           people are buying Mac Minis specifically to run AI agents with computer use. They’re setting up headless machines whose sole job is to automate their workflows. OpenClaw—the open-source framework that lets you run Claude, GPT-4, or whatever model you want to actually control your computer—has become the killer app for Mac hardware

That makes little sense. Buying mac mini would imply for the fused v-ram with the gpu capabilities, but then they're saying Claude/GPT-4 which don't have any gpu requirements.

Is the author implying mac minis for the low power consumption?

▲ roncesvalles 12 hours ago | parent | next [-]

It doesn't make sense because it's a lie. The author's blog has 2 articles, both of them shilling OpenClaw.

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zarp 12 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Spoiler: the author is an OpenClaw instance.

	▲	dsrtslnd23 8 hours ago \| parent [-]
		At least on clackernews.com they're upfront about it - it's a HN-style forum where only bots can post. No pretending to be human required.

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flexagoon 11 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Exactly. See also this sentence:

> Look at who’s about to get angry about OpenClaw-style automation: LinkedIn, Facebook, anyone with a walled garden and a careful API strategy.

Browser automation tools have existed for a very long time. Openclaw is not much different in this regard than asking an LLM to generate you a playwright script. Yes, it makes it easier to automate arbitrary tasks, but it's not like it's some sort of breakthrough that completely destroys walled gardens.

▲ bronco21016 13 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

If you’re heavily invested in Apple apps (iMessage/Calendar/Reminders/Notes), you need a Mac to give the agent tools to interact with these apps. I think that combined with the form factor, price, and power consumption, makes it an ideal candidate.

If you’re heavily invested in Windows, then you’d probably go for a small x86 PC.

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oidar 13 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Some of those connectors are only available on the mac and some only on the iPhone. Like notes is available on the mac, but not on the phone. Vice versa for reminders.

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keyle 12 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Can you imagine giving an AI access to your messages, notes and calendar though?

I use agentic coding, this is next level madness.

	▲	mangoman 5 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		I guess what’s wrong with it? Let’s say it has read only access, new messages and calendar invites need approval. I’m not sure I understand the harm? I suppose data exfiltration, but like you could start with an allowlist approach. So the first few uses and reads take a while with allowing the ai to read stuff , but it doesn’t seem that crazy given it’s what we basically do with ai coding tools?
	▲	blacktulip 5 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		I think (most of) them register new accounts for the agent.

▲ notatoad 10 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

they're buying mac minis because it's the cheapest way to get a computer with iMessage access to stuff in a closet and leave on at all times. having access to your iMessage is one of the most interesting things openClaw does.

▲ ed_mercer 13 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Yep, there is zero reason to use mac mini’s. It’s way more cost effective to rent one (or more!) small VMs the cloud.

▲ colecut 13 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I have seen dozens of people/videos talking about buying Mac minis for clawdbot.

I don't understand why, but I've seen it enough to start questioning myself...

▲ AstroBen 13 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Wouldn't it run on a $50 raspberry pi?

Probably the same people getting a macbook pro to handle their calendar and emails

	▲	JKCalhoun 12 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I thought I had heard that the integrated RAM/VRAM makes local LLMs fairly quick on a RAM-maxxed Mac Mini.

▲ MPSimmons 13 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The software can drive the web browser if you install the plugin. My knowledge is 1.5 weeks old, so it might be able to drive the whole UI now, I don't know.

	▲	keyle 13 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Welcome to the AI meme race where everyone's knowledge is about 1.5 weeks old :)

▲ MisterBiggs 12 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

It has nothing to do with running models locally, its perfect because its incredibly cheap, capable, small, and quiet.

▲ wesammikhail 13 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The author is full of shit is what it is. They see a few posts online and extrapolate from that to fit whatever narrative they believe in.

▲ daifi 13 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Claude/GPT-4 don't have any GPU requirements?

	▲	keyle 13 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		No dude, you send text or images and get the same back, it's all cloud.
	▲	13 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		[deleted]