People
Browser, phone, iPad
Your people keep what they have. They log in. They approve. They see the work.
Hardware
One always-on Mac to start. Then a network.
Your people open Bench in the browser. The work still runs on one office Mac that stays on — the main harness. When that box is full, you add more machines. More harnesses. That much more compute.
01 How it actually runs
Your people work in the browser. The agents run on the Mac.
A phone or office computer is enough to work in Bench. It is not a second brain. Every agent turn still lands on the main harness.
Main harness
Always-on Mac
This is the box the agents live on. If it sleeps, the agents stop.
Then grow
A network of Macs
When the main box is loaded, add another harness. That's more compute, not another seat license.
02 The main harness
Buy this first. It never sleeps.
RAM is soldered. You cannot add it later. Buy the RAM the first time.
Recommended — most businesses
Mac mini
One office. A handful of agents. This is the default always-on box.
- Chip
- M4 Pro or M5 Pro
- RAM
- 48GB RAM
- SSD
- 1TB SSD
- Setup
- Ethernet. Leave it on.
Same job — screen included
iMac
The desk computer and the harness in one. We run this class in our own office.
- Chip
- M4
- RAM
- 32GB RAM — that's the max. Buy it.
- SSD
- 1TB SSD
- Setup
- Ethernet. Leave it on. Don't let it sleep.
Upgrade — bigger businesses
Mac Studio
Six or more agents, or a mountain of job photos. Size the SSD to the library.
- Chip
- M4 Max or M5 Max
- RAM
- 64–128GB RAM
- SSD
- 2–8TB SSD
- Setup
- Ethernet. Leave it on.
Skip the M6 Mini.
Newer chip. Smaller RAM. The M6 Mini tops out at 32GB RAM. RAM is soldered — you cannot add it later.
Buy an M4 Pro or M5 Pro Mini at 48GB RAM. An M4 iMac at 32GB RAM if you want the screen in the same machine. Don't drop RAM to get a newer chip.
Where to get one
Each box below opens that store. Walk into one in person if you can. The eBay box already has the filters on. You still set RAM yourself.
If you buy on eBay, do it this way.
The eBay box opens a mac m4 pro search with United States, New, and Buy It Now already on. Set RAM on the listing yourself — a cheap one is usually 16GB. For a Studio, search Mac Studio M4 Max or M5 Max. For an iMac, search iMac M4. Keep those same filters. Skip anything that doesn't clear this list.
- United States only. Already on in the eBay box. Item location in the US. Don't import it.
- Buy It Now only. Already on. Turn auctions off. "Now" listings only.
- Never buy a classified ad. eBay classifieds are a scam. Leave them.
- Seller feedback 100%, or very close. If it isn't, don't buy.
- Sealed package only. New is already on. Brand new, or refurbished in a sealed box. Open-box "tested" is not the same thing. Refurbished is fine if it's sealed.
- Read the RAM and SSD in the listing. You set this one. Mini needs 48GB RAM and 1TB SSD. iMac needs 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Studio needs 64–128GB RAM and 2–8TB SSD. If it doesn't say that, it isn't the box.
03 Which business gets which
Match the main box to how you run.
| # | Your business | Main harness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Typical contractor. One office. Getting started. | Mac mini, M4 Pro or M5 Pro, 48GB RAM, 1TB SSD |
| 2 | One-desk office. You sit at this computer all day. | iMac, M4, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD. Leave it on. |
| 3 | Two or more offices, or six or more agents. | Mac Studio, M4 Max or M5 Max, 64GB RAM, 2–8TB SSD |
| 4 | High volume. One office, a lot of agents. | Mac Studio, M4 Max or M5 Max, 128GB RAM, 2–8TB SSD |
| 5 | You already have a Mac that meets the main floor. | Use it as the always-on box. Don't buy another until it fills up. |
| 6 | The 48GB RAM Mini is out of stock, or they're pushing M6. | Stay on M4 Pro or M5 Pro at 48GB RAM, 1TB SSD. Don't trade RAM for a newer chip. |
You don't need an Ultra. Don't buy one for this job.
04 Main floor
If you can't find the 48GB RAM Mini.
Do not go below this on the always-on box.
This is the absolute minimum we'll stand up as the main harness. Below it, the box will swap, sleep, or die on a power blink — and the agents stop.
- Form: Mac mini, iMac, or Mac Studio. Not a laptop. Laptops sleep. Sleep kills the main harness.
- Chip: Apple M4 or M5. Prefer Pro / Max. An M6 Mini is not the buy — it tops out at 32GB RAM.
- RAM: 32GB RAM is the floor. 48GB RAM on a Mini. 16GB RAM and 24GB RAM will not hold.
- SSD: 512GB SSD. 1TB SSD is better. You can add an external drive. You cannot add RAM.
- Power: Plugged in. Never sleep. A small UPS so a blink doesn't take it down.
- Network: Wired ethernet. Wi-Fi only is fragile.
If you have to choose, take the RAM. A 32GB RAM Mini with 512GB SSD will run. A 24GB RAM machine with a bigger SSD will not be enough.
05 Secondary machines
When the main box is full, add harnesses.
That's a network of machines — a network of harnesses — and that much more compute. You grow into it. You don't buy it all on day one.
Your first harness is in the plan. Each extra harness after that is a small monthly add-on.
What they can be
MacBook is fine
Secondaries do not have to stay on. Close the lid, that harness sleeps. The main one never does.
- Air
- Desk machine. Apple Silicon.
- Pro
- Better if you're buying new.
- Mini
- Fine as a second box too.
- On
- Only while that person is working.
Secondary floor
Lighter than the main
Use a Mac they already have, if it clears this. Don't buy a laptop to be the always-on box.
- Chip
- Apple Silicon. M-series.
- RAM
- 16GB RAM minimum. 24GB RAM if buying new.
- SSD
- 256GB SSD will run. 512GB SSD is better.
- Sleep
- Allowed. This is not the main harness.
Windows and Intel Macs are not harnesses. Phones and iPads are how people work in the browser — they do not add compute.
06 Leave these on the shelf
Don't buy these for the main job.
- Don't. A laptop as the always-on main harness.
- Don't. 16GB or 24GB RAM as the always-on box.
- Don't. A Mac per person on day one.
- Don't. Windows or Intel Macs as harnesses.
- Don't. A used Mini from a marketplace listing as the main box.
- Don't. An M6 Mini at 32GB RAM when an M4 Pro or M5 Pro at 48GB RAM is on the shelf.
- Don't. A 48GB RAM Studio when 64GB RAM is available on that chip.
- Don't. An Ultra. You don't need one.
07 Everyone else
Most people still keep what they have.
They work in the browser. They still ride the main harness until you add another one.
Owner and office
The computer they already use. Enough to work. Not enough to be the always-on box unless it meets the main floor.
Sales and estimators
The iPhone they already carry. A MacBook they already own can join as a secondary harness later.
Install crew
Their phones. They do not need a Mac.
iPad or drone
Only if you already use them. Not a harness. Not part of this kit.
You buy the Mac. There is no hardware to order from us. Your selected Implementation option includes the agent harness setup. The software that runs on the box is covered on the harness page.
How the harness worksNext step
Configure Harness
Pick your first agent, then we stand the harness up on the Mac you own.