We recently shared an article about the EU’s new right to repair laws which aim to push companies to produce goods that can be easily repaired, rather than replaced, when they malfunction. Whether you live in the EU or not, a new laptop is hitting the market that will bring repairability to all with an easy-to-fix modular design.
The laptop, created by San Francisco-based startup Framework, is designed so that most of the components can be easily removed and replaced if necessary. For example, while most laptops require an entire new upper lid if you crack the screen, Framework offers piece-by-piece replacements for parts like the screen, webcam, and outer shell. It also has QR codes on all components which lead owners to a how-to guide for replacing the part.
Framework estimates that while most laptops are designed to last three to five years, this one has an estimated lifespan of twice that. When users want to upgrade features on their laptops, they can remove and replace them and then sell the old component on Framework’s virtual marketplace. Additionally, the laptops are made using 50 percent recycled aluminum and an average of 30 percent recycled plastic.
The laptops are expected to hit the market for purchase this summer. Nirav Patel, Framework’s founder, told Freethink, “We are pushing the change we want to see (in the industry) by building great products that are easy to repair and showing consumers and other companies that there is a better way.”
