UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I'm new to the forum, so I appreciate any help you can give me. I have been at an academic institution that manages its own UNIX computing grid for running SAS. I use a Mac as my personal computer and connect remotely using an ssh terminal to conduct my analysis and store/manage my files.

I'm moving to an institution that does not manage its own grid. The problem is that a Mac laptop is just not going to cut it in terms of computing power. I'm considering setting up my own UNIX machine similar to what I use at my current institution, and continuing to use a MAC laptop. Then I could continue to do what I would now.

How difficult would this be? I know basic UNIX commands, but I'm by no means an expert on UNIX. Would you have any suggestions on how much machine I need? I deal with data sets that often have several million observations. I have an initial setup budget of $4,000, but I could probably come up with a bit more (maybe another $1,000) if necessary (that includes both the laptop, UNIX machine and software). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

That may be an impossible question to answer, given the information above. I'm going to suggest buying the most CPU power and RAM you can afford within your budget, and then picking a Linux distro to install on it. Ubuntu Server should be a good choice.

An alternate solution, considering that your budget supports it and you're already a Mac user, is to go with the Mac Pro, which has eight cores by default, and starts at $2,799.00. If you click the refurb link on the Apple Store page, and you don't want to customize the machine, you can save another $400 off of that.

ShawnMilo

Thanks for the reply. I would be happy to provide you with more information if that would help. I definitely need the mobility that comes from having a laptop, so I don't think one desktop is going to be a good solution for me. I am already a Mac user, and would like to continue using one. That's why I was thinking that a powerful desktop machine (the UNIX machine) whose processing power I could access remotely would be a good solution.

Yes, I meant that you'd continue to use your Mac laptop, and buy the Mac Pro to be your "home base" for doing your work, the way you're using the server now via ssh.