A laptop you upgrade, not replace

Why this conversation

Hardware that cannot be repaired or upgraded ends up replaced, even when most of it still works. Framework builds laptops the other way round. At Open Source Summit Europe in Prague the host stopped at the Framework booth for a short conversation with Daniel Schäfer, who works on firmware and on anything software related to the product.

This is a booth conversation of about three and a half minutes. Who else the show met that week is in Open Source Summit Europe 2026: who we met.

Upgrade, don’t replace

Framework sells online, so the booth is a chance for people to touch the hardware and see what it feels like. Every component is sold individually, but you can also buy just a laptop. If you do not want to think about it, you can treat it as a laptop and use it. If you want to, you can upgrade most parts of it, especially the mainboard. When a new CPU generation comes out, you do not have to buy a whole new laptop and throw everything away, because the rest is still good. He has been using his own for several years.

The larger model, the Laptop 16, supports a dedicated GPU for extra gaming or AI performance. The range now has four categories: the Laptop 12, 13 and 16, and a desktop. Every year there is a new mainboard for each of them.

A wireless touchpad keyboard

The newest thing on the stand was an early prototype, so its look was not final: a wireless keyboard with a touchpad. It pairs with up to four devices, or with a dongle, and suits a home media PC setup or a Raspberry Pi. The focus is the touchpad. On the couch, or at a booth like this one, a mouse is inconvenient. It works like a laptop touchpad and supports gestures such as scrolling and zooming.

Memory, and where to buy

Asked how Framework handles the memory crisis, he says the company works very closely with its suppliers, first to make sure it can get memory at all, and then to get it at the best possible prices, so people can still buy hardware. Everything is online at frame.work.