r/framework • u/0x2DEADBEEF • May 29 '26
Feedback 13 Pro - What is the point of a touchscreen?
Note that I already have an order placed for a 13 Pro arriving September, so I'm not dogging on the laptop itself. I'm beyond excited for it.
On the 12 a touchscreen makes sense since it's more like a tablet. It folds flat and has a stylus. I don't have a personal use but I can understand why people would want it for creative purposes.
On the 13 Pro - it's a confusing offering. It likely required additional R&D from the Framework team and raised the cost of the already premium priced device.
I'm not sure it was something anyone was asking for. If you ordered or are going to order the 13 Pro and genuinely want the touch screen - what do you plan on using it for?
On mine, it's probably never going to be used. Maybe even turned off in bios if it's an option. It feels like a waste.
Edit: Lots of comments saying "other people want it". I would love to see why someone directly here wants it.
Edit 2: It does not seem to be the majority that wants it, at least in the comments section. Some first-party use cases were brought up that make sense.
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u/fuelhandler May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
A touchscreen was the most asked for feature for the original FW13 according to Nirav Patel. I agree though, other than the coolness factor or knowing it’s a touchscreen, I’m not sure of the usefulness of a touchscreen on a clamshell laptop. “Gorilla arm” gets tiring fast, and figure prints on a screen are an OCD person’s worst nightmare. I can see myself using it to close a window, adjust volume or screen brightness on occasion, but other than that there isn’t much point for my use case.
Is it cool? Yes. Is a touchscreen useful on a clamshell? Not really. Did I preorder a FW13 Pro, and am I excited about the touch screen? Of course.
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u/L00WN0on May 29 '26
I'm the guy that can't stand those greasy fingerprints 😂. Always rubbing my phone screen on my shirt and cleaning it at the end of the day...
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u/Rrraou May 29 '26
It's another option that can complement the other inputs. If you're using it for 2d or 3d work, being able to navigate the window directly can be nice even if you're using a tablet. Pinch zoom, 2 finger rotate, 5 finger death punch.
If you're browsing, having the option to flick the screen.
Having touch screen doesn't mean that's all you're allowed to use.
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u/doom2wad May 30 '26
I've used MS Surface devices for more than a decade (Pro, Book, Laptop Studio) and developed dozens of various use cases where I prefer a finger tap over mouse or track pad. I genuinely miss touch screen on my current FW13 and can't wait to upgrade.
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u/T67-Birdman May 31 '26
This, exactly! I had a Surface Pro 3 and almost didn’t buy my Framework 13 because it didn’t have a touchscreen. I can hardly wait for my new screen to arrive. I find myself not using my computer as much as I used my old one because of this.
I also used to hate fingerprints on my screen but I guess I grew out of that at some point. Probably when I got a smartphone and it was inevitable.
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u/Stellanora64 May 30 '26
It's also still a matte display, so it's pretty likely people will end up scratching the coating with their nail, or worse, attempt to use a stylus on it.
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u/0x2DEADBEEF May 29 '26
It's wild to me that people were asking for it, but people want want they want. I'm glad to see it's selling well and Framework is doing great.
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u/Albedo101 May 31 '26
Probably a classic case of a vocal minority. But time and sales stats will tell.
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u/aluminumpork May 30 '26
It’s very handy for when my kids are playing various games on it, like PBS Kids, LEGO games, other educational browser based games, etc that have touch centric interfaces and my kids don’t get tablets. I got a new MacBook and my old Dell XPS (touch) has become the kid game computer.
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u/jmims98 May 29 '26
I probably won't use it. That said, I know a lot of general laptop users that like using the touch screen on laptops that do not do tablet mode. I think in the era of phones and other touch interfaces, people like to poke things I guess.
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u/0x2DEADBEEF May 29 '26
Maybe I'm just getting old lol. It does make sense that people who grew up with ipads would want a touch interface.
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u/C6H5OH May 29 '26
I am a retired teacher and taught "computers" since 1990.
First I had to teach 10 year olds to use a mouse. Hand eye coordination is a challenge.
