Framework 12

I have purchased four laptops in the last two years (and since switching to Linux).

No purchase was wasted, as several people (mother-in-law and children) were taken care of.

But it shows that it's not that easy (at least for me) to find a good laptop for Linux. Tuxedo came very close, but 14 inches is just too big for me.

I still think that one of the best laptops (purely in terms of form factor) was the 12-inch iBook G4 or the 11-inch Macbook Air.

When Framework announced a 12-inch device, I didn't hesitate to place my order.

Now it has arrived, and after using it for about two weeks, I can write something about it.

Spoiler: I like it a lot during the day and a little less at night.

But more on that in detail...

This is my configuration:

More stickers will be added in the future ;)

What's particularly practical about the Framework devices is that I can assign the ports freely. So I have 2x USB-C, 1x USB-A, and 1x HDMI. MicroSD and Ethernet are in the bag. They can be easily replaced.

It would have been perfect if not only the USB-C modules in the housing had been green, but that's just nitpicking.

But what I really like is the workmanship. It's all plastic, but it feels very sturdy. It's very reminiscent of the feeling I had when I first used the iBook G4 12.

The repairability is also terrific. Just remove the keyboard and you can access all components.

The performance is good. I use TuneD on Debian 13. In balanced mode, the fan rarely runs, but I have the subjective feeling that Gnome is sometimes a little sluggish. But it's hardly noticeable. In performance mode, everything runs smoothly and snappy. The fan also makes very little noise here.

It's nice that the ventilation slots are on the back and not on the bottom. This means that using it on your lap is no problem.

The BIOS is also excellent. I can set the battery's charging limit and customize quite a few other settings as well. Just the brightness of the power button alone... handy when suspending.

So, is it the perfect device? Almost. I like it very much and would buy it again. The only problem is the darkness.

Yes, no backlighting for the keyboard. That's quite a disadvantage, and I can only hope that this will be added later.

But otherwise, I'm happy and have the almost perfect Linux laptop.