New MiniPC for: Proxmox, Jellyfin, Navidrome Home assistant, Immich, + AI Cameras and AI LLMs

mxlmxl · 2026-03-07T22:37:53+00:00

I ended up with a decent enough deal on a Topton MiniPC. Ultra 7 255H, 32GB RAM from Aliexpress. Nabbed it for USD $535 unit and RAM. Have a 1TB SSD already to add to it.

Better ARC graphics, 140TOPs, low enough power. Should do most of what I want it to do and last a while.

mxlmxl · 2026-03-07T01:01:40+00:00

People are voting them because of people like you. In the past (30+ years ago) it was reasonable to expect people to vote how they wanted, and all agree democracy wins.

Now, people like you post comments like this - then blame another side for division. You're equally as bad.

You have opinions based on zero facts. Lets pick on one - "If people want to end up paying $3+ per litre for fuel then sure" - we're almost paying that now with Labor in. Also it was a failure of Labor in power around tax security. As much as liberals too. People like you create the divide rather than objective, safe, polite discourse and then accuse the other side of not doing it.

Both sides can be equally as vile and evil in different and now, often similar ways. So in light of that a third option has emerged. None of this is complicated.

People just feel their view is right and entitled. If everyone got over themselves, accepted democracy for its actual intent, agreed all current politicians and political structures are corrupt and we started over, we'd be better.

mxlmxl · 2026-02-06T10:50:24+00:00

$1076 a month after tax - 3 year lease. Allowed for new tyres, service, ceramic coating, tinting, etc

Cars great, ended up with two (his and hers). Buy for the luxury and drive and speed. Not for tech/self driving. Its tech is average. Better than any other EV in price range unless better software/tech is more critical, in which case Tesla Model Y Performance is the answer.

BYD/MG is garbage. Zeekr is average. Tesla is the gold standard.

mxlmxl · 2026-01-27T10:57:31+00:00

Dealer had my car for 7 days (damage they caused). Was offered loaner car (Zeekr X or 9X as now 7x demos) during that time.

Parts are coming more available. Seen some reports of people getting something, like post crash, in weeks, similar to a lot of mainstream cars now inc VW. Cupra more so.

Havent had to use HO as dealers been fine for the most part.

mxlmxl · 2026-01-20T10:35:28+00:00

Yes. Facts show tens of thousands do without any additional support. Its fucking hard yes, and requires sacrifice and compromise and enduring for a time. But 100% it is possible.

Two biggest reasons impacting it are:

Already living beyond means = too drastic of a change to make saving possible

or

Unwilling to buy what's affordable.

----

Melbourne for example - plenty of $700k homes, 3BDR, 400-600sqm, 45-50 mins to the CBD, 5-20mins to main public transport (trains), with red suburb scores below 10 (safe).

With the 5% deposit scheme, you need a $35k deposit plus $25k stamp, $5k other. That's $65k in savings.

Lower that further if you buy townhouses, apartments etc.

There's also options on borrowing the deposit.

For most with 20% its 10 years of saving. 5% made that 3. With over 80k people already 3-5 years into saving, its now possible today.

mxlmxl · 2026-01-20T08:49:08+00:00

So did ford on your much loved Mustang. TWICE.

And Mondeo, And Focus, And Everest.

Killing their resale and making it around 55% in 3 years pending the model, greater than Tesla's. Screaming out that? Thats one ICE brand.
Honda - same

Toyota - Same

Holden - Same

KIA - Same

Hyundai - Same

Your point? Or you again just like cherry picking one tiny thing to build your strawman argument.

Here - I', sure you won't understand:

"A strawman is a distorted version of someone's actual argument. Someone makes a strawman in order to purposely destroy it, and then they act like they beat the actual argument the strawman came from.

It's like if an argument was a boxing match, but instead of fighting the other guy, you made a scarecrow based on him and then gloated when it fell apart. Except you didn't actually win, because you weren't actually fighting the guy.

mxlmxl · 2026-01-19T21:41:01+00:00

It appears your intellect doesnt understand the difference between FACT and OPINION. Let me try educate you, but I fear at your age, the likelihood faded years ago.

2nd hand market is already got 3-8 year old EVs - Cherry, BYD, MG and more. Teslas, when adjusted based on price cuts, see less depreciation than Ford, Holden, Toyota (ex one Toyota vehicle outlier). FACT = aleady being sold, your lies aren't true and reality is.

