In recent years, lots of businesses have been talking about sustainability. It’s a fairly popular topic even in the IT world. However, the approach of companies varies—even when it comes to hardware. How do we view it in PROVYS Technologies?
Unique benefit: quick repairs
We were using laptops and desktop computers from large suppliers for years. Usually there weren’t any delivery problems. Moreover, the hardware for business purposes typically has longer technical support (5-year and even longer) and a better warranty which includes, for instance, next business day repair which ensures short device downtime. Such benefits aren’t included with most devices for ordinary consumers.
This system had worked for many years as it was supposed to. The entire process was so nicely fine-tuned that we ran the initial diagnostics and the technician then arrived prepared with the necessary spare part in his hands. Consequently, the whole repair process was really fast.
However, in the course of time the quality and other parameters of the services deteriorated. Therefore, we tried another large supplier. It worked for some time but soon the problems started emerging again. And because my work is sort of “my mission”, I was the one to take care of the repairs and I would most willingly service the company’s hardware on my own. Apparently, it was about time to change our approach.
The ideal solution? Modular laptops
Personally, I’m not a big fan of the current trend of soldering RAMs, CPUs, SSDs, and other components directly onto the motherboard. It creates hardware that is much more difficult to repair—and such laptops can’t even be upgraded. Consequently, it is virtually impossible to easily upgrade the existing hardware, boost its performance, or prolong its lifespan.
I have to admit that this cannot be applied to every laptop on the market (plenty of those have replacable memory and SSD) but the tendency to make things thinner has been quite aggressive during the recent years. And the laptop manufacturers aren’t the only ones behind this trend.
The laptops made by Framework have unique capabilities that aren’t usually found elsewhere. Framework devices are simply repairable, modular and upgradeable.
Furthermore, the Framework’s approach is different from the other manufacturers who solder memories and SSDs onto the motherboards, or glue batteries. Whereas some other products need special tools and manuals, Framework laptops can be easily repaired with just the enclosed screwdriver and two bits.
The new laptops can handle anything—except for a steamroller
How does this modularity work in practice? For instance, if a user bought the first Framework 13 with a quad-core Intel Tiger Lake CPU in year 2021, it is possible to replace the motherboard with RAM two years later and get a new one with twelve-core AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU and 96GB RAM. Such upgrade yields massive uplift in performance for smaller cost than buying new laptop.. With a Framework laptop, all we need to do is just replace the motherboard—and the rest of the laptop can stay literally the same.
The perk of this upgrade is that we don’t need to buy a whole new laptop anymore, especially when we like the current device’s size and e.g. its keyboard. And of course, just the motherboard with a cooler is cheaper than an entire new laptop (when the old one is generally ok).
In addition, if you are a smaller company, you can solve the service tasks on your own. All the documentation and spare parts are easily available so you don’t need to wait for the computer supplier to stock up the spare parts and send a service technician. And I really like this because I don’t enjoy fixing minor mistakes like poorly snapped plastic clips, loose screws etc.
Another advantage of the Framework laptops is their modular ports. If they brake down or get damaged, you can easily replace them within a few seconds. Moreover, the laptops can be modified. For example, you may have three RJ45 2,5GbE ports installed on one side of your Framework 16 laptop, if you need. And you can even create your own modules because everything is well documented.
The Framework laptops are made of partially recycled materials and they have expected lifespan of many years (if you don’t run steamroller over your computer, of course). During these years, you may upgrade its “insides” and help save both the environment and the company costs. And that’s a welcomed option, especially when the user is satisfied with the device itself.
Therefore, we’ve been offering the Framework laptops to both our senior and new employees for several months now. The devices are useful and well-made. In addition, we don’t need to outsource the service tasks to other companies when we can handle them on our own.
Karel Svoboda, IT Administrator and Hardware Engineer
Karel is a multitalented man. He represents the roles of Head of IT of DCIT a.s., PROVYS Technologies a.s. and Hardware Engineer at Stream Circle team.
