- Framework just announced its next big product event
- The founder of the forever-scalable PC company has some thoughts on AI and the cloud
- It is always committed to selling the systems you own and can be modified if necessary.
Framework, the IT company whose goal is to let you define and update your PC endlessly, is now taking a stand against the cloud, AI, and lack of PC ownership, invoking a quote from the man who arguably inspired the PC revolution: Steve Jobs.
Maybe you haven’t noticed, but the center of the computing universe has changed. It happened so quickly that we barely had time to adjust. While we once thought more about local computing power to process work, responses, images, and play, we are now all obsessed with computing delivered to us from the cloud and in the form of AI like ChatGPT and Gemini.
For Framework, which announced its upcoming product launch event on April 21 in a new manifesto from company founder Nirav Patel, it’s a call to action.
Article continues below
Patel begins by explaining that the tectonic shift in computing has brought demand for the cloud under control, and that in meeting the needs of these services and the AI that uses them, consumers will inevitably lose out.
“We see it in the rapidly rising costs of silicon and all the devices that depend on it, the shift from ownership to subscription, and the rise of closed black boxes over an open ecosystem. What does all this mean? The industry is asking you to own nothing and be happy.”
This lack of ownership is, according to Patel, at odds with what Steve Jobs told us decades ago: “The computer is the bicycle of the mind.”
Framework says this is no longer the case. Instead of bicycles, computers are now a “self-driving car that takes you directly to your destination.”
To understand the gravity of this statement, we need to look back at what Jobs actually meant. Here’s how he put it in a 1990 interview: “
“We humans are tool builders and we can create tools that amplify these inherent capabilities that we have to spectacular scales. So, for me, the computer has always been a bicycle of the mind, something that takes us far beyond our inherent capabilities.”
AI is more of a self-driving car, and instead of using computers to develop our capabilities, we’ve given up the steering wheel and let AI drive.
It’s a depressing thought.
A framework for reality
However, Framework does not give up. “As long as there is one person in the world who still wants to own their computing means, we will be there to build the hardware that makes it possible,” Patel wrote.
Sounds good, but I have to ask. For what purpose?
Sure, we liked the Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition when we reviewed it last year, but despite the ability to easily swap virtually every component, our reviewer noted the complexity of installing Windows. This works well if you want to run Linux, but it will appeal to a much smaller group of users.
If this is some sort of Vox Populi system, then there must be something for everyone. DIY is inherently limiting. Although I think it’s safe to say that most consumers want systems that are easily repairable. They don’t want to be the ones to build them or repair them. People always like to buy finished products, even if they have no choice.
They might not notice that they’re slowly losing control of the system, the software, and where the answers come from, but I’d bet most don’t care. They are not picky about who responds or, unfortunately, the quality of those responses. Look how quickly they adopted ChatGPT, although it was still mind-blowing.
So, yes, I applaud Framework’s integrity and I know there is a market for their repairable DIY systems, but it’s not a big market, and they alone won’t be able to stem the tide of AI-powered systems leading us to our inevitable next destination.
I’m not calling Framework’s efforts quixotic, but there is a pretty big gulf between having to do nothing and building everything. Our computers, whether delivered complete and almost non-upgradable or in the form of a set of infinitely exchangeable components, remain vehicles of expression and production. These are still the two-wheelers true to our minds.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube And TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
