Costco Members: Apple Mac Mini Desktop Computer: M2 Chip, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD (2023)

kensteele

Dec 24, 2024 2:34 AM

13K Comments

Joined Dec 2004

kensteeleDec 24, 2024 2:34 AM

13K Comments

Quote from SlickHamster963

:

Are we still in the phase where Apple has prevented the ability to upgrade memory hardware?

Yes we are and you should consider it the final phrase. No changes are planned for the future, indefinitely.

1

SlickHamster963

Dec 24, 2024 2:37 AM

120 Comments

Joined Jul 2019

SlickHamster963Dec 24, 2024 2:37 AM

120 Comments

Quote from kensteele

:

Yes we are and you should consider it the final phrase. No changes are planned for the future, indefinitely.

👎 (to the business decision, not your comment)

Ohioboi122

Dec 24, 2024 2:52 AM

234 Comments

Joined Dec 2018

Ohioboi122Dec 24, 2024 2:52 AM

234 Comments

If you're a student or can catch a sale, the 16gb will be much better with the M4, but there was a time $299 was all I could afford, and this foots the bill much better than a $299 Windows PC.

2

graphixv

Dec 24, 2024 9:57 AM

3.5K Comments

Joined Aug 2007

graphixvDec 24, 2024 9:57 AM

3.5K Comments

Quote from FeistyWing507

:

Apple products are designed for the brainwashed people....

They're designed for less technical people. I don't know about brainwashed. For instance, if someone can use Apple to do work where they make a lot of $$$ and don't have to worry about technical issues, that works out. But if it's someone like my nephew who does not make a lot of media dough with his aging Apple laptop, well that's a totally different story and he shouldn't have went Apple. He doesn't have the money to replace it with a competent upgrade.

Last edited by graphixv December 24, 2024 at 02:00 AM.

Frankie4Fingers

Dec 24, 2024 4:19 PM

98 Comments

Joined Mar 2008

Frankie4FingersDec 24, 2024 4:19 PM

98 Comments

Quote from graphixv

:

They're designed for less technical people. I don't know about brainwashed. For instance, if someone can use Apple to do work where they make a lot of $$$ and don't have to worry about technical issues, that works out. But if it's someone like my nephew who does not make a lot of media dough with his aging Apple laptop, well that's a totally different story and he shouldn't have went Apple. He doesn't have the money to replace it with a competent upgrade.

Actually they are designed for the more technically people too. You can use terminal and do Linux stuff as well as code much better than on a PC. I developed on a MacBook and the difference between it and my co-workers' PCs is night and day. They take 5 minute to recompile the code and the MacBook takes seconds.

While not everyone had this use case, the MacBook just works better for the majority of things…. Just not gaming.

2

dclive

Dec 24, 2024 4:31 PM

6.3K Comments

Joined Mar 2008

dcliveDec 24, 2024 4:31 PM

6.3K Comments

Quote from Frankie4Fingers

:

Actually they are designed for the more technically people too. You can use terminal and do Linux stuff as well as code much better than on a PC. I developed on a MacBook and the difference between it and my co-workers' PCs is night and day. They take 5 minute to recompile the code and the MacBook takes seconds.

While not everyone had this use case, the MacBook just works better for the majority of things…. Just not gaming.

This. I find it's the less educated / less technical folks that think MacOS is for the non-technical folks, mostly.

4

slow-pC

Dec 24, 2024 5:45 PM

535 Comments

Joined Aug 2011

slow-pCDec 24, 2024 5:45 PM

535 Comments

Quote from Frankie4Fingers

:

Actually they are designed for the more technically people too. You can use terminal and do Linux stuff as well as code much better than on a PC. I developed on a MacBook and the difference between it and my co-workers' PCs is night and day. They take 5 minute to recompile the code and the MacBook takes seconds.

While not everyone had this use case, the MacBook just works better for the majority of things…. Just not gaming.

Actually gaming even using wine works really well on my m3 air. I was really surprised loading up native 3d "casual" titles with a locked 60 fps with no problems.

wdslkd

Dec 24, 2024 5:55 PM

648 Comments

Joined May 2017

wdslkdDec 24, 2024 5:55 PM

648 Comments

Quote from Frankie4Fingers

:

Actually they are designed for the more technically people too. You can use terminal and do Linux stuff as well as code much better than on a PC. I developed on a MacBook and the difference between it and my co-workers' PCs is night and day. They take 5 minute to recompile the code and the MacBook takes seconds.

