Posts

What about the Software?

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In this post I want to highight the software I currently have installed on the Mac Mini with the main intention of doing Machine/Deep Learning and Data Science. Some people's libraries look like this:  Mine look like this: I currently have both Anaconda and miniforge python installations. The first one is your go-to for a basic python installation, the second one is intented to intall environments that specific to the ARM64 architechture (AKA The same as the M1 Sillicon Chip). The latter is a bit more limited currently. IDE: For a long time I loved working on Jupyter Lab , but recently I have seen the benefits of using Visual Studio Code  which can handle notebooks, R, SQL and many other programming languages . I love the ease with which you can switch between conda environments and all the perks that come with a real coding IDE.  SQL: I tryied to give MySQL a chance but it was not really mac friendly to install, at least relative to SQLite or my current preference P...
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Why a Mac Mini and not a MacBook?

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A friend ask me why I got the Mac Mini instead of the MacBook as a response to my previous post. I think the answer came down to space and money. My home office setup is already crowded and I wanted to take advantage of some of the periferals that I already had. I also got a couple of things with the intention of using it with the Mac Mini. So this is current setup: Monitor :  HP M27ha FHD Monitor - Full HD Monitor (1920 x 1080p) - IPS Panel and Built-in Audio - VESA Compatible 27-inch Monitor Designed for Comfortable Viewing with Height and Pivot Adjustment. I basically got it because it was a good deal at the time, wasn't thinking too mucho about mac compatibility but rather looking for a larger screen for work that I could also use with the Mini. Keyboard/Mouse :  Kensington Pro Fit Ergonomic Wireless Keyboard and Mouse - Black. I got this last year after getting sick of typing on my laptop. USB-C Hub : USB-C Hub with Hard Drive Enclosure, Hagibis Type-C Docking Station ...
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Why (Not) do Machine (Deep) Learning on a Mac (Mini)?

 I haven't owned a Mac in over a decade. My last Mac was a PowerPC PowerBook G4. So why did I decide to go back to the Mac? First, my 6-year-old 4GB HP Spectre 360 was just not cutting it for my personal projects. Second, Although I have a 16 GB Intel i7 computer from work, I like to keep work and personal projects separate. Third, the new M1 chip by Apple just kept getting so many good reviews by the end of the year. The most affordable way to get may hands on a M1 Apple chip without cluttering my workspace too much was the Mac Mini . I have decided to start this blog to talk about my experience using the M1 Mac Mini for Data Science and Econometrics. I will attempt to have a weekly summary of the things I worked on and if possible share some code and data. I will definetly share some links to the resources I mention on my posts. In my next post I'll be talking about my Mac and the current set up I have. If you find these things interesting, please stick around and provide s...
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Location: Silver Spring, MD, USA
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