A Modular Future

It’s a situation all too familiar for those who like to make things last. After waiting half an hour for your computer to boot, you realize it’s probably time for an upgrade. Cleaning it out, a factory reset, and removing bloatware failed to bring back any life that might have been hiding in the old machine.

When I started high school, I bought myself a laptop and desktop that I believed would last me until I graduated college. Both survived long enough for me to snag my diploma but it’s clear that I need an upgrade. In addition to long start-up times, neither are Windows 11 compatible, their displays will flicker on and off when under heavy loads, and there are an increasing number of glitches and crashes. When looking for a replacement computer, I stumbled upon one of the coolest machines I have ever seen made by an equally cool company.

Framework

Framework designs and sells modular laptops that are meant to be customizable, serviceable, and upgradable. They aim to not only improve the lives of consumers but the lives of everyone by helping reduce e-waste by making machines that will last. From the I/O to the mainboard, everything in their machines can be easily replaced by a user. They hope to change the industry’s perceptions and practices when it comes to consumer electronics.

If you haven’t heard of Framework yet, that isn’t surprising. It’s not like you can just go to Best Buy and pick one up. I ordered my Framework 16 on January 1st and just got it today, May 22nd. Their current audience is mainly enthusiasts who value Framework's mission. They are a very passionate (and nerdy) user base. This makes sense since I wouldn’t expect too many non-tech people to want to pick out their I/O for a laptop let alone consult a diagram to see which Expansion Cards are supported for which Expansion Card slots.

With Framework, whenever a component becomes outdated or breaks, instead of buying a whole new machine, only one or two things may need to be replaced. It’s designed to be easily taken apart by those familiar with the inner workings of a computer and those who are not. The company’s forums already have posts of people creating their own modules like an e-ink display that sits next to the keyboard.

Current Repair Culture

It’s all about the culture. Today’s electronic repair culture sucks. It’s filled with warranty shenanigans, smoke and mirrors, and high estimates. Just this past semester, I had one group member using a Bluetooth mouse because their trackpad died. Another peer used a TV as a monitor because their laptop screen broke. I had multiple students with missing or broken keys on their keyboards.

It's not that their laptops were defective; most were less than a few years old. It’s that life happens, and then things break. Sometimes it’s accidental, sometimes it’s normal wear and tear. When there is damage, it can be expensive and time-consuming to fix, so a lot of people will either opt for a new machine or live with the inconvenience. I knew I wasn’t going to pay $100+ to fix a 7-year-old port when my laptop’s HDMI stopped working two months ago. Not to mention that the people I know who did go to repair shops were told that they needed additional non-critical repairs like battery replacements that weren’t optional. Since when did repair shops start acting like mechanics?!

Modular Designs

Modular design is when a group of independent objects, or modules, are put together to make a single system. Think of how the Power Rangers each have a Zord but will come together to form a Megazord. Modular design isn’t a new concept, and it exists outside the tech space. The four-piece sectional in your living room would be considered a modular design.

Framework is not the only company to make a modular laptop. Dell tried to do so in 2019 with the Alienware Area-51m R1. Alienware hinted at selling upgradable paths for the GPU and CPU. The device was technically modular but received no meaningful upgrade paths. This failure to support the device was in part due to Intel changing its socket for the subsequent generations of processors.  

Project Ara was a Google Moonshot project to create a phone with modules that slide into the back of the device. Originally the modules would allow users to upgrade core components of their phone, giving their phone better longevity. Over time this concept was ditched, and the models were just meant to provide supplemental features. Unlike Alienware, Google planned to allow 3rd parties to develop modules for the device. Google shelved the project in late 2016.

Modular design becomes more obvious when you look at bigger systems and not a single consumer electronic. When a speaker goes out in a surround sound system, most people replace the speaker, not buy an entirely new setup. When an oven stops working, people don’t remodel their kitchen, they replace the broken unit. Frame of mind is different when it comes to these systems because each component is easily perceived as a separate device. Framework has the hard task of recontextualizing consumer electronics so that people view one piece of equipment as several small interchangeable pieces.

Obstacles

The road to creating widespread change among consumers and OEMs has behavioral and technical obstacles. The two examples I gave of modular devices, Alienware Area 51m and Project Ara, were failures. To have a list of success stories, problems need to be addressed.

Engineering two pieces of equipment to work with each other is different from engineering dozens of pieces of interchangeable equipment that are meant to work with hundreds of yet-to-be-made devices, running who knows what operating system. A device is opened up to more points of failure and durability, style, and future flexibility can take a big hit as well. If it were easy, there would already be companies taking advantage of the segment that wants modular devices.

Building off the last issue, who is allowed to manufacture modules for a device? Is the device manufacturer the only one with the privilege, are there authorized parties, or is it open season? When a device is broken by a defective module, who is responsible for replacing or fixing the broken unit? Warranty difficulties could worsen instead of improving. It’s difficult to imagine some companies (🍎) ever allowing 3rd parties to develop modules for its devices when they already have such strict rules in place about how its own hardware goes into its products.

Moving away from the company side, consumers are an equally big roadblock. It’s one thing to attract enthusiasts who are passionate about the benefits of modularity, it’s another thing to convince a 73-year-old farmer in Kansas that they should buy the phone with the upgradeable motherboard. Apple’s success is largely due to its focus on making its products as easy to use as possible. Giving users customizability and upgrade paths complicates things. With consumers comfortable with the current upgrade system and manufacturers dependent on revenue generated from new phone sales, modularity would disrupt both manufacturers' and consumers' practices.

A lure to modularity is the upgradability and reduced e-waste. Picturing a future with modular devices that are customizable, upgradable, and repairable, it’s easy to see how that future could have an increase in e-waste. Lowering the monetary cost of upgrading means more people would be inclined to do so. Without a significant demand for secondhand parts or a use for parts after their originally intended purpose, modular technology could generate the same amount of e-waste. This could prove to be a delicate balancing act.

A Modular Future

What will devices look like? How will attitudes shift towards upgradability and serviceability? Will the ability to choose components lead to a more educated market or better segmented products? If manufacturers are able to create parts for any device, which is a long shot, does the logo on the back of a device mean anything?

As software has become more and more personalized to a user’s needs, hardware has yet to make significant headway in meeting one person’s unique needs. Maybe consumer electronics will be similar to Johnny Cash’s Cadillac with internals for any piece of technology being as diverse as that of a custom-built PC. Your phone has a traditional touchscreen while your grandma has an e-ink display. Accessibility will be greater as everyone is able to access the same technology though different inputs that work seamlessly with a device. When Microsoft requires a NPU for the next version of Windows, nobody will be forced to throw out a whole machine to upgrade or have to learn how to install and use Linux.

If a LEGO-like level of modularity isn’t possible for every device, then at least some level of reparability and customizability should be offered. Valve made all of the Steam Deck parts available for sale through iFixit to allow users to fix the device themselves. Users are able to upgrade their own storage and replace broken components. Users should no longer feel obligated to choose between putting up with a defect or paying hundreds of dollars for a small repair.

Creating a Better Framework for Devices

Whether the future of consumer electronics is modular is not certain. I am certain however, that there is a future for modular devices. Those advocating for it are extremely passionate. They are aware of the flaws and are cautiously optimistic that those leading the change will overcome them. I remain hopeful for a day when my hardware is as tailored to me as my software, anyone can repair their devices, and electronics are made to last.

I’m going to play with my new toy now.