Maybe a silly question, but is there a reason/advantage to using mac minis over any other kind of small computer/laptop, ie running linux?
My understanding of using a mac mini for ai (ie running a claw bot or whatever) is to have it 'always on' and a better price/performance profile than a cheap vps.
Is there performance (silicon processor?) so unique? As I guess it's not their graphics units. I see tonnes of people using mac minis for AI, to the point it almost became a meme.
Edit: yes I know this article is about local models, my question is a bit more general.
There are probably three main reasons: 1) unified memory (but you can also that with DGS Spark / Strix Halo), 2) access to your Apple account, so you can have a bot handle your iMessages, email, calendars 3) energy efficiency.
Apart from that, if it doesn't work out you still have a Mac Mini, which in itself is more desirable for many than a DGX Spark or Strix Halo if you have no AI use case.
The main difference total other laptops of non-Apple make is/was unified memory (graphic VRAM + RAM) architecture. No need for an extra dedicated graphics card to get 64+ GB VRAM.
My understanding of using a mac mini for ai (ie running a claw bot or whatever) is to have it 'always on' and a better price/performance profile than a cheap vps.
Is there performance (silicon processor?) so unique? As I guess it's not their graphics units. I see tonnes of people using mac minis for AI, to the point it almost became a meme.
Edit: yes I know this article is about local models, my question is a bit more general.