Computers and Trading

People often ask advice on what laptop/desktop to purchase as they are keen to begin trading with all the correct, necessary tools of the trade at their disposal.

For Swing Trading an up to date laptop with good Internet connection and memory is sufficient.

For Day Trading we would suggest a good Desktop computer with 2 large monitors with robust Internet connection are sufficient

If people want to trade but do not have the necessary basic computer skills we would suggest a short course at a college would assist them – some of these are provided free.

If you purchase a new laptop before attending a course, please take time getting to grips with the basics of the machine as we cannot guarantee to provide 1-2-1 PC support and ensure that any protocol settings will not prevent you downloading our free indicator files.

Essential Affiliate Advice – Computer essentials

• A basic working knowledge of computers is required to trade. We do teach all students how to work their brokerages and charting platforms on the course and there are practical exercises also that embed this knowledge too.
• It is absolutely essential to have good Internet connection as your trading platforms will require this. This is also important so that you can download and watch the support videos on our site and learn to trade effectively.
• Although not absolutely essential, it is always wise for those embarking on a career in trading to have a fairly up to date laptop for swing trading and a good desktop with at least 2 large monitors for day trading and a robust Internet connection as the charting platforms can be quite bandwidth hungry.
• Visit our IT FAQ for further information. Under General on the home page http://www.tradingcollege.co.uk/public/department64.cfm
• For those who wish to use Macs – there is additional software (see link below) that will need to be purchased if they wish to download and use TradeStation software which works with normal windows based PCs. http://www.ehow.com/how_4966075_use-tradestation-mac.html
• Some professional day trader's keep a spare laptop just in case, as faulty laptops can add up to lost opportunities and a diminished profit.
• Ensure you regularly back up your files/charting workstations on your computer as well as on an external device such as a USB stick.
• If at all possible keep a separate computer JUST FOR trading to reduce virus threats, bandwidth restrictions (gaming, downloading music etc). This will help you to keep focused with your trading and cut down any interruptions through inefficient workings or downtime if other work or repairs are required to keep it up to an optimum efficiency when trading.