We will open up the expansion card spec and share reference designs to enable partners and the community to build their own! I want it to be open as much as you do.
Re:The Framework Laptop
by colonwqbang on Thursday February 25, 2021 @11:53AM
(#26264910)
Is it "just" an internal USB-C connection to the expansion card? Or is there something else going on that could be more difficult to work with?
Nothing that goes outside the usb/displayport standards. We have to be compatible to support the passthrough card :).
This is a great first step. Ideally the expansion story converges on some kind of industry-wide standard, like PCMCIA was. Would be cool to have other peripheral manufacturers out there agreeing on the spec and committed to building expansion hardware!
Re:The Framework Laptop
by gillesjacobs on Friday February 26, 2021 @05:13AM
(#26273222)
Sounds like a good solution to me, I hope you succeed, I surely will keep an eye on the project!
I assumed it wouldn't be an open design because the marketing didn't mention it. I would integrate this message in your marketing because it's worth convincing critical audiences.
Is there a catching/locking mechanism for the expansion module that holds it in place? It would be a shame if the whole module came out when trying to remove a particularly firm USB connector.
Yes (source: another comment that described it. lock & button to remove. hot swapping supported)
In the worst case (they change the interface spec and no one else produces old modules, or the company folds entirely) it's not any less maintainable than any other laptop on the market today. I think most laptops still allow storage and battery upgrades/replacement; RAM is questionable (some being soldered on the motherboard); and anything else basically means replacing the whole device.
Re:The Framework Laptop
by colonwqbang on Thursday February 25, 2021 @11:51AM
(#26264882)
It looks like the expansion cards are just USB-C adapters that fit inside the case. If so, it should be pretty simple to make a compatible expansion card. Or just plug in any dongle you like, ignoring the form factor.
The expansion cards will only be available for as long as your company provides them. Using the most-commonly used, mass-manufactured standard interfaces for components would provide more long-term repairability and upgradeability.
The trade-off would be in design resulting in more bulk and in the economics of your company, of course. It seems cynical to me to sell maintainability while starting a walled-garden ecosystem of proprietary hardware.