Musk and Altman go to court

What It Covers

The Vergecast covers three topics: the Elon Musk vs. OpenAI trial beginning jury selection in Oakland, with Verge reporter Liz Lopatto analyzing legal strategy and industry fallout; Framework's new Laptop Pro featuring CNC aluminum chassis and LP-CAMM2 memory; and a discussion of whether small portable PCs like the Surface Go can finally succeed given ARM chip advances.

Key Questions Answered

• •Musk trial strategy: The lawsuit against OpenAI is widely considered unwinnable by legal experts, with one law professor stating it only reached trial because Musk can afford to pay attorneys to argue a losing case. The real goal appears to be forcing damaging information into public record through discovery, distracting OpenAI during IPO preparation, and building a case for Sam Altman's removal from leadership.
• •OpenAI financial exposure: If Musk wins and OpenAI must disgorge funds, the ripple effects extend beyond OpenAI itself. The company sits at the center of compute deals with Oracle, Microsoft, CoreWeave, and Amazon. A forced financial disgorging could trigger contract obligations across the entire AI ecosystem, potentially destabilizing companies that depend on OpenAI fulfilling its commitments.
• •Discovery as a weapon: High-profile tech litigation produces collateral damage through discovery. Mark Zuckerberg's texts about protecting Musk's DOGE associates have already surfaced in this case, contradicting his public statements about government pressure and content moderation. Expect texts involving NVIDIA leadership, major VCs, and OpenAI's compute partners to surface as the trial proceeds through April and May.
• •Framework LP-CAMM2 memory: Framework's Laptop Pro uses compression-mounted LP-CAMM2 memory secured with three screws directly to the motherboard, replacing traditional socketed RAM. This delivers faster speeds, lower power draw, and better electrical connection than conventional slots — while remaining user-replaceable. Combined with PCIe 5.0 storage reaching 14,000 MB/s and a 74 watt-hour battery, the result is claimed battery life exceeding the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
• •Framework backwards compatibility: Every hardware upgrade in the Laptop Pro — including the larger battery, new touchpad, keyboard, and motherboard — can be retrofitted into Framework 13 laptops dating back to 2021. The battery upgrade requires the new bottom cover; the touchpad requires the keyboard as a paired set. Motherboard and CPU upgrades for existing owners cost $450 for Core Ultra 5 or $800 for the Core Ultra 7 variant.
• •ARM chip convergence: Apple's M1 launch forced Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and soon Nvidia to accelerate ARM-based laptop chip development. Qualcomm Snapdragon laptops now deliver competitive battery life on Windows. Nvidia's N1 and N1X ARM processors are entering the market. This convergence makes small-form-factor computers like the Surface Go — previously hamstrung by underpowered x86 chips — plausible within one to two chip generations.