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Date/Time: Tue, 26 Nov 2024 02:31:40 +0000



[User Discussion] - Running SierraChart on a new Apple Mac Mini

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[2023-09-18 11:16:21]
Ed Goppelt - Posts: 41
After 2.5 hours of work, I currently have Sierra Chart's demo screen up and running on Apple's new Mac mini ($500 at B&H Photo). I intend to update this thread as I gain more experience running SC on the Mac.

Background: in November 2020, Apple replaced the aging Intel x86 chips in its Macintosh computers with brand new tech, namely an ARM based system on a chip (SOC) of its own design using TSMC's most advanced manufacturing process (5 nm). More here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_M1. Apple has a reputation for turning out beautiful but pricey tech, but the new Mac line offers something I have never seen Apple do before: namely provide good value for the money.

Initial impressions: Mac easy and pleasant to set up (total time 2:00 hours). No significant issues other than having to set up a new Apple ID account because the old one appears (based on the chinese ideograms of the security questions) to have been hacked. Installing Sierra Chart was a breeze (half an hour).

I used Crossover software (Codeweavers, $74) as the "compatibility layer", software which sits between Sierra Chart and the Mac OS and acts as a translator. Crossover is a derivative of Linux Wine, a Windows compatibility product for Unix that has been around for years. The Mac's base OS is Unix.

More here https://www.codeweavers.com/ here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacOS and here: https://www.winehq.org/

Questions, comments? Please let me know.

Ed Goppelt
[2023-10-02 11:37:46]
Balazs - Posts: 6
Hi Ed,

I am very interested in your system stability and overall impressions,.

Cheers Balazs
[2023-12-11 20:13:37]
User907247 - Posts: 4
Any issues running custom study like regression analysis ?

Thanks,
Rohit
[2024-01-09 05:16:28]
User377189 - Posts: 172
I was looking this as well…

- can you load multiple chart books at a time
- each chart book having 6-7 charts for aninstrument
- one chart in chart book should be a tick based chart with number of days on trading chart ~5000 days
- another chart should be TPO chart with number of days 730
- another 3000 volume based chart with 730 days
- the other 3 charts can be candlestick time based charts with 730 days

Does the Mac mini load 6-7 chartbooks each chartbook consisting of above mentioned 6 charts with ease or does it take time to load?

Also if you set alerts on charts can you connect HomePod that is placed in another room to Mac mini
so that when an alert is hit it rings on the HomePod
[2024-01-09 06:07:13]
Sierra_Chart Engineering - Posts: 17179

- can you load multiple chart books at a time
- each chart book having 6-7 charts for aninstrument
- one chart in chart book should be a tick based chart with number of days on trading chart ~5000 days
- another chart should be TPO chart with number of days 730
- another 3000 volume based chart with 730 days
- the other 3 charts can be candlestick time based charts with 730 days

Does the Mac mini load 6-7 chartbooks each chartbook consisting of above mentioned 6 charts with ease or does it take time to load?
This is all supported, but on any system this amount of data will take time to load. The faster the system and the faster the storage drives, the faster the data will load.

Regarding alerts, full information on the functionality is available here:
General Settings Window: Alerts (Global Settings >> General Settings)

Soon there will be Telegram integration for alerts. But there is a lot of flexibility including running custom programs. You should be able to do anything you want regarding alerts including creating your own custom alerts.
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, use the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
Date Time Of Last Edit: 2024-01-09 06:07:24
[2024-01-09 13:32:24]
User377189 - Posts: 172
Thank you Sierra_Chart Engineering

The only difference with Mac OS is that sierra chart is not natively supported on mac and need to access the platform through codeweavers

In the past while i was on Ninjatrader and ran the platform through parallels on more than capable mac, the platform crashed/froze, would not be able to load the data i mentioned above.

When i moved to windows based PC the crashes/freezes reduced significantly and would have once or twice a year vs. 4-5 times a month

With the alerts i already use custom alerts that once triggered plays a sound through my PC speakers. If i am in the furthest room in my house i am unable to hear the sound but with mac i can use multiple homepods as my mac speakers and was wondering once the alert is triggered will the sound play on the homepods that are selected to be used as mac speaker this would be great.

its good to know the sierra charts team is working on integrating with telegram for alerts. Is integration with whatsapp being worked on as well?
[2024-01-09 14:50:19]
Ed Goppelt - Posts: 41
I agree with Anthony, the owner of Sierra Chart & Chief Engineer. Bottom of the line (BOL) Mac Mini runs most of SC just fine. It's noticeably faster than my windows rig. What I don't like about the BOL Mac Mini is that it limits you to two monitors. BOL Mac Mini with 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage, Codeweaver will run you around $600 at B&H Photo in NYC. It's a great deal if you don't have much money. Details of my Windows rig: a Dell 5820 Tower, equipped with an Intel Xeon @ 2175 processor, 64GB of RAM, 2 x Nvidia P4000, 1T storage, and six 27" QHD displays.
[2024-01-09 18:50:51]
User377189 - Posts: 172
Ed,

Thank you for chiming in.

It's less about the money but more about having specifications that on paper should be able to deal with the workload but in practice there is more troubleshooting going on. The issue is not with mac hardware but at that time it was parallels.

Native applications to mac do interact with hardware optimally than non-native applications for which in the past parallels was the option.

I have not used codeweavers and wanted feedback if the platform (sierra chart) acts buggy or works fine just as it does on windows PC.

If i do dive into the mac i will go in for the mac studio M2 Ultra either the 128 or 192 GB RAM. But will surely want to make sure that:

1) The platform works just as good as it does on windows based PC and optimally uses the mac hardware and is not limited by vram etc.
2) Can utilize other products in the apple ecosystem as well - such as the alerts function. If i set an alert to play a sound. No matter which room i am i can leverage my homepods to play the sound. Also be able to use sidecar and have my iPad to mirror main screen. These and many such functionality that can surely change the way we can interact with sierra chart platform and our workflow.

my macbook pro was:
- Intel Core i7 - 6core @ 2.6 GHz
- Radeon Pro 560x 4 GB Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536MB
- 16GB RAM

my current PC on which sierra chart is loaded is:
- Intel Core i7-8809G CPU @ 3.10GHz
- Radeon RX Vega M GH Graphics
- 32GB RAM
- 2 x 1-TB M.2 NVMe SSD - One SSD runs Windows 10 and other SSD is solely for Sierra Chart

i want to make sure that atleast mac mini can work the platform as well or better than my current PC
Date Time Of Last Edit: 2024-01-09 18:52:18

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