dual monitors and profits

I agree. The more monitors the better. The more computors the better. The more network bandwidth the better. But more importantly, it's not the quantity of monitors, not even the size of the monitors, it's resolution plus how you use what you have. (Unlike in other areas of the human struggle, where fortunately it's mostly size that matters.)

For example, if you have 3 monitors set to 1024x768 pixels you barely have more raw data display space than on one monitor that's set to 1600x1200, plus you will probably have to waste more of your raw size when it's split up between 3 monitors, at least if you are using a slow and inefficient operating system like MSFT.

The other thing you should keep in mind is that most of the time when you look at a screener or an options table or a news bulletin or whatever else you might be reading during the trading day, you concentrate most of your attention on that piece of information and theoretically only need a very small window that shows an emini chart or a TICK chart or maybe your favorite few stocks for the last 5 minutes, because at that particular second you are not really interested in the fine detail of those charts, you just want to be alerted if the action should pick up or something happens that you are waiting for.

I've said it before, your eyes and your brain can only process so much information per second, so if you find a way to switch between all that information on one single screen as fast as your brain can process it, you will have an advantage over someone who has 8 monitors and does not arrange the data on his displays in a very clever way.

I am using just one monitor at 1600x1200, but I have a "designated immediacy area" on it, which is a little stripe on the right which shows tick charts of the eminis and some other good stuff, and which is always displayed, even if I switch to a different virtual desktop to read something.

In order to follow several dozen intraday charts, I just continuously change the symbol in my main chart window, which is nice and big, that way I look at approximately one or two charts per second. I figure if I had 20 monitors, I could probably scan not 1 to 2, but 5 to 10 charts per second, but I'm not sure that would enable me to make $10000 more in trading profits per year, which I figure would be necessary to buy and maintain 20 monitors (plus video cards and computers to run them).

I am, however thinking about getting a second monitor, because frankly I like the idea of having one or two charts for each open position displayed at all times.

But the question there is, do I just buy another monitor and video card, or do I spend a few hundred bucks more that that and get a nice laptop with a 1600x1200 screen? Of course, then I would also need some networking hardware etc. etc.

Let me check on eBay!
 
Quote from SethArb:

Can anyone on elite trader tell me if
they are finding it much easier to spot
opportunites to make ( and sometimes lose)
more money trading

using 2 or more monitors as opposed to just 1 ?
More...

I've seen a lot of really, really dumb questions on this board, but this takes the cake!

You can never have enough money, memory, band-width, or too many monitors - now get that into your head, and never forget it!
 
Another really dumb question. I am using two computers, one a laptop that is hooked to a dialup that only gets 26.4 bps at the extreme top due to the phone lines. The other one is on satellite both with one monitor each. My question is I have a ATI 8500 card that has three outlets 1. standard monitor,2. DVI only and 3.TV. I may be too cheap to buy a LCD monitor so could I use a signal splitter in the standard monitor cable and use two monitors that way. Help would be appreciated and thanks in advance.:)
 
Lescor, you may have just been kidding, but you really hit on something. I've taught my wife and am working on my brother to act as eyes. Sort of the ultimate scanning devices. It didn't take long to show them a few examples of the very specific patterns I look for. The assistant doesn't need to know how to trade, only observe. This allows me to more carefully stalk individual stocks for long periods, without fear of losing out on other opportunities.
 
I have 8 monitors. I would trade 7 of them in for a killer broadcast datafeed on a PTP T1 like ILX or SPComstock or Hyperfeed, the API to the datafeed, and a connection straight into a broker/exchange.

The number of monitors you use depends on the style of trading you do. I know 7 figure traders that still use two 17" CRT monitors.

IMHO, two is the minimum number...

nitro
 
I use 3 myself (One 21" and two 19" CRT's) but agree that it depends on your trading style and also you obviously need to have the resources to support all the components of your system. And I like the idea of having more than one computer and also more than one type of connection mainly as a backup system in case one fails you'll have the other. When you're trading hundreds of thousands of dollars you don't want to have your computer or connection fail and be lost in a trade going against you. As has been said here equipment and software, etc. is relatively cheap in relation to the other financial realities of trading. So you need to decide what information would be useful in doing the type of trading you do or might do. I suggest you build up to it. And I always feel that K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple stupid) is always the best thing to remember about your trading. Good luck. :)
 
stated as part of the question

does it pay to switch to muliple monitors and the assoc
hardware to support such ...

if ones buying power is only 100 - 150 K on margin ?

and if one is not making consistantly 1-5 K a week trading?

I know I can deduct the expenses for trading up to this type
of setup but perhaps its more important for me
to be at a higher level of profitability and size before
committing to this trading setup ?
 
Seth, maybe you are underestimating how little it costs to get into a decent multi-monitor setup. I bought 4 used Sony trinitron 21" monitors for $200 each from a company that liquidates lease returns. Matrox video cards go on Ebay for $50. If you want to add another computer, what's that, another $600? The only other thing you'll need is some kind of shelving or rack to mount them on and a router if you run more than one machine.
 
Wow, as a one monitor guy i'm feeling really sheepish....

Anybody remember Michael Douglas' setup in Wall Street?

Basically a couple beige shoeboxes with green and black screens the size of index cards... probably a fair representation of what the big leaguers like Soros and Jones were using back then.... poor bastards, how did they cope?
 
Seth, you said, "I know I can deduct the expenses for trading up to this type of setup but perhaps its more important for me to be at a higher level of profitability and size before committing to this trading setup?"

The other thing is that you have to be willing to spend money to make money. Of course there is a balance which you need to find. If spending an extra $1000 to $2000 will help you make ten times that much then your question has been answered. You have to determine what are the most useful addons to your trading. Equipment, software, data feeds, educational material (videos, books, seminars) or whatever and then make your decisions. And lescor makes some very good points in telling you that it's not as expensive as you might think. CRT monitors are very cheap now as is most other hardware and eBay is a very good source for hardware and software and training videos. I bought Windows XP Pro on eBay for $150 which is 50% off the retail.
And another reality of all this is it's not just how many monitors or computers you have but how useful the data you have on them is and how effectively you setup the data and use it. And of course it's not just a matter of more data is better. It's only better if you have the knowledge and skill to effectively set it up and use it.
Good luck to you. I'm sure you'll find a good setup. Like I say, you can build up to it.
:)
 
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