needed for maybe 5 times a month when im away from office and home remote trading rig, so i dont wanna spend a fortune, but still need the reliability min specs i should be looking for? cheapest/most efficient video card to run the laptop display with 1 external monitor? how about wi fi connections... should i get built in mobile broadband from an isp? anyone use them? input needed, as i am computer illiterate outside of software and apps
Hi gilch, I'm in the process of ordering a new trading computer. But in the mean time, when my wife kicks me off the computer, I've been using my laptop. Whatever brand you end up with, I would suggest getting a 17". Not as much for the larger screen, but having the number pad on the right side, like a regular keyboard, is really helpful. You use it more than you realize in trading related stuff. I'm also using a VGA Adapter for a second monitor. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815118301&Tpk=vga+adapter I'm not sure if it's the best choice, but I've been using it for over a year and it gets the job done. ~Mike
Willleung, It's adequate for stretching your workspace to view additional charts. That's all I've ever used it for. So beyond that, I don't know. ~Mike
I have three laptops that I use at my home office and then while away from my office as well. I have two HP DV9500's and they work great and I have a Toshiba that works great as well. They are all hooked to external monitors and will work great for trading with almost any video card, yes even the inexpensive Intel built in card as long as your video game requirements aren't too stringent. Get at least 2 GB of memory and you should be good to go. Lenovo, HP, Toshiba, Dell, all make great machines and I am sure others do as well. I like the comment about the 17inch monitors both for the extra screen size and the separate keypad. I also use a Verizon wireless card while travelling and for a backup for my cable modem at home, just in case. It is about $60 a month, but provides a nice backup and is fast enough to trade, at least with Ninja Trader, while I am away from my office. I can trade and be connected to a trading room and still have enough bandwidth to execute trades quickly. Good luck
I am also thinking of getting a laptop, however have heard there are software issues with it, especially that upgradation is not easy. Moreover, most trading software works with Windows XP, or Windows 2000, however, will they work with Windows Vista?
I have had good luck with Vista and the conversion was easy for me. The most important thing is to check with your broker to make sure that they support vista but I would have to think most do. I use Ninja Trader, Think or Swim and Fidelity and they all work just fine with Vista as well as with XP. I have 2GB of memory which seems to be sufficient for me to run several applications at once with good performance.
just bought a HP dv9810us from Staples for $700 after rebate. This thing rocks. 17" screen, 3 gigs, etc. Not sure what chip it has, but as far as I can tell, its bloody fast. Much faster than my 3 yr old desktop. I got the big screen specifically for charting while on the road (or coffee shop where i was a few hours ago). its heavier, but i don't need to tote it around all that much. battery lasts over 3 hours no matter how much I am typing away or playing with charts as well. Also, you'd be surprised how much wifi is around now. first time i turned the thing on, it found 6 networks (all my neighbors). 2 of em weren't even password protected. i could have logged on from my living room for free net surfing. weird.
Get a Lenovo wide screen, anything else is wasting time and money. Alomost all the others are consumer products and not build for business reliability. The clincher is that the Lenovo software support for drivers and their upgrades is the best out there, even Toshiba cannot come close. Maria