“I have spent extensive time testing local AI the last couple months, using a 128 gigabyte MacBook Pro. The performance of the local models is not good enough to justify the expense for a normal user… the local models still hallucinate more. They still need a lot more management. I just don't think the technology for local use is there yet.”
sputnikintelligence.com
Reacting to a maxed-out Mac Studio costing around $30,000, David argues the main reason to buy that much memory is local AI, and says local models aren't yet good enough to justify the price for most people compared with a cloud subscription.
Yeah, so to get a 16 terabyte, 512 gigabyte Mac Studio now, it's definitely more than the price of most people's cars.
Oh, my, I've never paid this much for a car. I can say, honestly, now you can lease it, David. You can lease it for $700 a month. Even that.
…stuff, the performance you get, and this is using a 128 gigabyte MacBook Pro. The performance of the local models is not good enough to justify the expense for a normal user. Maybe you're a lab or something and you're going to get four of these and hook them together for, you know, whopping 120 grand and do something amazing with them. But for most humans, I think this is not worth it because the local models still hallucinate more. They still need a lot more management. I just don't think the technology for local use is there yet. The stuff it is good at right now actually fits in 128 gigabyte Mac just fine. Like naming files and doing some real donkey work stuff, I think it does okay. But maybe I'll be proven wrong. Maybe some of the audience can write in and tell me how wrong I am. But I think for most people, that is a waste of money. I just don't think you're going to get your value out of it. And then like do the…
And even, you know, I think the lease option of $700 a month is easier for me to grasp. You know, if you were paying for the Mac, Claude Macs and Codex Pro for $200 and buying double the amount of tokens, you know, or if you were trying to buy as many tokens to double that monthly cost, I mean, you…
as Fable right now. Right.
Yeah.