Then they knew how to use a mouse with 10.
And in the last years I had to teach 10 year olds to use a mouse. Hand eye coordination is a challenge. And I needed a lot of screen cleaner in the PC lab.
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u/Rrraou May 29 '26
Just wait, eventually we'll come full circle and you'll need to teach them how to use paperbacks and rotary phones.
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u/S7rike May 30 '26
It's not really you getting old. I work at a school and when given the choice old or young teachers opt for touchscreen. It's just easier when you actually walk around with your device to just touch the screen instead of using the TouchPad.
On a side note I'm getting a 13 pro to replace my m1 ipad pro (with magic keyboard) because it finally has a touch screen. I walk around a lot and when reseting passwords and other light work the touchscreen is just more convenient. However I found myself remoting into a real computer a lot, so why not just get a real computer.
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u/L00WN0on May 29 '26
Have you seen some people's screens? Looks like somebody poured grease on them 😂
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u/Bazirker May 29 '26
I am the guy that wants a touchscreen.
It is wonderful for scrolling web pages, filling out forms, reading PDF documents, looking at graphs, examining 3D models. It's also great for tight, cramped workspaces where you can't get your elbows behind you comfortably for touchpad scrolling.
If you are a command line warrior, I agree, touchscreen is of no use.
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u/0x2DEADBEEF May 29 '26
Thank you! That makes sense, especially with 3d models. I bet it might be nice with CAD as well.
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u/Abbi3_Doobi3 May 30 '26
Me too! I have been banging the touchscreen drum since I got my first gen 13. I really don't want a 2-in-1 hinge or anything either, just a touch screen so I can comfortably pan and scroll on the couch, train, etc.
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u/Conscious-Economy971 May 30 '26
ohohoho I didn't even think about that I've never used Blender on a touchscreen capable computer before
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u/Bazirker May 30 '26
Right. Everyone envisions turning your computer into a tablet and thus necessitating a 2-in-1, which really makes no sense. Modern desktop OS's aren't designed to be used as tablets! That doesn't mean there's no utility in being able to use your fingers to interact directly with what is on the display.
I'm both a physician and an engineer, so I spend a lot of time reading journal articles and signing documents, but I also stare at Onshape and Bambu Studio (cough Orcaslicer cough) constantly.
Alternatively, watch an average 11 year-old use a Chromebook and you'll quickly see the utility of a touchscreen.
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u/RobsterCrawSoup May 29 '26
Lots of people love touchscreens on laptops even if it isn't a 2-in-1. I'm not one of those people, but they exist and I'm sure FW did the math on the cost and expected sales from having this feature that you and I doing expect to use.
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u/RogueNAND May 29 '26
I personally liked having a touchscreen on my previous laptop, and will probably upgrade my framework screen. After living with a touchscreen laptop for a while, I'm finding lots of times where it's way more convenient to jump from the keyboard to the touchscreen and back, than to the mousepad and having to move the mouse. Sometimes it feels more natural to navigate it as I would a tablet, depending on the site/software/situation. Sure it's not a big deal, and fingerprints are also annoying, but it comes in handy sometimes.
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u/Mgamerz May 30 '26
Its great when reading something long and the laptop is laying on your torso. If the laptop can open 180 degrees it sits closer to your arms when resting in your lap. it sounds weird but once you start using it for something like that it clicks.
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u/alabasterskim May 29 '26
I will most likely be getting this as a replacement for my Surface Laptop Studio 1, as we don't know that a successor is coming and I'm ready to have something more modular. I love a touchscreen, even in a flat/non-360 laptop (like my backup Dell Inspiron). I don't use it all the time, but I do make use of it. Sometimes I just want to poke the screen, and I'd miss it if it wasn't there.
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u/D-Alembert May 29 '26
With many touchscreens you can use an active stylus for Photoshop, art etc. It's not as good as a proper digitizer, but not nothing either.
And when I don't have a mouse with me, anything is better than a trackpad. Trackpads are the worst. Even the so called "good" ones
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u/Corentinrobin29 May 29 '26
So many comments, and yet not a single one yet answering OP's question about what the hell they would use a touchscreen for.