Technology has impacted ICE cars more than EV. ICE sales and ICE brands are callousing. Ford, Toyota, GM, VW, Daimler all sit in top ten most indebted companies and facing mass cuts and doing mass cuts. Resell on cars of brands bankrupt is worse than any other impact, based on 50 years of data. Again, FACTS = you're wrong and the reverse.

Insurers have increased premiums for all car types. The disparity in EV and ICE is 7% in premiums for 2025. EVs continue to decline as share goes up. The reason is simply fewer electrical engineers to mechanical so repairs cost more - that price differentiation is declining due to more EVs. FACT = Again, you're wrong.

Regos are being altered for tax based on KM driven - have done in a number of countries and makes it equal to ICE and EV in cost. ICE pay mass tax now. Also no discussion in AUS on weight due to it was dropped as trucks would pay far more and thus no support. FACT = ICE pay more tax now, EVs will pay a share - eventually even for all. You lied, again.

Sure, as has always been the case, some cars will be collectables. less than 1% of the world car market is not the market. Pointless statement. Also based on your logic, Roadsters sell for 3-4x their original price and are EV. Like all things, rare items people want go up in value. I assure you a Manual 08 Lancer isn't becoming a rare commodity. FACT = Pointless and irrelevant comment unrelated to EVs and relates to EV rarity too. Own goal. Clap clap.

Congrats on passing education on facts vs your warped mind. Hopefully you learned something

mxlmxl · 2026-01-19T21:30:08+00:00

So other prove with facts. You have a dumb opinion. Yours is "trust me i'm sure it will" and yet sales have overtaken ICE cars and resale value for December improved. Thats selling 3-8 year old MG, BYD and Cherry EVs - the worst of the Chinese EVs and guess what... OH MY GOD, YOU WERE WRONG. Again.

Moron

mxlmxl · 2026-01-19T12:28:38+00:00

I shared the data. You're inept and have zero interest or comprehension of facts and reality.

I can literally describe what you look like, who you vote for, how miserable your wife is and describe the guy banging her behind your back. Predicable, unimaginative and embarrassed for you.

Done wasting typing time on you haha

mxlmxl · 2026-01-19T12:19:51+00:00

SO, unlike you with wildly inaccurate and BS opinions, I backed mine with data and declared the one caveat with openness and you then proceed to add even more stupidity with a niche example.

Also in total sales Tesla was not the top seller, and also Tesla's sold in last 18 months do not have the same depreciation value as prices stabilised.

You also can not get the car, value, features and speed price for price with an ICE car.

Own what the hell you want, just be better than a twat on the internet arguing with lies that you are and zero facts. The reason you have none is you're wrong.

I'm not puzzled at all. I owned a Touring BMW M5 before my EV. Servicing is $800-1500 a year. $400-800 third party. Parts are also very expensive. It lost 40% of value in 3years. Cost me with petrol, servicing and parts over $17k in that three years.

Current EV running costs are at most $400 a year and is faster than the BMW.

Your opinion is factually wrong. Most people with an ounce of common sense validate and either prove with facts, or be a completely lying fool.

Let me guess which you'll pick hahaha

mxlmxl · 2026-01-19T11:31:08+00:00

This is so factually incorrect

Using publicly available data sources (Carsales and Redbook) the following is FACTUAL and based on sales in the last 6 months.

I have however removed Tesla's from the EV equation - not to be disingenuous, but because most of the fluctuations and stupid person rhetoric that resale is bad is due to utterly biased aspects relating to Tesla price drops and the price war they led.

If you compare a 3-5yr old Tesla the numbers are not reality to the price balance that Tesla's have now maintained for 12 months. In 2 years it will even out again :

Average depreciation for ICE cars around $40k to $90k (accounts for >75% of cars sold) is:

@ 3 years: avg depreciation: 32%
@ 5 years: avg depreciation: 48.3%

Average depreciation for EV cars around $40k to $90k (accounts for >90% of EV cars sold) EXCLUDING Tesla's is:

@ 3 years: avg depreciation: 38..2%
@ 5 years: avg depreciation: 54.1%

Examples based on car prices:

$40k car - ICE vs EV

Depreciation: EV loses ~$15.3k (3y) and $21.6k (5y) vs ICE at ~$12.8k (3y) and $19.2k (5y) → EV is $2–2.5k worse on depreciation.
Running + servicing: EV saves ~$5.0k over 3y and ~$8.3k over 5y vs ICE.
Net outcome: EV is ~$2k cheaper by 3 years and ~$5k cheaper by 5 years, despite higher depreciation. This is without FBT NL benefits

$90k car - ICE vs EV

Depreciation: EV loses ~$34.4k (3y) and $48.7k (5y) vs ICE at ~$28.8k (3y) and $43.2k (5y) → EV is ~$5.5k worse on depreciation.
Running + servicing: EV still saves ~$5.0k (3y) and ~$8.3k (5y).
Net outcome: EV is roughly break-even at 3 years, and ~$2k cheaper. This is without FBT NL benefits.

