[re-thc]

> Aren't the OpenClaw enjoyers buying Mac Minis because it's the cheapest thing which runs macOS

That's likely only part of the reason. Mac Mini is now "cheap" because everyone exploded in price. RAM and SSD etc have all gone up massively. Not the mention Mac mini is easy out of the box experience.

[CrazyStat]

It's not cheap, though. Two weeks ago I bought a computer with a similar form factor (GMKtec G10). Worse CPU and GPU but same 16GB memory and a larger SSD for 40% the price of a base mac mini ($239 vs $599). It came with Windows preinstalled, but I immediately wiped that to install linux. Even a used (M-series) mac mini is substantially more expensive. It will cost me about an extra penny per day in electricity costs over a mac mini, but I won't be alive long enough for the mac mini to catch up on that metric.

I considered the mac mini at the time, but the mac mini only makes sense if you need the local processing power or the apple ecosystem integration. It's certainly not cheaper if you just need a small box to make API calls and do minimal local processing.

[stanmancan]

It's cheap for what you get.

If you just need "a small box to make API calls and do minimal local processing" you an also just buy a RPI for a fraction of the price of the GMKtec G10.

All 3 serve a different purpose; just because you can buy a slower machine for less doesn't mean the price:performance of the M1 Mac Mini changes.

[kllrnohj]

> you an also just buy a RPI for a fraction of the price of the GMKtec G10.

Sadly not really. The Pi 5 8gb canakit starter set, which feels like a more true price since it's including power supply, MicroSD card, and case, is now $210. The pi5 8gb by itself is $135.

A 16gb pi5 kit, to match just the RAM capacity to say nothing of the difference in storage {size, speed, quality} and networking, is then also an eye watering $300

[operatingthetan]

>Sadly not really. The Pi 5 8gb canakit starter set, which feels like a more true price since it's including power supply, MicroSD card, and case, is now $210. The pi5 8gb by itself is $135.

At that point buy a used macbook air m1.

[edm0nd]

>you an also just buy a RPI for a fraction of the price

lol. you need to look at rpi 5 prices again. they are insane.

[nicoburns]

If you need the CPU power in the Mac Mini then it is a pretty good price-to-performance ratio.

[re-thc]

> It came with Windows preinstalled, but I immediately wiped that to install linux.

Do you really need Openclaw now? And not claude code + zapier or Claude code + cron?

That's the point. If you have worse CPU and GPU Windows will be sluggish (it's bloated).

[Forgeties79]

That’s a big “if” at the end. You can always make a computer cheaper “if” you strip down what you need to do with it.

The Mac mini strangely is and has been a very good deal for years now.