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Being landed gentry must have helped in getting your hands on one!
Couldn’t find any near me at less than $200 over MSRP :(
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Computers are a democratizing force of course they’re trying to limit access to them
There isn’t a secret conspiracy to price people out of using computers for being a “democratizing force.” In fact, our computer & internet usage is monitored by the security state and by Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, etc. Or did we forget everything that Snowden revealed? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM
Plus “AI” bullshit is sucking up all the fab production capacity.
The new 2025 laptops with 50xx gpus are exceedingly expensive. We’re talking MacBook pro with 32GB ram prices!
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Right. My point is that mac people pay absurd prices for their equipment. For what you listed that’s not amazing value. 512 ssd is a joke, that’s like 35$ wholesale for an nvme. I get that the ram inside the cpu is more expensive but my god they make bank on their hardware markup.
FWIW, and not trying to be an apologist as I find their pricing insane, they at least seem to be using good SSDs. I’ve found over the last 10 years that SSD life can vary wildly. Just some light-access databases destroyed some consumer-grade SSDs and hybrid drives’ SSD portions. A couple in less than a year.
Have a dev mac that I absolutely constantly murder the SSD on daily over the last 3 or so years. I’m talking gigabytes of data written daily 5 days a week. Available spare sectors is still 100%, and percentage “used” (which granted, is a vendor-specific life metric) is 5%.
That being said, I’ll still be hating on them for soldering the SSD to the motherboard. That is the real crime.
Omg they solder the nvme. Disgusting.
Whoa I checked they use raw nand chips right on the main board. Certainly helps with size but you are totally locked in forever with that size (short of some serious soldering skills to replace)
At least you can replace it easier on the m4 mini
You can’t isolate the parts. It’s the full machine that matters. Match that Mac’s performance for $1000. Hell, match the 16gb/256gb model at $600
The ram and storage alone is $150 if you’re damn good. Hell let’s say $100. You now have $500 for your power supply, motherboard, case, CPU, and GPU. Against an M4. Good luck
I know it doesn’t have the efficiency of an m4 but…
https://www.amazon.com/Beelink-Computer-5600MHz-PCIe4-0-Thunderbolt/dp/B0D9GDQXKG
Here's a more detailed comparison: Intel Core Ultra 9 185H: Pros: Higher RAM speed (7467 MHz) and larger maximum memory (96 GB). More CPU threads (22) and supports multithreading. Supports more displays (4). Cons: Higher power consumption compared to the M4. Higher price point compared to the M4 Mac Mini. Apple M4 (8-core CPU) in the M4 Mac Mini: Pros: Exceptional performance per watt (power efficiency). Lower price point and better value for the performance. Cons: Lower RAM speed (6400 MHz) and smaller maximum memory (24 GB) compared to the Ultra 9 185H. Fewer CPU threads (8). Supports fewer displays (2). In summary: If you prioritize raw power, multi-threaded performance, and memory capacity, the Ultra 9 185H is the better choice. However, if you prioritize power efficiency, budget, and value for the money, the M4 Mac Mini is the more appealing option.RAM speed is going to be negligibly different in daily use, and on-die RAM will compensate for that slightly slower clock on the ARM computer. Intel’s hyperthreading is much less a performance advantage than it used to be. Intel chips suck anymore though, full stop, and generate heat like mofos. I wouldn’t be surprised if this computer uses that generation of Intel chips that randomly dies, gen13 I think?
Worse, that Beelink will be using Intel embedded graphics which is basically the worst on the planet - I’d take Qualcomm Adreno before Intel embedded.
It’s also listed on Amazon as frequently returned. Not worth $869. Could get an Asus (née Intel) NUC that would serve much better, I think there are at least some AMD variants now.
The Beelink might make a dandy headless server if one got lucky though, if GPU isn’t needed for AI/ML or other GPU-based acceleration/calculations.
Beelink also wins points for having actual hard drive and RAM slots as well. Still probably not worth the money versus anything else.
Really can’t wait for some computer companies that aren’t Apple to start pumping out ARM mini PCs and laptops with decent chips.
Agreed.i really want a powerful non dgpu high efficiency unit. The amd current gen don’t cut it and always pair with horrific bad wifi on laptops. Maybe Strix point?
No beelink can remotely keep up with an M4 dude. Your comparison literally says the M4 is better bang for buck lol
Each to their own. Yes I am aware of what I posted. They (apple) make excellent hardware. I choose products that live on for years, not at the mercy of a closed environment. I want to do what I want with my hardware. We have different needs and I respect your choices.
I don’t own a Mac. I have a Linux-based tower I’m building as we speak actually. The entire point of my original comment was that bang for buck, you can’t beat apple right now on raw specs/capability, which is kind of wild considering they are generally charging Cadillac prices. But the market has gotten so absurd and the efficiency of their M series chips is quite astounding, so they have pulled it off. They are low draw, affordable race cars. You can buy a Mac mini for less than a mid-range GPU.
Their laptops are still kind of pricey, but the Mac mini is bang for buck unmatched. Mac studio is no slouch either.
And the stocks are so low that its impossible to buy