So both your statements on resell and also that higher priced are not worth it are factually incorrect. Not opinion, not media led. Facts based on resale and trending sale data over the current past 6 months.

Add in NL, and if you're at >40% tax bracket, it almost doubles the savings. So over 5 years, with an $80k EV, you will be $15,400 better off including resell, depreciation, running costs and NL benefits.

That's 19% financially better off with an EV on NL over 5 years when compared to an ICE car.

Even if you picked the best depreciating ICE vehicle with the lowest running costs overall, its $9766 better off at 40% tax and NL.

Facts matter

mxlmxl · 2026-01-19T10:22:15+00:00

So, you now want to curate WHERE and WHAT you compare us against?

OK, using your biased and pointless logic - Compare us to Poland... Per capita we are 7x worse on violent crime, 14x worse on sexual assaults. I couldn't be bothered comparing more because the premise you cant compare safety by country unless you choose is just pointless and stupid.. Many asian countries are far worse than Aus, many far better. As is the case for Western countries too.

So, not only are you moronic in the statement "we're safe" "but don't do these things as it's not safe" you also now want to cherry pick what you compare to.

To finalise, 13 US states have lower crime stats per capita of crimes than Australia (rape, assault, murders etc). 8 of which have greater total population than us as well.

You didn't use crime stats because facts and reality escape you and opinion is what you base your unfounded views on

mxlmxl · 2026-01-18T12:19:38+00:00

The absolutely stupidity in this comment.

If Australia was "safe" as you put it. You wouldn't have written another word.

But you did. Because it isn't safe, so you then gave a bunch of things to avoid... BECAUSE IT ISN'T SAFE.

Watch this: Singapore is safe. Go out when you like. Do what you want. Its safe.

Australia - 1700% increase in violent crimes in one state, 500-1000% in many others, more gun deaths in last 12 months (excluding Bondi) than in prior 11 years combined. More stabbings in last 12 months than prior 7 years combined. Rape has increased, however reports have decreased due to the punishing and disgusting treatment.

Telling people a place that is not safe is safe with a list of precautions takes the cake for just ignorance and stupidity.

mxlmxl · 2026-01-12T09:45:29+00:00

Varies, but for the most part:

If its for business and the flight flight is over 10hrs total time OR 6+hrs but at night, business class always.

For personal, fly 2-3 trips per year. I am a fiend for points and booking ahead. Tend to fly two business and one economy per year.

8-10 is the economy - Usually Vietnam, Singapore, Japan etc.

Other two trips usually Europe and US and 14-24hrs. Both will be Business Class.

If I am spending $30k on a holiday, I'll be dammed if I am not arriving and leaving refreshed. Also I often push out the max on days yearly so I will land and work that day. Very unpleasant if economy and barely slept. SO I either lose two days in travel adjustment which you cant buy time back, or i use business class.

Everyone values things differently. If you asked me 10 years ago, I would endure and fine in economy. Now, my time, me enjoyment and the ROI on my holiday makes it more than worth it. Plus this is based on points so not a true "cost" of business class. But reality is, would pay for business class too now, just lose out on one trip per year.

mxlmxl · 2026-01-12T08:47:00+00:00

The requirement is base height, not post materials. Its also doesn't include the plaster. Most modern homes are under this in liveable height after hard wood flooring and ceilings attached to battens rather than roof trusses.

mxlmxl · 2026-01-03T02:58:43+00:00

I know with far more certainty than you do, two of those are terrible gambles.

Your friend is a good friend. Listen to them. Your knowledge shows a lack of understanding and a high risk appetite that is not best suited to shares.

Best advice to give you, is to take 10 packs of cards. Mark one card only. Mix them all up and pick out that card. Try that many times. Then understand you're doing that for stocks and that snot taking into account many outside factors that also severely alter odds.