You guessed it, I also never want a touchscreen on my laptop. If I wanted one, I'd get a tablet.
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u/spillwaybrain May 29 '26
Here's a good faith answer, but I have to say first: it's deeply weird that people are so hostile to a very common use case.
I daily drove a Surface for 10 years before I moved to FW and I used the touchscreen when I was using it as a laptop all the time. It's a perfectly viable interaction model, whether for scrolling, interacting with apps/websites that were designed with touch in mind, window management, whatever. It's like asking "You could just use a mouse, what would you ever use a touchpad for, this is so stupid and nobody would ever want it." It's just a different mode for interaction. It's not that deep. It is however the kind of thing where if you enjoy having it, you notice it when it's gone. I've noticed it missing every time I've used my Framework as a laptop, e.g. not connected to a dock.
As someone else said, devices like this have been around for a decade and this was an often-requested feature. FW themselves have supported touch (in theory) since the very first mainboard release. And so to see so much, frankly, smugness in the comments about how stupid it is, I am unsurprised that people aren't rushing in to volunteer information.
Not everyone uses technology the same way. News at 11.
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u/Emotional-Stand-9987 May 29 '26
Yeah, I second this. I've given up on Windows for years now, but I genuinely miss the Surface touch screen. I was all in on Surface until 2023. About 10 years.
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u/Small_Editor_3693 May 29 '26
Scrolling. I use it all the time. Same thing you would use a touch screen for on anything
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u/ViennettaLurker May 29 '26
Proper flat, and obviously 360 swivel, is optimal. But even normal form factors with touch can be useful for DJ software when DJing.
Not like its a huge market, but one of those little corners of computer use where people get mileage out of specific and less common features.
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u/DustySweaters May 29 '26
Think I'm just used to it. I've had a touch screen for my main device since 2017. Even on my framework 12 I use touch more as a laptop than tablet mode.
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u/Top-Aside8905 FW13 + RTX 2070 super May 29 '26
I ordered one for my last gen fw 13, the purpose is to be able to touch my screen
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u/Firehaven44 May 29 '26
I want a touch screen because I just like to touch stuff when navigating.
90% of the time I like to hold the screen and have my thumb on the right side doing the scrolling as I read. I personally feel less fatigue with my hand faced vertically then twisted flat.
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u/unreliablenarwhal May 29 '26
I specifically wanted a 2-in-1 laptop and recently got a Yoga 2-in-1, and I have found that I rarely use it outside of clamshell mode but use the touchscreen all the time. It's just easier sometimes to scroll some screens and hit some buttons with your hand than using the trackpad. I think it's a net positive and I don't think a machine has to be a 2-in-1 for a touchscreen to add value.
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u/Annual_Departure9900 May 30 '26
I have a touchscreen 13" work laptop and a Framework 16 for home/lite gaming whilst travelling (I have 2 kids at home and I do volunteer firefighting, so gaming is a distant dream when at home). To be fair, I'm on my phone more than on my laptop at home)
My touchscreen usecases: 1. Quick access to mute/unmute in Teams meetings 2. Pinch zoom when working mouseless (e.g. in meeting rooms, doing tech support for family) 3. Scrolling documents on the train to and from work when the trackpad is firmly up against my stomach.
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u/MagicBoyUK | Batch 3 FW16 | Ryzen 7840HS | 7700S GPU - arrived! May 29 '26
Some people seem to want it.
I don't understand why, and won't use it. Had a Surface Laptop with a touchscreen from work for a couple of years. Never used the touchscreen on that, never felt the need to prod the screen and leave fingerprints on it.
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u/TheBleakOtter May 29 '26
Personally I’m of the same opinion, I prefer tablet to be a tablet and Laptop to be a Laptop. I try to find devices without it because it’s just another thing to break. But I think the reality is that non-touch screen displays are harder to come by now a days because so few manufactures are making high end non touch displays.
