A Guide To The E-Trading

A Guide to the
E-Traders Workstation
How to select a
TRADING MACHINE the RIGHTWAY
This is a typical 4 monitor trading system

as used by Robert Deel CEO of Tradingschool.com
By Baron Robertson www.elitetrader.com/ Jack Hall www.rightway.com
Check our website WWW.RIGHTWAY.COM for updates of this guide.
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info@rightway.com www.rightway.com
A Guide to the
E-Traders Workstation
How to select a
TRADING MACHINE the RIGHTWAY
By Baron Robertson / Jack Hall (Rightway Computer Training & Consulting)
Check our website WWW.RIGHTWAY.COM for updates of this guide.
There are so many terms, technologies, and buzzwords when it comes to computer
hardware that it's hard to know where to start, let alone decide which features are most
important. The main purpose of this guide is to educate you about the various hardware
technologies from a trader's point of view. I'll provide detailed information on the
system components that are important to the professional trader, while minimizing the
use of technical jargon that would only be understood by the most savvy computer geek.
Whether you realize it or not, a commitment to full-time trading also requires a
commitment to invest in the best hardware, software and training that you can get your
hands on. With average daily volumes at the NYSE and NASDAQ increasing each year,
these virtual arenas have more players competing against each other than ever before.
You can't expect to be a competitive participant in today's marketplace by using an
unreliable machine with inadequate screen space and a slow Internet connection.
Throughout this guide, we will use the term "workstation" often. This term describes a
class of high-end computers that are configured to perform a specific set of tasks very
well. As you attempt to find your next computer for trading, you should be looking for a
workstation-class machine, not a generic low-end PC that anyone with a few hundred
dollars could get from a local electronics store. A serious trader must approach the
acquisition of a trading workstation in the same educated manner that a dentist,
surgeon, or other hands-on professional would approach the purchase of their specialized
tools and equipment. This requires a fundamental understanding of the different types of
computer hardware, ranging from processors and memory to monitors and backup power
supplies.
Copyright & Trademarks Copyright 2002 by Rightway Inc.. All rights reserved. Information in this document is subject to change
without notice. Trademarked names appear throughout this guide. Rather than list the names and entities that own the trademarks or insert a
trademark symbol with each mention of the trademark name, Rightway states that it is using the names for editorial purposes and to the
benefit of the trademark owner with no intention of infringing upon the trademark.
Errors and Omissions Disclaimer Rightway Computer Training Centers, Inc. has taken every effort to insure the accuracy of this manual.
If you should discover any discrepancies, please notify us immediately. Rightway maintains no liability for any errors or inaccuracies; this
guide is for informational purposes only. Please forward any comments or suggestions to info@rightway.com about this guide. HAPPY
TRADING

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What is a Trading Workstation?

And why do I need one
A trading workstation should be looked upon as a tool for the E-Trader. Most
professional tradesmen or specialists in almost any occupation have their specialty tools
which are essential to their work and success. These tools of the trade must be properly
maintained and secured as they are relied upon for the livelihood of the user. As an ETrader your primary tool is the workstation. It provides you with access to the markets,
performs analysis of potential trades, and is the conduit for executing trades. Because
your workstation is your door to successful trading some special considerations should be
made. First of all, this should not be the family's computer. As more people use the
machine for their needs, many problems can begin to occur. Games or other software
can create conflicts with your trading software, making it unreliable. Your data and
private financial information can be compromised, and the chances for a damaging virus
to be introduced are greatly increased. Some traders even use a second computer for
their general purpose computing and e-mail to provide an additional level of protection
for their trading workstation. The recommended configuration for a trading workstation
includes devices that provide an extra level of redundancy to protect your valuable data
and to keep you trading. First of all, you must have a reliable operating system. We
recommend Windows 2000 Professional as it is a mature product. Most compatibility
issues with both software and hardware have been resolved and it is extremely stable
with few surprises. Windows XP Professional is proving to be a quality product, but it still
is relatively new. Not all issues with software compatibility and hardware drivers have
been resolved. Another issue is that most trading and financial software vendors are not
officially supporting or guaranteeing compatibility with XP Professional as of yet. I will
add that we have delivered many systems with XP Professional and have not
encountered any issues that we have not been able to resolve. So, if you are willing to
work through any quirks that may be encountered with Windows XP Professional might
be the choice for you.
You must use quality components and purchase as much computing power and display
space as your budget allows. Rightway's recommended configuration includes two
identical hard drives; one is to be used for imaging the main hard drive for backup
purposes, a CD writer also for backing up your system and storing the backup copies off
site. A video card that will support up to four monitors with either an analog or DVI
output for both CRT or LCD Monitors along with a television tuner which allows you to
have windows on your screen with a television display of your favorite news or financial
channel to keep you abreast of breaking news while trading. I install supplemental
cooling fans in the system case and recommend using a UPS to provide emergency
power to keep your system running in the event of a power failure. Nothing would be
worse than to lose power that would prevent you from completing a trade. I always
include a Fax Modem even though your internet connection is via a broadband service to
allow you to connect via a dialup service in case your broadband connection goes down.
There are also other components we recommend, although not essential, they are nice to
have. A wireless keyboard and mouse, a router/firewall this will provide you with a
simple network allowing you to share your internet service between computers in your
house and to share printers, files etc. I like upgrading the CD ROM to a DVD ROM, not
only is it compatible with all CD's but it gives you the ability of reading software that is
supplied in the DVD format. You can even watch DVD movies on your computer although
you shouldn't expect it to replace your home theatre. Although, all systems come with a
sound card you may upgrade to a high end sound card that will give you many enhanced
features that audiophiles and musicians enjoy.
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Why use multiple monitors instead of just one large one?
Each monitor substantially increases the amount of Windows desktop space available to
you allowing you to have multiple windows open to track and chart your securities and
run multiple applications simultaneously.
Custom VS National Brand Systems

