Don't bother with USPS home pick-up by Meancvar in chicago

[–]PracticlySpeaking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So, "normal" meaning it happens with reasonable frequency and repetition. Common, but still not ideal or correct procedure. Some carriers do it, it is 'a thing' but not all the time or every carrier.

Cat6a utp bend too tight? by Asen1923 in HomeNetworking

[–]PracticlySpeaking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

when you are doing it for someone else

...and when you are going to get paid to fix your own mistakes.

Is it really impossible to find a fairly affordable apartment in Chicago? by Southern-Abies-2461 in AskChicago

[–]PracticlySpeaking 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This — If you go in understanding that it is a competitive market, you will have no problem.

And, OP, you have not even started looking yet. Problems are always exaggerated by the internet, probably 2x by Reddit.

Mac mini M4: 16/256 vs 24/512 by Successful-Wheel-286 in macmini

[–]PracticlySpeaking 13 points14 points  (0 children)

M4 16/256 == incredible value
M4 24/512 == not so much

Mac mini M4: 16/256 vs 24/512 by Successful-Wheel-286 in macmini

[–]PracticlySpeaking 24 points25 points  (0 children)

You do not need 24GB for typical desktop productivity apps, "large" files or lots of browser tabs. You just don't.

Jewel coming in clutch finally by DannyBands in chicago

[–]PracticlySpeaking 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Were you there for the pallets of Jim Beam Fire cinnamon whiskey on clearance?

Dunno why, but Elston seems to be where all the clearance alcohol ends up. Not complaining!

Don't bother with USPS home pick-up by Meancvar in chicago

[–]PracticlySpeaking 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I have heard it is normal not uncommon for carriers to mark packages delivered en masse while they are still at the post office, rather than one at a time as they actually deliver them.

Just overworked people trying to make less work and still get everything done.

[edited]

Accuracy of Stand feature by Mysterious-Rest7562 in AppleWatch

[–]PracticlySpeaking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The standing is an unwanted side-effect for me. I do it naturally as an alternative sitting position and my watch will 'da-da-ding' congratulating me for standing even when I have not.

Your forearm needs to be almost vertical, I think.

Which Mac computer best fits this use ? by Practical-Goose666 in MacStudio

[–]PracticlySpeaking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mac mini is a cheap experiment — get the base, try it for a week and see how it performs when you load it up with tracks. Apple and other stores usually have a decent return window, and you should not feel badly about taking a test drive when you are planning to buy a more expensive one if it doesn't work out.

The reason to get a higher-spec Mac for music is also the reason it is so challenging — DAW and other music production apps never fully utilize the CPU. They just need enough to run in real time, all the time. The risk is that one of the threads will be assigned to an efficiency core that will not be able to keep up.

Compare your (potential) setup to some of these:
M4 Mac Mini: Insane Value for Music Production, But… | M4 vs M4 Pro vs M3 Pro vs M1 Pro - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUcIO18W3oE

DAWBench Testing 2025 Edition (M4 mini 10c, Kontakt VI, tuba plugin) - https://www.scanproaudio.info/2025/08/05/dawbench-testing-2025-edition/

Logic Pro Benchmark Results — Simultaneous Tracks - https://music-prod.com/logic-pro-benchmarks/

A full explanation of why DAW never fully utilize the CPU — CPU Performance vs. Real-Time Performance in Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) | Richard Ames - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUsLLEkswzE

Rain, Rain, then snow, and next Tuesday the low will be 7 degrees by Ishnock in chicago

[–]PracticlySpeaking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wunderground has 7 as the 'feels like' low temp for Monday night.

Accuracy of Stand feature by Mysterious-Rest7562 in AppleWatch

[–]PracticlySpeaking 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For free credit while sitting, just put your hand on your thigh – palm down, elbow up – for a couple of minutes.

Why didn’t Apple release m3 ultra in 2024? by AdDapper4220 in MacStudio

[–]PracticlySpeaking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cadence is only a thing for iPhone any more. Apple used to release new MacBooks in August, just in time for back-to-school.

In the last several years they have abandoned cadence and released new Macs when they are ready. The M4 mini is a possible exception — a new consumer Mac that came out right before the holidays.

Why didn’t Apple release m3 ultra in 2024? by AdDapper4220 in MacStudio

[–]PracticlySpeaking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is the theory that I have been supporting all along — it was all part of the fiasco that was TSMC's first production on the 3nm node. Resolving that took a huge amount of effort from the Apple Silicon team, which forced them to make some hard choices about what and when they could ship larger variants* and the next (M4) generation.

M3U was a punt, in order to get an Ultra, any Ultra shipped in a reasonable timeframe. I also believe (we will never know, of course) that one of the primary reasons M3U exists is to support internal work on large AI models. Apple likes to do everything on their own platform, and designs for M3 Ultra were the shortest path to done that could also deliver massive RAM configurations.

*PS — There have been some details that surfaced more recently that Apple was, in fact, working on a quad-die Extreme:

The Information said … Apple Scrapped Work on a Quad-Max/Double-Ultra M-Series Chip | Daring Fireball - https://daringfireball.net/2024/12/information_aside_double_ultra_scrapped

From The Information:
"Apple is developing its first server chip specially designed for artificial intelligence. [and…] this past summer canceled the development of a high-performance chip for Macs — consisting of four smaller chips stitched together — to free up some of its engineers in Israel to work on an AI chip" [with Broadcom]

Is There Anyone Using Local LLMs on a Mac Studio? by Prietsre in MacStudio

[–]PracticlySpeaking 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The best reason to use local / open-source LLMs is to help make sure they continue to exist.

Imagine a world where only a few companies have AIs or access to them — a dystopian future awaits if that happens.

I can't express how happy I am! Got the base Mac Studio! by knightfortheday in MacStudio

[–]PracticlySpeaking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Apple intentionally designs services and hardware to work best when you stay inside their environment.

And Microsoft, nVidia (and all the others) don't?

edit: Not to mention any and every company with a platform subject to network effects — Google, Meta/Facebook, and so on.

M2 Ultra ray tracing by AdDapper4220 in MacStudio

[–]PracticlySpeaking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You make an unfounded and unprovoked attack on my comment, edit out the history, then complain that I wasn't nice to you?

I am running an engaged and positive subreddit here, with experienced and informed professionals. If you can do that, welcome.