I'm skeptical of atom processor with built in graphics. My atom netbook jumps around with just hulu at times. I'll look into it but I just can't believe this thing could handle two hd monitors 1920x 1080 smoothly. Glad you posted I feel like maybe not a lot of people but have to be some looking for a mobile traveling trading setup of more than just a laptop and extra monitor. Well I was excited about the pelican cases until I realized they weigh 40lbs empty. I know from flying the one thing they care about is that 50lb weight limit. Also the 25.5 in asus 1920x1200 monitors I was looking at weigh 17lbs. I was thinking about going to the pillow and stuffing clothes route but 35 lbs just for monitors doesn't leave much room. I do like the idea with the plexi glass and camera store towel. I my idea instead is to get a foam egg carton thing(from bedding section). stick that between monitors and then get like two straps and tighten them together and then stuff in suitcase. Getting 1920x1200 has just been way to difficult. I think I'm going to scale back to 1920x1080 and get 2 of these which are smaller and weigh almost a third as much. http://www.amazon.com/ViewSonic-VX2...grated/dp/B003HFCDLY/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top Thanks for everyones posts it has been very helpful. I'll write up something once I find everything out. Man, pelican would have been perfect but oh well. Bags internationally over 70lbs aren't even allowed and 50lbs are 150 each way 90 domestic. I'll just buy new monitors for that much.
Depends on : 1. How often do you travel? 2. How long do you stay at each place? Most airlines charge you 30-50 bucks for luggage, so you fly 6-8 times you already bought a new computer. I see 2 solutions: 1. On location, go to BestBuy or Walmart, buy a computer and return it after your stay, assuming you only stayed for less than a week. 2. You can actually rent computers. You might not save much money compared to paying for luggage, but it might be more convenient than packing a desktop with monitors... By the way, you can buy a 17" laptop for $500 (if you need monitor size), so if you travel that often, just get 2 of those, they fit in the overhead compartment, so no luggage fees... Edit: Newegg has 15" laptops for $400, so there you go, for $800 your problem is solved...
This may not be practical. Not sure about Walmart. But I believe BestBuy charges 15% restock fee for electronics returns. Time-wise: you could be spending half a day or more in looking up store locations, buy the items, and install your trading apps and restoring data (layouts, strategies and such). (And returning too) For a 1 week vacation that's a big discount.
With the internet, it isn't that hard to look up locations, and there is a Walmart EVERYWHERE... They usually take back everything... Assuming he travels at least once a month, I would just buy 2 laptops, making sure they are not that heavy type (because he is going to carry them on), and putting the batteries into the luggage. Frequently traveling (flying) with a desktop and monitors simply just doesn't make sense in the age of very good, light and cheap laptops....
OP mentioned going to Dominican Republic to kiteboard... don't know how many beachside Best Buys there are in the DR I think OP has some pretty strict requirements in terms of CPU power and screen size - but not out of reach. I know people who surf all over the globe... The only thing I don't understand is why not just pack it properly (Pelican), check it and forget it... OP going kiteboarding... I'd bet $100 OP checks his kiteboard and that he'd think long & hard about whats more important - kiteboard or trading machine. Check it, insure it and if you are going for a week it might cost you $10/day off your P&L but not more.
Obviously, kiteboard !! Seriously speaking, if his set up is so complicated he should just enjoy kiteboarding and forget about trading. If the set up isn't that strict, just get the 17" laptops, I can't imagine that wouldn't be enough... I was seriously dissappointed there was no Walmart in the DR, although they have a similar chain called Jumbo...
I agree with you badmrfrosty. People travel for whatever reasons. Vacation or not vacation. I happen to be liking trading while on vacation or on training trips. Same reason as yours: no trading equals no pay. Did that in Seaside Oregon (a whole afternoon to pick up seashells on the beach after market closed), Key West (traded the opening, long lunches and jet skies in afternoon, and back in hotel room to trade the closing hour before the sunset dinner), China (out sight-seeing all day, back to the hotel room at 10:00 pm to trade the first 2 hours of US opening). Vacation and trading can mix. Depends on how you manage it. Though if you go on a cruise... boy that can't help you... Anyway... my usual travel pack for airline: 2 laptops. I have a new laptop HP dv8t 1100 and it has a resolution of 1920 x 1080. Not as good as 1920 x 1200 but not far off. Fast. About 70% of the computing power of my i7-930 at home. Good enough. Another laptop is 1440 x 900 and obviously a bit smaller. And slower. I put them in one backpack as "carry on". They weigh your carry ones these days but usually don't bother you with your backpack. 2 LCD monitors. 22" both. Detachable swivel base. Pull them out. put the 2 LCD mons together facing each other. Lay a towel between them. They kind of protect each other and it works well. Put the whole 20x15x5 "box" in the middle of my luggage. Pad around the monitors with the regular clothing stuff (pants, socks, polo shirts, etc.). It works fairly well, with airline check in and rental cars. One thing is: better tell airline agents to label the luggage as "fragile". Sign the liability release or whatever. One time I forgot. Saw the bag handlers tossing our luggages to the conveyor belt at the tarmac. At the destination found that the ViewSonic mon survived, but the LG mon DOA. Cheap bastard... No more LG for me. Other travelling tips: - Bring extra RJ-45 cables (long ones) in the event the LAN connection is wired and the table is far from the wall jack or their gadget. - Buy an inexpensive network switch or a hub (Radio Shack $40). Some hotels give you a landline connection and you want to share it among your laptops. - Extra mice/trackballs. - A small USB reading lamp to light up the keyboard if you want to trade the wie hours without disturbing your spouse/partner/companion/kids. - An extra USB-to-VGA adapter in the event one laptop has issues, and you can drive the 2 mons from one laptop. - Cut a CD or DVD for yourself with all your trading software install kits and your layout/data/strategies... in the event that you need to re-install your trading software. Relying on the hotel internet connection to download can take forever. (Maybe even bring your Windows restoration disks or media). - 2 laptops is for the reason of they backing up each other as spare. Murphy's Law. If your only laptop is out, and you are in a foreign country... good luck getting a replacement. - Power adapter if your power supply does not take in 240V and 110V. The 22" mons may have an issue in Europe/Asia. I borrowed a transformer from the hotel. - One external hard disk for backing up and transferring files. Flash thumb drives will work to if you get a higher capacity one. - Extra VGA/DVI cable (spare). Cables are neglected items. (that goes for power cords too) If they are out, you really can end up spending a whole day getting a stupid replacement cable in a foreign town. About it. Worked in many trips. San Diego, Pasadeno, Santa Barbara, Pismo Beach, Seaside OR, Key West, FL, New Orleans LA, Pensacola Beach FL, Phoenix AZ. China twice. And counting.
Phewww, sounds more like obsession than profession. no wonder very few traders make it. the market attracts those the least suited for it the most. traders anonymous anyone?
My vacation setup. http://www.elitetrader.com/vB/showthread.php?threadid=43661&perpage=6&pagenumber=480