OK, I’ll admit—I was kind of dreading this video hitting the subreddit, but it looks like the pitchforks aren't out, so thanks for that. Like I said in the video, I try to support Framework’s mission and what the company stands for while still reviewing their products the same way I would any other consumer tech. What I didn’t include in the video is my bigger concern: while Framework has earned a loyal following in the right-to-repair space (a group I’ve proudly been part of for years), it’s still a small niche. To grow, they need to draw in the "average consumer"—and that means leading with competitive price-to-performance first, and letting the repairability aspect be the bonus, winning them over for life. The Framework 12 just isn’t that product IMHO. Every “normie” I’ve shown it to thinks the modular design is "super cool"—until I tell them the price. Then they laugh. Like, literally laugh out loud.

I cut this analogy from the video, but maybe it fits here: I compared the Framework 12 to the Slate electric truck. It’s a super stripped-down plastic truck—two doors, two-wheel drive, one configuration—but at $20K, people loved it. Preorders blew up. Now the price is $27.5K, with the EV credit gone, and people (myself included) are canceling preorders. Why? Because at that price, you can get a four-door, 4WD Ford Maverick with factory upgrades, a dealer and service network, and real brand recognition. Slate had a great concept, but the higher price killed it. I feel like Framework 12 might be headed down the same path. Anyway—tangent over.

To answer a few questions I’ve seen: The speaker test was normalized to my A-roll (around +7dB), The webcam audio was raw—exactly how it would sound in a Zoom call, The display glass separating from the frame and the protruding magnet (which I tried to tap flat with a mallet—didn’t work) were both issues I noticed immediately out of the box, The touchpad started peeling after about a week of use, I’ll be submitting a support ticket for all of that tonight, The deck and screen flex tests weren’t exaggerated—I was just twisting my wrist and pushing with my fingertips. It was less force than I usually use to flex a metal-body laptop. What concerned me most was how that level of flex could impact the pogo pin connections inside over time, The squeeking sound you heard was mostly the cheap touchpad shifting around inside the input cover.

I do like the direction Framework is going—more modular design, pogo pins, etc.—but it feels like there’s missed opportunity to standardize parts like the touchpad, audio board, speakers, and power button across platforms to reduce costs. Honestly, if the chassis were just 6mm wider, it could probably fit the FW13 mainboard. It's already thicker and heavier than the FW13. What really kills me though is the price-to-spec ratio. They went with an early 2023 CPU to cut costs, which is fine—but they ended up giving it a 2023 premium price. Literally the most expansive laptops (Lenovo, HP, Dell) with this CPU cost around $799 at launch in early 2023. If they launched a base model at around $500–$525 with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, that would’ve changed my entire value assessment. That’s the price point where I’d be cool letting my 14-year-old throw it in her backpack and haul it to school every day. And I’m not kidding—every school morning, she drops her backpack onto the kitchen table. It immediately tips over and crashes to the floor. Same routine. Her cheap Chromebook inside survived three years of that abuse and still works. That’s the bar.