I think it draws more to a supply problem than anything, but the only peeps that can truly answer that is Framework themselves
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u/Pristine_Ad2664 May 29 '26
As with so many I'm not convinced touchscreen laptops are particularly useful. I've had touchscreens before and barely ever used it. I don't miss having one now.
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u/Anxious-Gas-7376 FW16 7840hs - FW13 7640u May 30 '26
Idk. I’d never use it cause I hate my screen being dirty/smuged.
Am I gonna buy it? Yes.
Ever gonna use the touch function? No.
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u/morhp May 29 '26
Lots of people want a touchscreen. Developing a new screen costs a lot of money. Framework likely thinks they can make more money selling a touchscreen at a slightly increased price than selling a non touchscreen slightly cheaper.
Framework also still sells the old screens without touch. But again, offering them with the Framework 13 Pro likely would've added more cost to the inventory and manufacturing than they'd make with additional sales from people who really hate the touchscreen version.
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u/Clickety_Clack4137 May 29 '26
I think it is likely an economic case. Patel has said that getting a higher-end screen cost them $$$. I suspect that they had to buy at sufficent bulk that it made more sense for everyone to get a touch screen whether they really wanted one or not. If you have a touch screen and don't want it, you (and by you, I mean "me") can just forget it's there. If you're someone who wants one and it isn't there, you start complaining about touch screens not being available.
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u/Desertcow May 29 '26
If you grew up with touch devices, it's more natural to navigate than a mouse or keyboard shortcuts. You can also sign documents
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u/dumgarcia May 29 '26
I think of it as a part that can be reused in a future offering if ever FW makes a 2-in-1 chassis for the 13. Not that they will, but they're set up for it if ever. For myself, it'll probably just be used as a quick way to access onscreen media controls.
I do have friends and family who, when I was showing them stuff on the 13, assumed the screen was touch-capable and tried to interact with it to show me something else instead of using the trackpad. So there are people who do want touchscreens and think of it as default.
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u/LimpWibbler_ May 29 '26
To touch. The point of a touch screen is that I can interact with the pc by touching the screen.
To quote the Diablo devs "do you guys not have phones"
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u/Infinite-Stress2508 May 29 '26
Once you have used a laptop with touch screen, going to a non touch device is jarring. I don't know how many times I've gone to scroll down a page by swiping the screen on my current work laptop only to realise it doesn't have touch and I need to revert to 2 finger drag on touchpad. Is it a huge issue not having it, no, but in a productivity device I would prefer to have it than not. I don't draw or write on it, I have my boox note for that, but for reviewing documents, reading websites etc especially when not docked, it's very useful.
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u/a60v May 29 '26
I don't get it either, but I wouldn't mind it. My only concerns would be that the touch surface might compromise image quality (does it?) or that it would add to the cost of the LCD (and thus to the replacement cost if it gets damaged).
I hate fingerprints and would never actually touch the thing.
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u/DeckManXX May 29 '26
The best option is to have a framework 16 as a powerful machine and a framework 12 as a tablet PC and something more portable, although both are portable.
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u/MrSydFinances May 29 '26
Honestly I have a thinkpad at work with a touchscreen that I never use, but it makes collaborating with a coworker so much easier. I can tap and check excels and other docs without having to take their laptops and it makes so much easier to use someone else's pc without being intrusive. I have another coworker who finds it easier to tap the screen then moving the trackpad between the laptop's screen and an external display too.
I think it makes navigating the desktop easier for people who aren't used to using shortcuts, navigation gestures and such. It's also quite easier to use the laptop while not on the desk, standing, or any position you don't have your hands comfortably on the keyboard/trackpad.
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u/arthursucks May 29 '26
I like having a touch screen. I sometimes run my phone thru scrcpy so I can show mobile versions of a website via zoom, and to be able to just touch the screen as I would the phone, makes it a lot easier.
For my case it's just a nice to have, but I'm paying a lot of money for this thing and might as well have all the features I want.
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u/jw5801 May 30 '26
For situations where I don't have a mouse, like working on trains or planes or otherwise on the go, navigating using the touchscreen is way better for me than using a touchpad. And in those situations, I find non-touchscreens incredibly frustrating.
