Why Trading On Your Old Laptop Is A Bad Idea

Technology enhancements move almost as fast as the trading markets. Well maybe not quite as fast, but more often than not it seems like tech changes in the blink of an eye. For instance, Windows XP has now been on the market for 13 years. This is an eternity in the tech world. This says a lot for the reputation of the software, but that long of a life is not a good thing. This doesn’t mean it is still the most reliable choice for your trading computer. This is, in fact, the furthest from the truth. This allows us to see that technology has a shelf life. The components in Laptops only last so long. Over time they are not able to keep up with the new advancements in technology. New machines are now outperforming them.

This should be telling you that your old Laptop is not the best machine to be trading on. As a stock trader, you need to be able to keep up with real time information and data. A processor that is 13 years old is never going to be able to keep up with this pace of information. Think about it this way. Intel’s processors from 5 years ago are 191% slower than the processors that are on the market now. Those traders that have newer technology have a high advantage over those that don’t invest in a new Laptop trading computer. There is a lot on the line when you using this outdated technology. 

 

What does it mean to have this type of advantage as a Trader? Money. This might seem like a straightforward answer. This is just the fact of the trading world. Thousands of traders work from their home offices. This leaves the question of what really gives the best traders an advantage. There are a few things that come to mind. There are clear advantages in having a great knowledge base, lots of experience, and good technology. 

 

The average life span of any computer is three to five years. If you are trading a computer that is old than this, you need to change your set up today. You might be tempted to Frankenstein your machine and just upgrade certain pieces of hardware. This seems like a good idea on the surface, but upon further research you will find that it is a bad idea. The reason for this is that a Laptop trading computer is a chain of hardware that is tested and composed of pieces that work incredibly well together. The best stock trading computer is not just composed of random pieces of hardware installed in one case. It is composed of the best pieces that work well together.