5 ms·

I feel like $800 for an i3/8gb machine is on the expensive side. Given that it is probably the best option to run OSX smoothly, maybe, it's worth it.

by yla92 8y ago

xienze 8y ago
Don’t forget 128GB storage. Just a tad overpriced.
asdgionioasdg1 8y ago
https://www.amazon.com/Kingdel-Powerful-Desktop-Computer-Bluetooth/dp/B07D8Y2F7D/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1540915005&sr=1-7&keywords=kingdel&refinements=p_n_feature_fourteen_browse-bin%3A2057441011 https://www.amazon.com/Kingdel-Powerful-Desktop-Computer-Blu... Yeah, it's ridiculous. Two minutes of searching and I found a box with a better CPU, 16 GiB of RAM, 512 GiB of flash, and 1 TiB of HDD for a slightly lower price. The Apple Tax is real, at least for their desktops. (I have never seen the point of these tiny PCs. You can throw a desktop in a corner where you'll never have to see it. If I'm allowed to buy a normal case, I'm sure I could trounce that Mac for about $400.)
- millstone 8y ago
  The computer you linked is very different than the Mac Mini. The Kingdel is a knockoff NUC, basically laptop components. Notice how it maxes out at 16 GB of RAM, no Thunderbolt, and its fastest chip is still a 25TDP U-series which is probably slower in practice than what the Mac Mini starts with (looks like a 65 watt i3 8100). The Mac Mini is indeed expensive for its specs, but it's also extremely small for those specs: desktop components in a sub-mini-ITX form factor. If you wanted to compare it to similar PCs, you're looking at the custom offerings from Zotac, etc. which also command a high premium.
  - bitL 8y ago
    Zotac is able to put a quadcore i5 with GTX1070 into a silent case of previous Mac Mini size, making it a very capable gaming machine even today.
    - millstone 8y ago
      Yes, they make some great machines, which are also priced at a premium. You're paying for the (small) size.
- auggierose 8y ago
  Apple is demanding reasonable prices that reflect the quality of their work. Developers should do the same, and those prices for the main tool they earn their livelihood with won't be a problem then.
Joeri 8y ago
It is the highest end i3. Quad core 3.6 ghz is nothing to sneeze at. I was pricing out something comparable on newegg (same i3, same quality nvme ssd, same high-grade motherboard class), and didn’t end up that far below apple’s price. I’m eyeing the i5 though, with upgradeable ram and egpu / fast storage through tb3 that one could last me a decade.

I feel like $800 for an i3/8gb machine is on the expensive side. Given that it is probably the best option to run OSX smoothly, maybe, it's worth it.

by yla92 8y ago

I feel like $800 for an i3/8gb machine is on the expensive side. Given that it is probably the best option to run OSX smoothly, maybe, it's worth it.

xienze 8y ago

Don’t forget 128GB storage. Just a tad overpriced.

asdgionioasdg1 8y ago

https://www.amazon.com/Kingdel-Powerful-Desktop-Computer-Bluetooth/dp/B07D8Y2F7D/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1540915005&sr=1-7&keywords=kingdel&refinements=p_n_feature_fourteen_browse-bin%3A2057441011 https://www.amazon.com/Kingdel-Powerful-Desktop-Computer-Blu... Yeah, it's ridiculous. Two minutes of searching and I found a box with a better CPU, 16 GiB of RAM, 512 GiB of flash, and 1 TiB of HDD for a slightly lower price. The Apple Tax is real, at least for their desktops. (I have never seen the point of these tiny PCs. You can throw a desktop in a corner where you'll never have to see it. If I'm allowed to buy a normal case, I'm sure I could trounce that Mac for about $400.)

millstone 8y ago
The computer you linked is very different than the Mac Mini. The Kingdel is a knockoff NUC, basically laptop components. Notice how it maxes out at 16 GB of RAM, no Thunderbolt, and its fastest chip is still a 25TDP U-series which is probably slower in practice than what the Mac Mini starts with (looks like a 65 watt i3 8100). The Mac Mini is indeed expensive for its specs, but it's also extremely small for those specs: desktop components in a sub-mini-ITX form factor. If you wanted to compare it to similar PCs, you're looking at the custom offerings from Zotac, etc. which also command a high premium.
- bitL 8y ago
  Zotac is able to put a quadcore i5 with GTX1070 into a silent case of previous Mac Mini size, making it a very capable gaming machine even today.
  - millstone 8y ago
    Yes, they make some great machines, which are also priced at a premium. You're paying for the (small) size.
auggierose 8y ago
Apple is demanding reasonable prices that reflect the quality of their work. Developers should do the same, and those prices for the main tool they earn their livelihood with won't be a problem then.

Joeri 8y ago

It is the highest end i3. Quad core 3.6 ghz is nothing to sneeze at. I was pricing out something comparable on newegg (same i3, same quality nvme ssd, same high-grade motherboard class), and didn’t end up that far below apple’s price. I’m eyeing the i5 though, with upgradeable ram and egpu / fast storage through tb3 that one could last me a decade.