Framework, a company known for designing and selling upgradable, modular laptops, has struggled to provide the latest software for its products. Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham sat down with his CEO Nirav Patel to discuss how the company is working to solve these problems. His long-time Slashdot reader, snikulin, shares the following report. Driver bundles are not updated for years after their initial release. BIOS updates go through a long and confusing beta process that prevents users from receiving feature improvements, bug fixes, and security updates. In community support forums, Framework employees, including founder and CEO Nirav Patel, acknowledged these issues and promised fixes, but the actual timeline remains inconsistent and vague. […] Patel said the Framework has taken steps to improve update issues, but the team's initial approach of trying to launch firmware for future launches while supporting existing laptops didn't work. I admitted that I didn't go. “The 12th term has started. [Intel Framework Laptop] Basically, I was in charge of the development for the 12th generation team while looking back at the 11th generation. [Intel Framework Laptop] “So we had to do a firmware update,” Patel told Ars. “And it became clear that that wasn't a sustainable path, especially as we continued to add platforms.”
Part of the problem is that the Framework relies on outside companies to put together firmware updates. Some components are provided by Intel, AMD, and other chip companies to all PC companies that use their chips. Others are provided by Insyde, which makes UEFI firmware, such as Framework. Some are also handled by Compal, a contract manufacturing company that actually manufactures Framework's systems and also designs and sells systems for most well-known PC companies. Back in August 2023, Patel wrote that he plans to work with Compal and his Insyde to hire dedicated staff to enhance firmware support for Framework laptops. However, it took some time for the benefits of this system to reach users. ”[Compal] “We started recruiting on their side late last year,” Patel told Ars. Especially after his Chinese New Year in early February, his team is running at full speed. According to Patel, the goal is to continually cycle through all the laptops actively supported by the Framework, updating each one one by one before looping back and starting the process again. It will take longer. Breaking issues and security fixes are prioritized, while additional features and user requests are lower priority. snikulin added: “As a recent Framework 13/AMD owner, I can confirm that the default Windows 11 installation doesn't sleep properly. I close the lid in the evening and the next morning my battery is dead. Interesting story. Linus Sebastian ( LTT) is a stakeholder in the Framework and has therefore commented on this topic.