I'm more interested in the cost per bitcoin provided by the BFL unit.
I figure that value is a "floor" value for bitcoins since prospective miners are willing to pay that much for a bitcoin. A prospective miner would presumably buy bitcoins instead of running his mining rig if coin value drops below the cost of running the rig.
So, what is the cost of running a mining rig in BTC/$?
This would also allow me to make an intelligent decision regarding turning the garage into a bitcoin mine...
By that line of reasoning the floor value of bitcoin is only ever going to rise.
Exactly. As long as there are people willing and able to run mining rigs, the minimum cost of a BTC should be greater than the cost of running a mining rig. So, what is the magic number?