Summary
- Framework’s Ubuntu-configured laptops are outselling Windows models, selling out multiple batches.
- Customers favor Linux-ready modular laptops, with eight Ubuntu batches selling out fast.
- Tinkering culture, Windows 11 bugs, and the $140 license cost likely pushed buyers to Ubuntu.
It’s always nice to see a hardware company sell laptops with Linux pre-installed. Sure, there’s nothing stopping you from purchasing a Windows laptop and installing Linux on it; however, you may find yourself paying more purely for the Windows license that you’re not going to use. Selling Linux-ready laptops not only cuts out the setup but can also offer a cheaper alternative.
Such is the case with Framework, which sells modular laptops that can come with Windows, Linux, or if you really want to start from scratch, no operating system at all. Now, the company is reporting that its Ubuntu laptops are flying off the shelves at a faster rate than its Windows ones, which is great news for fans of open-source software.
Framework says its new modular Laptop 13 Pro is a “ground up redesign”
The modular PC company has also refreshed its Laptop 16 and revealed its new Wireless Touchpad Keyboard.
Ubuntu Framework laptops are outselling Windows ones
The Ubuntu models are getting cleaned out
Over on the Framework X feed, the company announced that they had sold out six of the eight batches of Ubuntu Framework laptops. Seven hours after making the post, Framework would reply to it, announcing that the eighth and final batch had sold out.
The most interesting tidbit from this X post is Framework saying that “the Ubuntu configurations are outselling the Windows ones.” This is quite a turnaround of the traditional expectation of Linux being the niche option and Windows commanding the highest market share. Unfortunately, Framework doesn’t reveal how much Ubuntu outsells Windows, so we don’t know if both models are selling at a rapid rate or if the Windows laptops are all collecting dust on a shelf somewhere. Either way, it’s cool to see that Ubuntu took the win here, even if we don’t know by how much.
So, what’s with the change in attitude? Well, there are plenty of reasons why the Ubuntu version may be outselling the Windows one. Due to the Framework laptop’s modular design, I’d suspect that its customers are also more open to tinkering with their software. Microsoft has also been doing itself no favors, as Windows 11 has been hit with some pretty nasty bugs and quality control issues as of late. And there’s always the fact that Framework lets you know how much you have to pay for a Windows 11 license, so people may not want to pay $140 for an operating system.
Framework is funding KDE to build Linux laptops you can actually customize
Customizable software and hardware? Sounds good to me.
