That’s okay, it had to be done.

You’re right, but it does still work.

Downloading music from YouTube will get you MP3s, but they will have gone through the YT compression algorithms.

Use Deemix instead. Downloads MP3s straight from the Deezer servers with all metadata and album art.

Everyone else has described the complications that a Mac mini would have. So why not consider something else? Lenovo, HP, and Dell make 1l ultra small form factor PCs and they’re pretty cheap on eBay. They’re also low power. Search for Tiny Mini Micro to find information.

I have three Lenovo Thinkcentre machines - two with 32gb RAM and one with 64gb RAM - running my Proxmox VE cluster. Highly recommend using those small machines instead of a Mac mini.

That would stand out a lot. Probably better to just bring a couple hundred dollars and buy bitcoin when it was worth practically nothing.

Why are those patch cables so long?!

There are two reasons why I refuse to play MTG now: Wizards of the Coast is shitty and the experience of playing at my local game store.

Apparently it’s just a tool to talk about Linux for me.

If they’re buying the cheapest possible IKEA furniture, sure, it’s less reliable. Buy the mid range solid wood stuff.

Little things, not so much. But when it comes to hobbies, especially ones that get me moving and exercising, I feel perfectly fine spending money on something that will make me feel better.

For example, lately I’ve been considering getting a road bike again even though I already have a gravel bike (that I plan to keep).

Exactly. This is a terrible idea. I’m fairly certain that anyone caught doing this would be immediately fired at some companies.

I’ve torn ligaments in my ankles. Tons of large cuts and gashes. I broke three ribs in 2022. I wouldn’t be doing too great.

I use teams on a daily basis for work, so I understand it can be a phone replacement. That doesn’t negate the issue though. The whole thing is a distraction from driving.

That is a terrible idea, we need fewer people talking while on the road. Not people joining in on an entire meeting.

Risking sounding like a broken record, I always suggest Tiny/Mini/Micro 1L form factor office PCs. Lenovo, Dell, and HP all create ultra small office PCs that make great low power servers. A Pi will use 5-9w at idle, while these PCs will use 11-13w idle. They also use more standard components such as NVME drives, 2.5" drives, and replaceable RAM. Easy to find under $100 USD used, I’m sure you can find them under 100 euro.

LineageOS and simply not installing Google Apps.

That’s a lot of money for what you’re getting there. I highly recommend used 1L office PCs, like the Lenovo ThinkCentre tiny machines. They’re regularly under $100 USD on eBay. Although if you prefer something new that’s totally understandable.

I think it’s a bleedover from car culture - you keep your fun car in the garage and have a second car that you’re okay with driving daily. Especially so during winter.

Seconding Soylent. I had some issues keeping food down a couple years ago because of some medication I was taking. Soylent was one of the few things I could “eat”. I still like it and drink the banana pie one for my lunch when I have to go into the office.

Look up 1L mini PCs - Dell, Lenovo, and HP have similar one liter mini PCs that would’ve been used as a lightweight frontend in offices. They are easy to find on eBay and can be pretty cheap.

For example, my lab at home consists of three Lenovo Thinkcentre tiny machines. I bought them off eBay for $60-80 USD. They each came with a 500gb HDD and 8gb RAM. I have since upgraded them all to a 500gb NVME, 500gb SSD (they have a 2.5" drive bay), and 32gb of RAM. They run as a Proxmox VE cluster.

I think I might have $500 USD into the entire setup, including my 10" wide rack enclosure.