So I have been contrasting the Mattbook vs the Framework 12. Now that I broke cover on the Mattbook yesterday I feel like the need to kind of differentiate the Mattbook is important, at least to me.
I don't think it is any secret that the Framework 12 kind of took some of the thunder out of the Mattbook, but I never really believed that the Mattbook would have wide appeal to begin with. However, the Mattbook did have a smaller size and a touchscreen. Two things that people with the Framework 13 have been discussing about for a while now.
So with the Framework 12 being smaller and having a touchscreen AND pen input I feel like Framework was at least paying attention to this feedback. Trying to target the educational market with the 12 was pretty intelligent assuming that those markets aren't already too entrenched and the people responsible for making changes aren't already too lazy to want to deal with it.
That said the Mattbok does not have pen input and it does have a design limit that necessitates increased fan noise in order to be safe.
The Framework 12 is a very nicely put together piece of kit though. I think they did their homework and it shows. I have nothing but good things to say about it. You just need to be aware of its limitations. The CPU awesome are weak comparatively with the 13 and 16 from Framework. You also only get a single channel RAM slot. The Framework 12 maxes out at 64gb RAM. It also does not have thunderbolt 4 and its USB 4 is limited in terms of which ports have it.
In contrast the Mattbook has 4 lanes of Thunderbolt 4 and it is as beefy of a CPU as you decide to use with it. With the Mattbook you are also giving up the fingerprint scanner that you would get with the FW 13 but that the FW 12 does not have, as well as a webcam and microphone. For the record both the 12 and 13 have both a webcam and a microphone but also physical electrical kill switches.
I mainly see the Mattbook as just a specialized piece of computing that speaks to me. I suppose I shouldn't be suprised at how that doesn't really resonate well across the interwebs.
Anyway just musing here. Happy to have a place where I can talk about such things!