In order to share my 2405s between a PowerMac (dual DVI out) and a Sony Vaio A690 (docking station has both VGA and DVI out), I have one 2405 connected to the mac via DVI, and the other 2405 is connected to BOTH the mac and the PC. The mac connection is DVI, and the PC connection is VGA. The two monitors sit next to each other, and to the left of them is the Sony, with its built in 17" panel running at 1920x1200 as well. I switch the shared 2405 between the two machines by using its front panel input selector. I don't notice any quality loss in VGA mode. This may be due to the generally high quality of components used in the 2405, but it does indicate that it is possible to get a good quality signal into a monitor via a VGA port.
I'm not sure this is quite true when it comes purely to charts. Charts don't have much detail that would require high resolution. If I'm not mistaken, if you took a 19" screen and a 17" screen and made a chart exactly 3x4 inches on both, they would look virtually identical (aside from fonts). The chart on the 17" would have less total pixels, but can you really tell the differencewhen all you're looking at are candlesticks and gridlines? I could be mistaken, but I think real estate might be more important than resolution when you're talking anything 1028 and higher.
A 3x4 inch chart on a 17" monitor would have more pixels than a 19" since the pixel pitch is smaller. I'm pretty sure about that. That said, I'm debating whether to buy three 17" or 19" monitors. I have a couple of 17.4" monitors now and they seem fine size-wise. It seems a lot of traders here go for the 19" ones, but it seems to me the 17" monitors would be sharper. I wish I had a couple of both to test side by side! Plus, three 19 inchers takes up a lot of desk space (not really a problem), but I could sit further away from them which would be nice.
Yes, for equal area, the 17" would display more. I have a 17" next to a 19", and the 17" is a bit sharper. Its pixels are smaller and closer together... and presuming a "normal" focal length for either, everything *should* appear sharper on a 17", though a bit smaller. (The reason a 20" at UXGA appears sharper still is because its pixels are even smaller and closer together than a 17")
I'm curious, which 19" widescreen monitor are you using? I haven't looked at the Acer yet, but I saw the Viewsonic model at Staples a week ago, and I thought it was terrible. Could have just been the particular unit, but it had major backlight bleed issues.
What screen size is best for day trading? Marvellous.........absolutely brilliant! Of all the questions? And somebody asks this one. No wonder most people don't make it. Right that's it. I'm now in the middle of pouring myself a large JD. Without the obligatory ice or coke. Straight doubles........i need it! Good thread!..........Honestly.
I doubt seriously the size of your screen has much impact on your trading. I know guys who trade from a laptop who do pretty well. I know guys who have 4 19" lcd's who cant make squat. New traders (I did the same thing) always seem to put the cart before the horse. You see some of them a year or two later with all this nice equipment, books and software for sale.
Well if you are going to treat this as a business , you got to have the right tools, it does not matter if you are profitable or not. So if I want to open a restaurant I should not buy the right equipment until the business is profitable?