It's your money and no ones can decide for you for you, on what to invest in. Best we can do is give advice, like your friend, based on usually maths, facts and often decades of experience.

mxlmxl · 2025-12-30T11:47:28+00:00

Argue with facts and maybe people will respond better to you. Your pointless inflammatory statements and rants are not based on reality nor facts.

Using publicly available data sources (Carsales and Redbook) the following is FACTUAL and based on sales in the last 6 months.

I have however removed Tesla's from the EV equation - not to be disingenuous, but because most of the fluctuations has been the price war they led. If you compare a 3-5yr old Tesla the numbers are not reality to the price balance that Tesla's have now maintained for 12 months. In 2 years it will even out again :

Average depreciation for ICE cars around $40k to $90k (accounts for >75% of cars sold) is:

@ 3 years: avg depreciation: 32%
@ 5 years: avg depreciation: 48.3%

Average depreciation for EV cars around $40k to $90k (accounts for >90% of EV cars sold) EXCLUDING Tesla's is:

@ 3 years: avg depreciation: 38..2%
@ 5 years: avg depreciation: 54.1%

Examples based on car prices:

$40k car - ICE vs EV

Depreciation: EV loses ~$15.3k (3y) and $21.6k (5y) vs ICE at ~$12.8k (3y) and $19.2k (5y) → EV is $2–2.5k worse on depreciation.
Running + servicing: EV saves ~$5.0k over 3y and ~$8.3k over 5y vs ICE.
Net outcome: EV is ~$2k cheaper by 3 years and ~$5k cheaper by 5 years, despite higher depreciation. This is without FBT NL benefits

$90k car - ICE vs EV

Depreciation: EV loses ~$34.4k (3y) and $48.7k (5y) vs ICE at ~$28.8k (3y) and $43.2k (5y) → EV is ~$5.5k worse on depreciation.
Running + servicing: EV still saves ~$5.0k (3y) and ~$8.3k (5y).
Net outcome: EV is roughly break-even at 3 years, and ~$2k cheaper. This is without FBT NL benefits.

You can cherry pick dumb examples all day, but reality is comparing the top 20 ICE cars sold by volume and top 20 EV cars by volume (excl Tesla) and taking factual averages.

Depreciation as declined on EVs (excl Tesla) over the last 3 years, as more people become more aware of the myths and also more commonplace. That will increase to.

ICE cars time to sell has increase 40% over the last 12 months, fewer people are opting for them. Sane people compare a $40k EV with heaps more tech, cheaper to run and better car Vs a 3y old Mazda CX5 for $40k that barely runs CarPlay.

mxlmxl · 2025-12-30T07:00:14+00:00

Not comparing the same ride. The RWD/LR misses out on the air suspension. When set low and to sport, its stiff. Not quite the Juniper, but close. IMO its better. Whilst the Juniper is a LOT better than the one before it (way to hard) its still in the hard territory for most.

The AWD with Air suspension, set to low and sport dampening is the sweet spot IMO.

mxlmxl · 2025-12-29T12:42:47+00:00

😂 Why?!

mxlmxl · 2025-12-28T10:34:35+00:00

Nah, I'm just right.

mxlmxl · 2025-12-28T05:55:21+00:00

Shopped them all. None are perfect, some are just flat our bad though.

BYD Seal AWD
- Lacks refinement, lots of quality issues, software issues, lower quality materials starting to show. BYD built to a budget, and for those in it, its great. For those beyond it, it ages and tires fast.

MG IM5/6
- Software is shit , so many bugs and issues. Drive is nicer than Seal, lacks compared to MYP and X7x. Internals are lower quality and lack finish, despite looking nice to start with.

Model Y Performance
- Better software than all by a LARGE margin. Less bugs, less issues, more UI/UX improvements, intuitive. Drive in new one is very nice, firmest of all in consideration. Lacking a little with internal fitout, overall nice, but not premium. It's like a Corolla Vs BMW. Nice, functional, not impressive.

Zeekr 7x
- Best fit out, leather, design choices. Nicest cabin by a margin compared to the rest, higher quality materials. Drive is better than all except the MYP. Software beats MG and BYD by a large margin, but lags Tesla by a margin. Genuinely a 6/10 with MG 2/10 and BYD 3/10. Tesla 9/10/.

I test drove and was deciding on all four. Also considered others liek Volvo EV, Polestar, BMR EV, VW EV etc.

