out of sheer curiosity, why would you recommend a mac when most every trading software you use and others use target Windows? I get why some drive old timers, for the sheer beauty of the car and the craftsmanship. But then a trading computer is supposed to get work done, not to look beautiful or have aluminum rims and edges. I just wonder what attracts you so to a mac when most of the stuff you use is Windows based. By your own admission you do not use the mac to show off or feel better about yourself. Honest question...
Updated Version: Pictures of Your Trading Stations
- Thread starter Chris Paciello
- Start date
I don't understand this either. If one were to use only OSX compatible apps then it would make sense but running everything in a VM seems completely illogical. You can get the same PC hardware for cheaper as well and many new PCs look very good, the boring beige boxes are gone.
well maybe its the auto thing: Some just prefer a mini cooper over an equal priced BMW. Maybe the mini cooper makes them feel more unique/special, wanting to be part of the minority...or corporate marketing really works in that some fall into the trap believing the round edges, the aluminum shell, the Apple logo, the "designed in Cuppertino" makes them feel elevated, awakes the feel of being a bit of a designer/artist/non-crowd. Certainly is the Spotify or Webbrowser experience not better on a mac than a PC. But let's hear what those have to say who prefer to run Windows via VM on a mac...
Haha guys, I am completely anti status-symbol/drive a BMW to feel special, or any of that shit. In fact, I absolutely agree buying a Mac just to run a Windows VM on it would be ridiculous. I'm not recommending that. I'm recommending that for people who want a dual purpose machine (email, browsing, terminal, potentially other stuff) along with trading that a Mac makes a decent setup when using a Windows VM due to the variety of trading stuff that's focused on Windows. I already have a Windows box - complete with the keyboard/monitor switching box etc. such that I can flip inputs on my Dell 30". I use it for photographic editing mainly (which is a bit backwards from how most would do things - but I'm already settled into it). I don't use it for trading though - even though I perfectly could. I just prefer the flip-back and forth workflow I have with my current laptop which I use for non-trading stuff as well.
I have a full and deep experience with Windows all the way back to Windows 3.1, beta copies of Chicago (95), etc. all that jazz. First computer was a 386sx/16, I've been there done that countless times. I've probably spent more time with Windows than I have with MacOS. That being said, I need to get shit done - and Mail, Safari, various workflow stuff present on MacOS allows me to do that relatively solidly. Most importantly to me though is that I'm a heavy terminal user and it's quite natural on a Mac - although I obviously use Putty and Cygwin on a Windows box as well. Having a native Unix OS w/ a reasonable GUI on top of it is valuable to me. The ability to run a fullscreen VM and flip back and forth to it via ctrl-left/right is valuable to me.
I use this laptop for a lot of stuff and it's the best laptop I've ever owned hands down. That being said I am not a full blown Apple fanboi or any of that - in fact I'm quite critical of plenty of stuff and tend to be a late adopter who despises much of the hype. You may think I'm into a bunch of aluminum and backlit logos but you couldn't be further from the truth. At this point I just want shit that works for my day to day workflow with the ability to run Windows in a separate VM when needed. Thankfully I have that setup.
I have a full and deep experience with Windows all the way back to Windows 3.1, beta copies of Chicago (95), etc. all that jazz. First computer was a 386sx/16, I've been there done that countless times. I've probably spent more time with Windows than I have with MacOS. That being said, I need to get shit done - and Mail, Safari, various workflow stuff present on MacOS allows me to do that relatively solidly. Most importantly to me though is that I'm a heavy terminal user and it's quite natural on a Mac - although I obviously use Putty and Cygwin on a Windows box as well. Having a native Unix OS w/ a reasonable GUI on top of it is valuable to me. The ability to run a fullscreen VM and flip back and forth to it via ctrl-left/right is valuable to me.
I use this laptop for a lot of stuff and it's the best laptop I've ever owned hands down. That being said I am not a full blown Apple fanboi or any of that - in fact I'm quite critical of plenty of stuff and tend to be a late adopter who despises much of the hype. You may think I'm into a bunch of aluminum and backlit logos but you couldn't be further from the truth. At this point I just want shit that works for my day to day workflow with the ability to run Windows in a separate VM when needed. Thankfully I have that setup.
While I appreciate you sharing your thoughts I cannot follow the aruments made:
* why is a mac a decent setup for browsing and email and movies or what have you more so than a Windows machine? I do not follow
* Terminal stuff? What terminal stuff? You have powershell on Windows, you can run scripts , macros heck you can configure and run the whole machine out of powershell. Not sure what you are exactly referring to here where a mac outshines a windows machine.
* "get shit done...mail Safari...". Seriously? Cannot get shit done with Gmail or outlook or 200 other clients in Windows? And browsing in Safari is a way better experience than Google Chrome? I just do not follow
I just do not comprehend how switching back and forth is better than running all the tasks you described in one place. Not sure how flipping in and out of a VM is more valuable to you than not flipping in and out.
* why is a mac a decent setup for browsing and email and movies or what have you more so than a Windows machine? I do not follow
* Terminal stuff? What terminal stuff? You have powershell on Windows, you can run scripts , macros heck you can configure and run the whole machine out of powershell. Not sure what you are exactly referring to here where a mac outshines a windows machine.
* "get shit done...mail Safari...". Seriously? Cannot get shit done with Gmail or outlook or 200 other clients in Windows? And browsing in Safari is a way better experience than Google Chrome? I just do not follow
I just do not comprehend how switching back and forth is better than running all the tasks you described in one place. Not sure how flipping in and out of a VM is more valuable to you than not flipping in and out.
Normally I don't comment but in this case I will.
I have been using a "hackintosh" that I initially built to run Windows. I'm running TradeStation on a Parallels Windows 7 WM and it handily outperforms the same system running Windows. I have no idea why...
I had similar experiences running TradeStation on a Parallels Windows 7 WM on a MacBook Air. Again, I don't know why but the system is more stable and responsive. If you already own a Mac and want to run Windows based trading software, it may be worth trying it out to see for yourself if it is acceptable fast and stable.
Best,
Alex
I have been using a "hackintosh" that I initially built to run Windows. I'm running TradeStation on a Parallels Windows 7 WM and it handily outperforms the same system running Windows. I have no idea why...
I had similar experiences running TradeStation on a Parallels Windows 7 WM on a MacBook Air. Again, I don't know why but the system is more stable and responsive. If you already own a Mac and want to run Windows based trading software, it may be worth trying it out to see for yourself if it is acceptable fast and stable.
Best,
Alex
For what it's worth, in my case I could easily read a 30" 4k from 24".
My favorite font for coding, regardless of screen size, is the classic "X Windows" 9x15, and I use a 15-inch laptop with 3840x2160 resolution and can read it reasonably well from two feet away (with that font, that is 117 vertical lines of text). So your assertion that "Anything below a 4k display makes very little to no sense" is incorrect, at least in my case. I should note that I am nearsighted and that my (corrected) distance vision is 20/10, so that may play a role.
My favorite font for coding, regardless of screen size, is the classic "X Windows" 9x15, and I use a 15-inch laptop with 3840x2160 resolution and can read it reasonably well from two feet away (with that font, that is 117 vertical lines of text). So your assertion that "Anything below a 4k display makes very little to no sense" is incorrect, at least in my case. I should note that I am nearsighted and that my (corrected) distance vision is 20/10, so that may play a role.