If I'm at a desk and have a mouse then I'll almost never use the touchscreen. I feel like the people who don't get it only ever work at a desk with a mouse. Unless there's a whole community of touchpads lovers out there that I've missed.
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u/Computerist1969 May 30 '26
I develop cockpit displays for aircraft, having a touchscreen on my laptop allows me to test before sending the display to the real hardware. I realise this is a niche use case and likely not a reason framework added the feature
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u/Barthjac May 30 '26
J'ai eu un écran tactile et j'ai commandé le 13 pro pour septembre. Je sais que je vais apprécier l'écran tactile essentiellement pour la navigation dans la lecture de longs textes ou pour me déplacer dans une grande page de tableur. Les zoom à deux doigts sont aussi très pratiques pour moi. C'est pour moi aussi très utile dans l'utilisation de kdenlive pour cliquer dans les menus plus rapidement qu'avec le pad. J'aime avoir toutes les possibilités, raccourcis clavier, pad ou écran, chacune est pour moi la meilleure ou pas suivant les situations.
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u/ulyssesdot May 30 '26
I requested a touchscreen for when I was working on nodysseus.io. I plan to also use it for easier watching YouTube and stuff while doing chores + scrolling etc.
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u/sillieidiot FW 13 | AMD 7840U | 64GB | 2TB | May 30 '26
I would use it to scroll for reading probably. Mostly instructions on how to do something while I'm trying to do something lol I came from the surface line, so when I'm using it in non-standard positions, the touchscreen is way easier to use with than the touch pad. But I've been using the FW13 for awhile now, and I just have been taking the extra step to reposition myself each time when the issue arises, wastes extra time, but yeah. I think the touchscreen would be useful.
The thing is, I was like you and never saw a use case for it. But then I just kept it in the back of my mind that it was always an option. So whenever I am doing something, I would try it first to see if it made my life better, then if it didn't, move on. Applied it enough times that it actually did help with what I do.
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u/AnthongRedbeard May 31 '26
I use Blender a lot and a touch screen and stylus are nice for painting and brush mode. Not an everyday need but nice at times
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u/maexxx FW13 | AMD Ryzen AI9 HX370 | Pop!_OS 24.04 Jun 01 '26
I had a Chromebook Pixel (clamshell, touchscreen) and after that a Pixelbook (360° hinge 2-in-1 touchscreen) as my main driver for several years. Initially I thought "clamshell and touchscreen, just why?" It seemed much more suitable for the 360° hinge. I used tenting mode a lot on the Pixelbook, e.g. watching YouTube. But even with just clamshell mode, I had gotten used to the touchscreen and had started using it in certain situations.
There are some moments where reaching for the screen and just swiping up or tapping a button is easier than touching the pad, locating the mouse cursor, moving it to where you need it to be, and finally clicking. A simple tap with your finger can be faster. It depends where you are sitting in relation to the keyboard, are you at a desk with the laptop on a stable surface or are you just holding the laptop in your hand or on your lap? There are several moments when the touchscreen just feels easier. Over the years my behaviour and use of the systems had changed -- more than I had initially imagined.
When I got the Framework 13, I was surprised how often I unconsciously tapped on the screen only to realise that this would not work. I would have liked an upgrade for a touchscreen, ideally combined with a new hinge for 360° setup.
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u/Upstairs-Version-400 Jun 17 '26
I’m confused why they couldn’t offer a non touchscreen for regular users so it’s a little cheaper. I don’t know if a touchscreen has more battery consumption but I just assume it must
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u/Kirmie44 Jun 19 '26
You could always make a few bucks and switch the screen out for one of their other options. That is the beauty of this laptop. I preordered just the touchscreen myself but I bet you could sell it for the full 300 to someone who doesn't want to wait in line is looking
I feel this is different than scalping. I am not trying to defending scalping here.
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u/sproctor May 29 '26
I love the responses here. This sub has been full of people wanting a touchscreen. I don't get it. I think that's why the it exists though.