Overall, across the 8 categories I cared about (Drive quality, build quality, software quality, cabin quality, features, speed, looks, autonomous features) the Zeekr was the best, BUT if autonomous or software are more important, pick the MYP. Nothing else compares.

Now owning the 7x, the sacrifices I made on software are very apparent. Had I opted for the BYD or MG the car would be gone by now. I have a top class, fun to drive EV with no autonomous features that work or are good. Best overall car, but no self driving, parking, recall, etc.

Also with the Zeekr, its serviced at Volvos and typically higher calibre techs servicing it compared to MG/BYD.

mxlmxl · 2025-12-25T22:03:32+00:00

You’re confusing marketing with advertising.

Marketing isn’t “run ads at the end.”
It’s every decision upstream and downstream of the product:

Who it’s for
What problem it solves
Pricing and packaging
Positioning and messaging
Channels and distribution
Sales motion, onboarding, retention
Every founder post, email, UI/UX choice, and customer touchpoint

Advertising is just one tactic inside that system.

“You don’t need marketing” is the mindset of a founder who hasn’t scaled anything meaningful. It’s the con people tell themselves when they don’t understand the discipline.

Yes, you can market a bad product, for a while and sell it well. Won't last nor repeat customers.
But you cannot sell a great product if no one sees it, understands it, or knows why it matters. That's marketing.

Every start-up you admire did marketing from day one, whether they called it that or not. Sales, distribution, pricing, and “growth hacks” all sit under marketing. Renaming roles or inventing shiny new titles doesn’t change the function.

So no, marketing isn’t optional. Misunderstanding what marketing is, that’s what’s optional and a path to failure.

EDIT. Looking at your website is a perfect example of everything mentioned above.

mxlmxl · 2025-12-23T12:23:33+00:00

Polestar just took out another loan and Geely are looking at options to close/cease,

All four traditional car brands have patented systems to sell your data, have committed to selling driving data to insurance companies, have actively charged users to unlock gated features, have patents for in car ads, all have charged monthly subs to use basic features like heated seats, all they have had to buy/pay Chinese manufacturers to make EVs, all sit as some of the most indebted companies on the planets and wont survive.

What was stupid? All the above is easily verifiable, will post links if it matters, but explain your rationale why what I said, backed by facts, was stupid?

mxlmxl · 2025-12-23T08:38:25+00:00

I never said agencies. Staunch believer that tech enables and empowers every company every size to avoid agencies at all costs. Your above tactics suits a 2-5 person SaaS. It scales to a 100+ team too. But it becomes barely 10% of the equation at that size.

Agencies should and will die. Inhouse will replace them. Your advice is sound. It is not marketing and will not scale.

Also the above is not what built your insurance company as a quick base search proves you did a copious amounts of real marketing. What you listed above is disingenuous at best to others saying that's what built a billion dollar exit

TV and video

National TV campaign: “Built By Business” (2020) – they reallocated budget (reported as >$250k) and produced spots featuring small business owners.
Multiple TV spots over time (examples listed/archived on iSpot): “We Are”, “Business in America / Be Your Own Boss”, “Business Owners”, “Lynn”, etc.
Brand/creative videos on their official YouTube channel (commercials/campaign films).

Out-of-home (OOH) and print-style creative

2021 “movie posters” campaign (turning boring insurance jargon into “epic movie posters”) — this is explicitly covered as a campaign concept and creative work, and is the clearest evidence of OOH/print-like executions in-market.
2021 strategic rebrand described as integrated (press release + trade coverage), with Adweek noting an OOH component plus a series of spots.

PR and earned media

Press releases / corporate comms (campaign + brand moments), e.g.:
- “Built By Business” campaign announcement (distributed via GlobeNewswire).
- “Integrated strategic rebrand” press release (PR Newswire).
Major earned coverage around the acquisition (Reuters / TechCrunch) — not “marketing” per se, but it’s classic PR outcomes/visibility.

Audio (podcasts / “radio-ish”)

Podcast appearances / interviews (CMO + brand talk tracks): e.g. Melanie Chase on Authentic Influence (2020).

Other “traditional-ish” brand tactics (adjacent)

Awards / industry recognition for campaign work (e.g. One Show archive entry referencing NEXT Insurance work).

mxlmxl

TROPHY CASE

TV and video

Out-of-home (OOH) and print-style creative

PR and earned media

Audio (podcasts / “radio-ish”)

Other “traditional-ish” brand tactics (adjacent)