TLDR: Fuck “AI”
I was in the market for a 14’’ work laptop and I so DESPERATELY wanted to buy a Framework but I couldn’t thanks to a combination of all the AI bullshit driving up memory prices, Framework still being on the Series 1 Intel Ultra chips, and their global availability not quite being there (this bit is understandable for a relatively new company). I ended up buying a base 14’’ MacBook Pro M5 even though I wanted to stay on Linux simply because it was the only thing with good perf, crazy good battery, and good build quality that was priced semi-reasonably even though it’s on the opposite end of the repairability spectrum.
Even now a comparable Framework (Intel Ultra X7 358H, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) costs ~$150 more than what I paid for my Mac, assuming I can even get it shipped to where I am, and the regional pricing/taxes doesn’t push the price higher. Kinda crazy because it’s on the more reasonable side of things if memory serves. Dell XPS costs even more.
I hope this memory crisis gets sorted because I never thought I’d see the day that Apple became the budget option. Maybe I’ll sell my Mac and get a Framework then because as much as I love using the Mac, I still hate being at Apple’s mercy if anything breaks or if I need an upgrade.
Quite normal, yes. Especially the prices for DDR4 and DDR5, the most commonly used RAM types in consumer laptops/desktops