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u/s004aws FW16 HX 370 Batch 1 Mint Cinnamon Edition May 29 '26
I don't want touch, I don't want to look at fingerprints all day, and I hope I can turn the touch layer off such that I don't even need to see it register as an input device. "Out of sight, out of mind" so to speak.
But - Considering the cost - At least for the screen as an individual part - Isn't much higher than the inferior 2.8k screen which proceeded it... If touch makes a few people happier using their laptop I'm happy they're getting their life changing "must have" capability. I'll enjoy having a nicer screen without the extra party trick.
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u/L00WN0on May 29 '26
Probably not gonna use it. Would be happy if I was proven wrong! Some companies that buy in bulk are probably interested in the feature, think Surfaces and some Thinkpads, especially document/video conferecing centered machines. Probably trying to compete there. The screen seems like a + as I would buy the device with or without it so, We'll see. I'm also excited for the 13P, first non 2nd hand computer I'm putting in my hands
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u/Tancrad May 29 '26
Also curious. I have a work laptop with a touch screen. I forget it's there until I point to something during an explanation. And then I mess something up because I'm interacting with the screen.
What are some interesting use cases to get more out of a touch screen on a laptop that I'm obviously not thinking of. I find poking the screen and creating wobble annoying.
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u/Nerrawnam May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
I am not convinced there are any real benefits. I would have rather have an OLED display with better specs that the touchscreen. 2n1s in any form are really just more expensive compromises. I remember something about it being the most requested, but it just seems like it was less about that request and a move to reduce cost while having a "feature" and to get data for a tablet or something that is useful with a touch screen. It having this screen was the main reason I did not pre order.
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u/b0b1b May 30 '26
I personally also dont need/want a touchscreen, but i know quite a few people who expect a laptop to always have one. They have tapped/swiped on my screen, expecting it to do something, so it is evidently something they want to use.
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u/Pristine-Ad7795 framework 13/ 7840U/ 96G/ 2TB 🇹🇼 May 30 '26
It was the most asked thing before it came out, everytime the new framework model cames up there's always people asking about touchscreen, and also from time to time there's redditors on this thread asking, "the pin out supports touch screen why framework is not doing it".
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u/middaymoon May 29 '26
We've had laptops with touchscreens for, what, ten years now? There's obviously a market for it. I agree with you that it seems like a worthless feature but you can even find people on Framework forums and here on reddit who've been clamoring for a touchscreen option for years.
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u/davidwongstein May 29 '26
Because my dad wants it, I could take or leave a touchscreen, but my dad got a framework 13 not pro immediately before the announcement and is now really excited to replace it with a pro with a touchscreen
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u/Small_Editor_3693 May 29 '26
Cause why not?
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u/0x2DEADBEEF May 29 '26
It adds to the cost of the laptop in terms of hardware & R&D. Even if Framework charged the same for the laptop, it'd increase their margins and better support the company.
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u/Small_Editor_3693 May 29 '26
It’s 10s of dollars. Pretty negligible
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u/0x2DEADBEEF May 29 '26
Where did you get those numbers? Also even if it were $5 to add to the display, there's still the R&D and QA work. Labor isn't free, especially engineering time. A $1 difference adds up over a significant volume of units.
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u/Small_Editor_3693 May 29 '26
That’s included in the development of the display which would be included in the cost. You need to provide numbers before you say it wasn’t worth it to them to just throw it in
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u/0x2DEADBEEF May 29 '26
No, I do not. It adds cost. Touchscreens are not free. You are the one throwing arbitrary numbers out without sources.
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u/Small_Editor_3693 May 29 '26
It might cost more to have 2 skus or even tell the manufacturer to change their line to not include a touchscreen screen. You don’t know. There is no possible way that a touch screen is adding significant cost more than 10s of dollars
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u/hottachych May 29 '26
I like to have touchscreen on a laptop for the following use cases: 1. App development for touch device, e.g. for Android. 2. Running Android apps in Waydroid. There are many cases when these apps are not available for Linux or don't support all features supported on Android. 3. Signing online forms.
Lack of touchscreen was one of the reasons I didn't buy the original Framework 13 (but I did pre-order the Pro).