The available Python engines

As with R, there are several distributions you can install for Python: standard Python, ActivePython, Anaconda, and so on. Typically, "pure" developers download the latest version of the Python engine from https://www.python.org/, and then install various community-developed packages useful for their projects from the Python Package Index (PyPI). Other vendors, such as ActiveState and Anaconda, pre-package a specific version of the Python engine with a set of packages for the purpose of accelerating a project's startup. While the standard Python and ActiveState distributions are more aimed at general-purpose developers, Anaconda is the distribution preferred by data scientists and by those who work more closely with machine learning projects. In turn, Anaconda comes in two distinct distributions itself: Anaconda and Miniconda.

The Anaconda distribution, with its more than 150 included packages, can be considered to be the best do-it-yourself...