As an example of how this thread can be useful, I didn't know about USB external video cards until someone posted about it a couple of weeks ago. I've been wanting a 3rd monitor, but since I have a vostro 400, which can only take one video card, after reading this thread I did a little research and bought an EVGA USB to DVI device and just setup it up today. The video device seems to work very well (it had great reviews on newegg); I'm looking forward to seeing how it does during live market action next week.
For those of you that are thinking: "are you trading in a closet?" the answer is yes! Since my wife and kids love to bug me while I'm trading, I had to move the trading rig out of our office where my wife has her computer and the kids frequent too often. All the other rooms in our house all have their purposes, so I had to get creative in order to be by myself. I actually love being in the closet, since there are no other distractions. Since I'm generally trading while the kids are sleeping, I can keep the door open so it doesn't get too hot.
How come the majority of folks who have posted pictures of their trading setups have such tiny desks. I've been going through the thread looking for something and it struck me how small many of the desks are. Its almost like a contest to see how much stuff one can put on the smallest available space. LOL! Not making fun of anyone, just an observation. Some of these desks look like they are going to collapse under the weight of all the stuff that's placed on them...