A) This is very cool, and I’m sorely tempted to get one.
B) I think the disclaimer on the product page that it isn’t compatible with the framework should be larger and more prominent. I feel like one sentence at the end of the product description might not be enough warning.
Nah that's not good enough. It might be electrically compatible, but is certainly not physically compatible. And if it was "compatible" according to framework's definition, why would they add a compatibility warning at all?
Let's ask us the question: Should Framework claim that this SSD is compatible with their laptops? Personally, I think it would be misleading if Framework sold an SSD, claimed it was compatible with the Framework laptop, but you had to buy a third-party adapter to get the SSD to fit. That's the sense in which the SSD is not compatible with the laptop.
Luckily, Framework sees things as the same way as me, hence the compatibility warning.
I’m just saying if I bought it by mistake I’d must make it work rather than return it. When all you need is a little tape and cardboard is no big deal. I understand why they have a warning, but even if you miss it you’re nowhere close to screwed.
>You may be thinking “what?” but we spotted an interesting opportunity to enable upgrades on another popular consumer electronics product: the Steam Deck.
and
>We’re continuing to search for ways to help you with hard-to-find upgrades for other products, so let us know if there is anything we should focus on!
I presume you read the article and are looking for a larger strategy beyond the "since we could, we did" offered therein.
I don't know to what extent this is part of a high-level strategy rather than a clever idea by someone in purchasing that got approved by some VP (sounds like the latter), but as a strategy it makes sense and gives me confidence in Framework's longevity.
0. Framework has a small target market to begin with, since most people really don't care about right to repair.
1. Selling components is a different business with different logistics and economies of scale than selling computers. (Maybe 1% of people who buy Frameworks will ever replace their display.)
3. I don't have numbers for either, but I suspect the Steam Deck is outselling Framework by orders of magnitude.
4. Stocking parts for other, better-selling devices may be what it takes to make their parts business self-sustaining.
As long as selling parts is a money-loser for Framework, the company will have a financial incentive to scale that operation back, no matter what their vision statement and marketing says. And if they run into financial difficulty, that's a decision that they'll have to evaluate. Framework without parts is just another laptop that's thicker and heavier than necessary.
NB: If it isn't apparent, this is all based on my own conjecture. But I think it makes a reasonable case for expanding their parts business nonetheless.
B) I think the disclaimer on the product page that it isn’t compatible with the framework should be larger and more prominent. I feel like one sentence at the end of the product description might not be enough warning.