[edmundsauto]

> It is superior to a Mac Mini in every conceivable way

Based on the dimensions you feel are important and are visible to you. That is only one perspective on the elephant.

If you built that machine, and you made decisions that were not necessary tradeoffs AND these decisions went against your values, you would need an excuse. Apple is not you, and they do not need any excuses - they have a different set of values and built to those values.

Those values are what the market, aka other people, care about.