While not everyone had this use case, the MacBook just works better for the majority of things…. Just not gaming.

As a unix sysadmin/developer, having native unix in macos is a significant advantage. Linux is great but a UI that's less smooth. WSL under windows is clunky. Having both native unix and a great UI makes macos distinctly compelling for this kind of technical work.

1

TunaSushi

Dec 24, 2024 6:05 PM

119 Comments

Joined Jun 2018

TunaSushiDec 24, 2024 6:05 PM

119 Comments

Quote from Squirrels8MyLunch

:

Leaning towards a M5 my cousin found on Temu for about 600

If he looks a little harder, he'll see the next-gen M6.

dyrne

Dec 25, 2024 7:17 AM

467 Comments

Joined Dec 2009

dyrneDec 25, 2024 7:17 AM

467 Comments

Quote from wdslkd

:

As a unix sysadmin/developer, having native unix in macos is a significant advantage. Linux is great but a UI that's less smooth. WSL under windows is clunky. Having both native unix and a great UI makes macos distinctly compelling for this kind of technical work.

To each their own. If I were to end up with a Mac at work I'd probably swap out with one of the tiling window managers available. There are some nice options that compete with hyprland or other modern WMs on Linux I've heard.

1

Chris13002

Dec 25, 2024 1:26 PM

4 Comments

Joined Sep 2024

Chris13002Dec 25, 2024 1:26 PM

4 Comments

I was able to pick one up from a nearby Costco and I agree with most of the comments. Sure, 8gb isn't a lot for today's standard, but the M2 chip is very powerful. This is my first Mac purchase and I'm running this as a PLEX server and it does the job perfectly and quietly. I also installed Chrome and the office suite which my girlfriend prefers to use. It even supports 4k @120hz with the right usb c adapter. I still have my gaming PC that I'll continue to adore and use for everything else but for $300, this is a great deal.

1

jrricky

Dec 25, 2024 3:21 PM

685 Comments

Joined Nov 2019

jrrickyDec 25, 2024 3:21 PM

685 Comments

Would only use this for Home Assistant! Should work better than my intel right?

dclive

Dec 25, 2024 3:23 PM

6.3K Comments

Joined Mar 2008

dcliveDec 25, 2024 3:23 PM

6.3K Comments

Quote from jrricky

:

Would only use this for Home Assistant! Should work better than my intel right?

Given that a Raspberry Pi is more than enough, and HA runs on pretty much any OS, I'm not sure how to quantify 'better' there. Is there anything better about HA on MacOS? A new feature not on the other OSs?

James1927

Dec 25, 2024 7:46 PM

4 Comments

Joined Mar 2019

James1927Dec 25, 2024 7:46 PM

4 Comments

Quote from kensteele

:

Yes we are and you should consider it the final phrase. No changes are planned for the future, indefinitely.

Just FYI the m4 mini has a removable and upgradeable ssd. I believe it might be proprietary but just the same the newest Mac mini does not have a soldered ssd.

WB_K

Dec 26, 2024 1:44 PM

3.3K Comments

Joined Dec 2015

WB_KDec 26, 2024 1:44 PM

3.3K Comments

Quote from ComoEstanPinches

:

So grateful it's free and cross platform. Can't keep up with gaming rigs any more, just wanna play video games with the homies from afar haha

The illusion of a gaming rig's upgradability lies in the perceived value or performance gain. Without specific services, each upgrade cycle often requires a new motherboard, resetting the process. This cycle repeats, unlike an agreed-upon hardware revision with consistent software support or service. Gaming and art demand more because of this, but if one doesn't engage in these activities, such upgrades aren't necessary. Influencers and the industry perpetuate these needs, creating jobs that are meaningless outside of job creation. Instead, humanity should spend more time synthesizing and critically reflecting with the tools we have, focusing on quality and data synthesis rather than raw hardware power for multitasking. Our creativity suffers because we prioritize physical capabilities over the quality of our behavior and information.

Imagine two martial artists. One constantly seeks new techniques and equipment, believing these will make them a better fighter. However, they practice in many areas, leading to confusion and lack of mastery on any one area. The other martial artist focuses on practicing a few techniques diligently, honing their skills and understanding deeply. Over time, the second martial artist becomes more proficient and effective, despite having fewer resources.

What truly enhances our abilities and creativity—the constant pursuit of new tools, or the dedicated practice and refinement of what we already have?

Costco Members: Apple Mac Mini Desktop Computer: M2 Chip, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD (2023)

$300

$599

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