Headed back to Windows

[pshufd]

I checked the task manager and found a program using up 7.5 GB of RAM. So I looked it up and it's the Windows Updater tool - but why was it using so much RAM? It appears that it can get confused with the updates on your system and the updates that it thinks you need. So I imagine that it does a massive graph analysis.

So I just ran Windows Update to apply outstanding updates and it's no longer running. I normally don't shut my system down very often - it's usually up for months at a time. I also took the opportunity to remove the GT 1030 video card as I don't need it in this system anymore as I have the Mac mini M1 driving the other two monitors. It should save me about 10-15 Watts of power.

Before shutting down, I noticed that Firefox was using up 6.5 GB of RAM with six tabs open. I assume that the rest of the memory was for closed tabs or previous/future versions of pages. Nice to build a system with a lot of RAM as some programs just assume that you have an infinite amount of it.

 

[pshufd]

So instead of a notebook costing 1500 dollars, you would be fine with the same spec'ed using costing 5000? That's the price difference from being "built in america". Americans are not working for 7.25, but they are not building anything anymore either. All of your things come from places where labor is cheap. like that shirt you are wearing? quadruple the price if it was made in america. While your income stays the same.

This is rubbish.

I'm wearing a Nike Techknit Tee shirt. These retail for $70. Are you telling me that they'd cost $280? Nike would just have a lower profit margin.

Same thing with notebooks. You can buy desktops built in the United States. Pricing is comparable to the big sellers though they do not sell low-end configurations. We are getting to the point where we put more and more on the SOC that will make assembly simpler, not harder.

Labor in Asian countries is getting more expensive because they more and more want a western lifestyle.

The US has advantages of cheap and reliable power, abundant water, and we're the end-user so you don't have to ship stuff from the other side of the world. A moderate differentiator could make building in Asia far more expensive. Particularly China invading Taiwan.

 

[diamond.g]

https://www.velocitymicro.com/ makes custom PC's using retail parts (they are based out of Richmond VA). I am not sure who their laptop ODM is though.

 

[maflynn]

[MOD NOTE]
this thread has been seriously derailed, and as such a number of posts have been removed. Please stay on topic

 

[LeeW]

I'm wearing a Nike Techknit Tee shirt. These retail for $70. Are you telling me that they'd cost $280? Nike would just have a lower profit margin.

Indeed, a T-shirt cost at best $10 with printing, far less depending on quality. That Nike charges $70 is in no way a reflection of its true value, simply the cost enough are willing to pay to allow them to charge $70.

Nike could easily charge $15 for their latest T-shirt but they don't have to, that is the power of their brand.

The $70 Retail price is more a reflection of the cost they need to pay for advertising and sponsorship to maintain its brand position.

Same with Apple really, anyone that really believes there is a $999 value in iPhone 12 is deluded. They would still make a profit selling it at $600 if they spent less on advertising/sponsorship.

 

[pshufd]

Indeed, a T-shirt cost at best $10 with printing, far less depending on quality. That Nike charges $70 is in no way a reflection of its true value, simply the cost enough are willing to pay to allow them to charge $70.

Nike could easily charge $15 for their latest T-shirt but they don't have to, that is the power of their brand.

The $70 Retail price is more a reflection of the cost they need to pay for advertising and sponsorship to maintain its brand position.

Same with Apple really, anyone that really believes there is a $999 value in iPhone 12 is deluded. They would still make a profit selling it at $600 if they spent less on advertising/sponsorship.

Nike literally prints money. These shirts cost them little per unit but the materials are out of this world in terms of comfort and functionality. The rest of the industry is typically 6-8 years behind. I see the same with Apple though Apple's lead isn't that long.

Companies make products, declare the MSRP and then have to add reserves for returns, defects, discounts, promotions, etc. The business making the sale gets the devices at a discount so there is that. We usually see teardown costs for new products by adding up the component costs and I think that the numbers are relatively small but you need that buffer in retail channels. Apple really cranks up the margin with the adders for RAM, CPUs classes and storage.

Capitalism at its finest.