I am wanting to get some feedback from those of you who use a laptop w/ docking station as your primary trading PC. Also views from others who have considered it and decided to stick with a desktop.

I currently use a desktop with a 4 monitor setup. I have recently moved my trading operation to a space that is not at my home residence, so I am working through the pros and cons of having to leave my PC at the office each day, and not have the ability to do work/research from home (such as evenings or travel trips).

I know I could pick up a laptop and load my charting platform (IRT) on it and just pay the small fee for a 2nd registered computer...

But with how powerful you can build laptops these days, I was just wondering what everyone else's setup looks like.

hi..i do you a laptop as my primary. Its not a built laptop...it was off the shelf lenovo. Reason to use was simple....i love portability if required. Although my laptop really does never leave the dock once i started using multi monitor setups. I did previously liked the independence in my previous trading life to be able to move around the house n trade..which is not what i do now. Now if i trade i am in front of my screensI do use another PC for other stuff related to my trading which is as powerful or more than my primary trading PC but with lesser Ram 16GB.

well to start of I like my laptop as I really like typying on chicklet kb's and previously never liked a mouse. Well but my wireless kb and wired mouse on the analytics PC is not bad either.

Only drawback depending on how many monitors you plan to use...PCs are better equipped for multi monirot setups.

paps

My OTA instructor, Bert, told my class that one additional advantage of using laptops is that its battery acts as a "UPS" should there be an electrical outage..

fourtiwinks 

My OTA instructor, Bert, told my class that one additional advantage of using laptops is that its battery acts as a "UPS" should there be an electrical outage..

Yes, but no power means no network, so not very useful if you're in the middle of a trade.

@sam028 totally agree.... just the additional laptop battery may not cut it.

if really trading from a laptop....you may want to go with a UPS which can handle the laptop/any screen & internet connection.

cheers
paps

sam028 

Yes, but no power means no network, so not very useful if you're in the middle of a trade.

Modem and Router on UPS as well. Hence if the outage is local (ie local transformer) you maintain connectivity. If outage is wider scale, it probably effects the CO and connection is down.

I have everything on UPS, not so that I can continue trading in a power outage, but so that I can make sure orders are pulled and systems are shut down in an orderly manner.

sam028 

Yes, but no power means no network, so not very useful if you're in the middle of a trade.

Yup, didn't think of that.. I guess one could use the mobile phone's portable WIFI hotspot to reconnect to the trading platform in order to close the trade..

fourtiwinks 

Yup, didn't think of that.. I guess one could use the mobile phone's portable WIFI hotspot to reconnect to the trading platform in order to close the trade..

For on the go with a portable without external power and WLAN I am using a mobile USB modem stick as fallback solution.
It is cheap and works.

GFIs1

Another way to have back up internet on you laptop is to tether your mobile phone to your laptop this is called "tethering" it can be usefull if you dont have a usb internet dongle. But for me it's easier to just use TWS on my phone if I want to exit a trade.

I recently just got a lenovo W530 during the black friday sales. I'm still getting use to. I also have a gaming desktop with 4 x 24" Dell monitors but at the moment I'm only using 2. I'm looking at getting a lenovo woorkstaion desktop in favor of my gaming rig because I don't even play games anyway and so far the CPU cooler, PSU and SSD have all failed me. Warranty issues with custom built rigs are a nightmare. Dell and lenovo are way more superior in this department.