Let's lay out the requirements for the equipment you'll need to be successful in this book:

• GPU: 10 series CUDA-enabled Nidea GPU 
• Operating system: Ubuntu Linux 16.04+
• CPU/RAM: i5 or i7 with at least 8 GB of RAM

First and foremost, the GPU is a requirement for this type of book. Although these algorithms can technically train on a CPU, it could take days in some cases for a single model to converge. It can take a GPU a day or more to converge in some instances. GPUs offer an immense computational power increase over CPUs and hence are a necessity to ensure that you get the most out of this book. It's easy today to find a laptop with a 1,060 or better in it for around $900. 

Ubuntu is the typical operating system for this type of development. This book will assume Ubuntu and Bash as the default interaction with the operating system. All examples will revolve around the assumption that you have Ubuntu installed and the correct hardware inside your computer. This portion of this book will break down the basic pieces needed to be successful.