Framework: 'There is a very real scenario in which personal computing as we know it is dead'

Framework is hosting a live launch event called "Next Gen" on April 21, and to pair with this announcement, it has posted a self-described manifesto on the state of the PC market. In it, Framework founder Nirav Patel says, "I built this company specifically to reset and fix a broken industry", and claims that mission has not yet been accomplished.

Patel notes the prices of memory, storage, and silicon going up to unprecedented levels in an "AI-first world in which access to compute is metered by the token". He also states, "there is a very real scenario in which personal computing as we know it is dead."

Effectively, the argument is that with so many resources being pumped into the cloud, and PC hardware becoming ever more expensive, those without massive piles of cash are disincentivised from owning the hardware they are using. "The industry is asking you to own nothing and be happy. Computers are no longer a bicycle for the mind. They are becoming the self-driving car that takes you directly to the destination."

It's not clear just yet what Framework plans on unveiling on April 21, but its blog post is all intended to build some hype for whatever it is working on, and no doubt the scary statement helps spread the message. Framework says it will unveil them on its YouTube channel and will open up invitations to the Framework community so users can get their hands on the tech.

Though the point of a blog post like this is to get eyes on its event, it doesn't just seem like lip service. Framework has been making modular laptops for years now, and even put out a desktop last year. Last year, the Framework 12 laptop got a 10/10 from iFixit regarding its repairability.

Framework says that every product it ships is in service of making computers "you can own at the deepest level and do what you want with."

Framework, like almost every company, has been hit by the memory crisis. In January this year, it reportedly "held off as long as we could" but had to jack up the prices of its desktops and mainboards. And just this week, Framework said stabilising memory prices are simply a 'temporary reprieve' and that there would be more price increases to come in 2026.

Though it seems unlikely that its new products will do anything about the memory crisis, one can hope that there's a good reason Framework is leveraging the ire pointed at the general PC market for its announcement. I suppose we'll know more in just a few weeks.

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