
• Modular cable options for different regions and is replaceable from both ends or the brick itself