In a bid to give a new eco-friendly twist to laptops, the co-founder of Oculus VR has announced plans for a new completely customizable portable computer.
The laptop, aptly named Framework, will be the first product of Nirav Patel’s new consumer electronics venture, that vows to make devices that can be customized and upgraded, perpetually.
“Most consumer electronics devices are disposable one-offs by design. The single best way to reduce the environmental impact of electronics is to make them last longer. In addition to enabling longevity, we’re focused on improving sustainability across the life of our products,” Patel said in a blog post.
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No slouch
The Framework laptop is housed in a milled aluminum case that weighs less than three lbs. It’s got a 13.5” screen and is just 15.85mm thick, making it one of the slimmest laptops.
In an email exchange with TechRadar Pro, a spokesperson for the company said that the laptop uses a custom mainboard in order to ensure they can deliver performance while keeping the device slim around the edges.
The laptop will be available in a range of 11th Gen Intel processors that’ll be configurable with Wi-Fi 6E, up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM, and 4TB or more of Gen4 NVMe storage.
The highlight of the laptop however is its do-it-yourself (DIY) approach to repairs, and upgrades. “Our Expansion Card system makes adapters a thing of the past, letting you choose exactly the ports you want and which side of the notebook you want them on,” writes Patel.
The laptop also enables users to swap out the entire motherboard with new offerings from the company. In addition to pre-assembled units, it’ll also be offered in a DIY edition as a modular kit. In any case, Patel adds that all models will “include a screwdriver in the box so you can upgrade over time.”
The laptop is expected to ship in the summer 2021 in fully recyclable packaging with no single-use plastics, in line with the company’s goal of reducing the environmental impact of modern tech.
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