i currently still use windows 98se with 256mb of ram, running IB TWS on quotetracker. i've noticed on other PCs that windows xp runs a lot of things faster, and was wondering if i upgrade my current setup to windows xp, will i get any improvements? i'm also not too sure if i need to add memory if i upgrade to xp since i know xp uses up a lot more ram. thanks.
You will see some improvments. But your trading be the same. A new or upgraded computer will not make you more profitable unless your computer keep freezing. If you want to make more money then you have to get cheaper commissions &/or fine tune you trading strategy.
As you are using Win98 your hardware (and drivers) may not be the latest. Microsoft offers an upgrade check: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/advisor.asp The download is a bit large around 30-50MB, but better check your system before spending money on an upgrade you can't use. Regards Bernd Kuerbs
why bother to upgrade. its going to cost money to add mamory and up grade to xp. put that money into a new computer with xp already on it. win 98 is not good enough for trading.try something like this: Lowest its been priced in a while. Dimesion 4600 desktop P4-2.4Ghz, 256MB Dual Channel DDR333/Free 80GB HD, Free 48x CDRW, 6 months ISP, XP Home $609 - $150 rebate = $459, $29 ground shipping.
I ran a multitasking, 4 monitor setup on W98 for 3 years... If your system is not being overloaded (BSODs, low resources, out of memory errors, etc.), then your current setup is adequate. If your'e having any type of consistent problems, I'd suggest you bite the bullet and get a new machine with Win2K or XP. (I have both now, and prefer Win2K.) W98 is not good at multitasking nor resource/memory management. It can only handle so much before it goes on tilt. Win2K and XP are 1000X better!
On a previous computer, I upgraded from Windows-98SE to XP Pro and it cost me about $189.00 It also cost me the better part of an afternoon ( timewise ) making sure that I upgraded all sorts of DRIVERS to make sure that they were now compatible with Windows XP. Rather than spend another $250 for the newer Windows XP and another 256mb of memory, I would suggest getting the Dell 4600 ( as someone mentioned earlier ) that already comes with Windows XP and make sure you get 512mb of memory.
I am running into an issue with running IB's TWS with 2-3 windows open, including Option chains and market depth, on 512MB DDR 2100 RAM on XP. The "Java hog" TWS will start "freezing" when I am pulling down drop downs to set up orders. This is annoying, not to mention, dangerous in fast markets. My processor is an AMD1900 - so I doubt it is the bottleneck and I am on dsl so it isn't there either. I have run several tweaks to stop other sources of memory drain - ie. took out the raised lettering and shadowing in the XP environment (instructions: right click "My Computer" - Properties/Advanced/Performance/Visual Effects/ Adjust for best performance) and am running memory usage off system cache and using a paging file set at 768. I suggest considering well the type of usage you may encounter before you make your decisions. Personally, I am upgrading the RAM to 1 Gig, versus trying to buy a new PC which most likely will have 256MB of Ram at the base prices usually quoted on sales. If you take short term positions - the investment will pay for itself in no time at all.
If you haven't done this.... Try including "-Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true" in the shortcut used to start TWS. (right click on the TWS icon and click on properties Insert the above into the target line below.... eg. my command line reads: "C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2\bin\javaw.exe" -Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true -jar C:\Jts\jts.jar C:\Jts If you run TWS from a browser, go to the Plug-In Control Panel, Advanced Tab and enter -Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true Note: your command line might be slightly different depending on the java version you are using and your directory structure. In any case, just insert the nodraw phrase after the executable call like above.
arzoo, Windows XP is much more stable than 98, so thats the first big reason to upgrade. XP also handles multi-tasking much better, and in the case of complex Java applications (TWS) and QuoteTracker, multi-tasking is important, so yes, your setup should run better on XP. As for upgrading vs buying new, it would also depend on the processor you currently have. If you have an older machine, you would be better off getting a new one for around $500 that comes with XP. If you have a half way decent existing PC, you will see an overall improvement by upgrading to XP. 256M is fine, though as with many things in life, the more the better. If the machine is relatively old, you can tweak XP for better performance - turn off fade in/out of windows and menus, turn off file indexing and some other services that are on by default but are not used by many.