Ask Paul: November 30 (Premium)

After a week off for Thanksgiving and on the eve of December, Ask Paul is back with another round of great questions.
Intel NUC vs. Mac Mini
chrishilton1 asks:
Hi Paul, I'd be interested in a comparison between the Intel NUC you are using, and the recently released MacMini, from specification, performance, features, and value for money perspectives.
I've been thinking about this. The one issue I have with the new NUC---which you can read about here and here---is fan noise. And I think that's directly attributable to its 28-watt Intel Core i7-8559U processor, which runs at 2.7 GHz with a Turbo Boost of up to 4.5 GHz.

Put simply, it's a bit loud for my tastes, with the fan coming on more frequently than I'd like. Most U-series chips are 15-watts, so they usually run cooler and at lower frequencies, and are thus better adapted for smaller enclosures, like those in laptops or, in this case, a mini-PC. I'd be fine with a 15-watt U-series part in this NUC. In fact, given the noise, I'd prefer it.

So I've been thinking about the Mac Mini. I've owned at least two of these over the years, but my previous unit was a long-dated Core 2 Duo-based version, so it's been a while. The Mac Mini could/should benefit from its larger enclosure from a thermals/fan noise perspective. But the value prop here is unclear: Apple's products tend to be more expensive, etc.

So let's do a quick price comparison. The Intel NUC I'm testing is a kit that costs about $465, but it comes sans storage and RAM. But you can buy versions with both on Amazon.com (and, I'm sure, elsewhere). Configured like my NUC---with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD storage, this NUC costs about $870.

I'm going to guess a comparable Mac Mini is a tad more expensive. :) (He writes before checking.)

Looking at Apple.com, I see that the new Mac Mini can be configured with a curiously limited range of processor options and a more acceptable range of RAM, and storage options. And while this probably isn't strictly comparable (from a processor perspective especially), I configured a version with a 6-core 3.2 GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, and 256 GB of SSD storage for $1500. So that's about $600 more expensive.

What I'd like is a Core i5 model, which I don't see. Given the efficiencies of macOS, I suppose a quad-core Core i3 model would be OK. And configured as I'd want it, with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD storage, that model would set you back $1200.

I don't know. If there was a Core i5 upgrade, I'd feel better about this. Ultimately, what I may want personally is a quad-core, 15-watt version of the NUC I'm reviewing.
Why does Windows 10 have ads and crapware?
davidD asks:
What's the point of the bundled 'crapware' and advertising in Windows 10? I gather it's to make money now that Windows 10 is 'as-a-service', but I struggle to believe this is making serious money for MS (compared to Azure, Office 365 etc), whilst only frustrating people and putting a fu...

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