(Credit: PCMag/Michael Kan)
Linux PCs are usually considered niche, but one Linux-based laptop is outselling its Windows 11 counterpart.
Upgradable laptop maker Framework reported the surprising stat after opening preorders for the Laptop 13 Pro. “Framework Laptop 13 Pro is selling far above our forecast, and we've sold out of the first six batches already,” the company tweeted. “Also nice validation of our approach, the Ubuntu configurations are outselling the Windows ones!”
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Unveiled on Tuesday, the 13 Pro is meant to appeal to power users, including software developers. It's Framework’s first Ubuntu-certified laptop, meaning it’s undergone extensive validation to ensure it runs the Linux-based OS without issues. Importantly, customers can buy the laptop with Ubuntu preinstalled, in addition to Windows 11.
Although other laptops have received Ubuntu certification, the 13 Pro was specifically designed to be a "MacBook Pro for Linux users," Framework says. During its launch event, the company also invited a staff engineer from Ubuntu developer Canonical to talk about the certification.
The marketing seems to have resonated with Framework fans at a time when Linux usage has been increasing. The latest Steam hardware survey logged Linux at a 5% share, a first for the OS and its various distributions. (Linux share first crossed the 1% mark back in 2021.) Valve’s Linux-based SteamOS has likely been a major contributor.
Although Framework isn’t a large PC vendor like Dell or HP, the Ubuntu-certified sales could help Linux become more mainstream. Microsoft has faced negative user sentiment about Windows 11, prompting a pledge to focus on quality improvements for the OS.
Stay tuned for our review of the Framework Laptop 13 Pro. In the meantime, the company is looking beyond Ubuntu. Framework CEO Nirav Patel noted that it’s been sending laptops to developers of other Linux distributions, suggesting that a wider range of Linux preinstall support could arrive down the line.
About Our Expert
I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.
Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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