I like the idea of the right to repair, but my experience with my laptops (I use Lenovo Thinpads) is that I haven't had a need to repair them in a decade. I changed the batteries myself, which is great, but nothing broke.
I kinda wonder if it's so important that it's possible to repair something oneself, or if it's more important that paying someone to repair it is affordable.
I have a T470 bought in 2017. I have done the following:
- replaced the screen when I accidentally dropped water on the laptop, and the screen shorted out.
- upgraded RAM from 8 GB to 32 GB
- Replaced internal battery after it gave out about 5 years in.
- Expanded storage by putting a memory chip on the WAN slot.
I think almost all of these issues would have required getting a new laptop if it was not repairable. I also have done similar repairs on my T440s, so it will work as an emergency laptop if anything happens to my T470. In fact, it did when I my screen stopped working 3rd month of Covid.
I’ve had a Framework for a year or two now and I dropped my laptop squarely on the charger while charging and broke the port. I was able to buy a new one for $10 and swap it out in <5min, compare that to having to solder or whatever else for when the charging port breaks on a “normal” laptop.
I like the idea of the right to repair, but my experience with my laptops (I use Lenovo Thinpads) is that I haven't had a need to repair them in a decade. I changed the batteries myself, which is great, but nothing broke.
I kinda wonder if it's so important that it's possible to repair something oneself, or if it's more important that paying someone to repair it is affordable.
I have a T470 bought in 2017. I have done the following:
- replaced the screen when I accidentally dropped water on the laptop, and the screen shorted out.
- upgraded RAM from 8 GB to 32 GB
- Replaced internal battery after it gave out about 5 years in.
- Expanded storage by putting a memory chip on the WAN slot.
I think almost all of these issues would have required getting a new laptop if it was not repairable. I also have done similar repairs on my T440s, so it will work as an emergency laptop if anything happens to my T470. In fact, it did when I my screen stopped working 3rd month of Covid.
I’ve had a Framework for a year or two now and I dropped my laptop squarely on the charger while charging and broke the port. I was able to buy a new one for $10 and swap it out in <5min, compare that to having to solder or whatever else for when the charging port breaks on a “normal” laptop.