Quote from chris111950:
I don't really understand why XP/32 is good for trading?
It's an OS on it's way out. I've personally have used both XP/32 and Windows 7 in trading.
W7 is better in all regards to handle what is needed in today's fast trading.
1.Trading platform.
2. Multiple chart streaming.
3. Video and snapshot capture in real time while trading.
4. TV cards, have two, one is on CNBC and the other one is streaming to a country in Europe at the same time as I'm trading.
5. Multiple monitor setup.
6. All gadgets we all love, info about the computer, Skype and so on.
7. Updates on virus software and Windows 7, video cards and other program updates.
Windows 7 handles this way better in my opinion then the old XP.
So, how about let the old way's of thinking be in the past and let the new way come forward? Windows 7 is better! With a 4 or 6 core cpu's it shines and that's where the future is..faster cpu's more cores. I think I like it!!
OK ... lets get real for a bit.
Win XP Pro is the windows OS that has been running reliably for a while. Win 7 (if you believe its new) hasn't reached SP1 yet and Vista was crap. Win 7 will be faster than Win XP eventually but right now different benchmarks show one better than the other ... so no real winner. Where there is a difference its a few percent to one or another ... so who cares.
I am not a win7 hater - I have win xp on my trading partition and 7 on my mucking around partition.
So, if you want to run something that is reliable and proven to work with all of the new or old trading software out there - WinXP.
Let's go through Chris's points.
1. More trading platforms run on XP without issues than W7.
2. Since when can't you stream multicharts on xp???
3. Real traders capture video snapshots? You can do it on xp, what's the problem.
4. Real traders watch tv while they trade? And put it on the computer that's running their trading platforms? Pardon?
5. I think you can run multiple monitors on xp ... or is this some new wonder feature of microsofts?
6. All the gadgets we love (oh my god, are we talking about teenagers here). Are we professional traders or amateurs playing at it?
7. Updates to ... ... are we really kidding. And video cards that won't run on xp ... are we gamers or traders?
It is true that Win 7 becomes faster than XP with more cores although I don't believe its an impressive difference at 2 or 4 cores.
Win 7 is really attractive to teenagers and people playing with computers. If you want a solid platform for your trading technologies then it's hard to beat XP. Whatever happened to "wait for SP1 before you consider a new OS?"