As competition among mainstream computer makers increases each year, the prices of
desktop computers continue to decline. The problem is that the overall quality of PCs is
declining as well. The machines that you see in your average Best Buy or Circuit City
these days are smaller, more tightly integrated, and less upgradeable than ever before.
If you're not familiar with computer terminology, it's very easy to get coerced into buying
a machine that isn't exactly what you need. Often times a trader purchases a system
with the thought of upgrading to a multi-monitor configuration. Consider your uses
before buying often the preconfigured national brands are not compatible with the multimonitor video cards available because of their proprietary circuitry plus the warranty may
be voided by altering the system hardware. And finally you may be purchasing features
that do not apply to the task you need the workstation to perform and not getting the
features you need to trade effectively.
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A Tutorial for Traders

We are going to start with an overview of the core components of a computer. We will
discuss which operating system and components are best suited for trading purposes.
We will discuss the key components and subsystems including the features and elements
that are of specific interest to you the trader. In this document we hope to help you
learn about display technologies like monitor types and video cards. We will also be
going over the important, but easily overlooked subject of backup power supplies along
with various other subsystems that will be important to in your system selection. And of
course, no discussion on trading workstations would be complete without a look at the
various types of Internet connections. For those of you who do not find all the answers
here we will provide you with helpful links to quality websites who we have found to
provide additional and more detailed information to help you make your decision on your
custom workstation the RIGHTWAY
Whether you decide to have your workstation custom built or buy a system from a
manufacturer like Dell, HP, or IBM, this guide will give you a solid foundation of
knowledge so you can make confident, wise decisions.
Core Components
Case Size
The easiest trap to fall into is buying a computer with a case that is too small. Generally
speaking, machines that have small cases are low-end machines designed for budgetconscious consumers and businesses that have space considerations. These PCs typically
have most of their components built right into the motherboard itself, which reduces
costs but also reduces the possibility for internal component upgrades later on. One of
the primary reasons you need a computer that has a large case is to have room for
optional accessories and good air circulation for cooling. You may want to run several
monitors at once, which could require the use of several video cards, or preferably, the
use of a high-performance multi-monitor video card. Some full length multi-monitor
video cards are 12" long. Many of the slim desktop, small form factor, and micro ATX
enclosures simply do not have room for expansion
they may also have undersized
power supplies. We recommend a mid tower case or larger with at least a 300 watt
power supply and a supplemental cooling fan for power hungry Pentium 4's.
This is a quality case and is available in various colors.

Standard ATX form factor with a 350 Watt PS.
4 open 5.25 Drive bays
2 open 3.5 Drive bays
Dimensions: 17" (H) x 7.75" (W) x 19" (D)
2 Additional cooling fans are included

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CPU
You can also identify a entry-level PC by looking at what processor it has. Computers that
sport an Intel Celeron or AMD K6/Duron processor are underpowered for the demands a
serious trader puts on a machine. Buying a system configured with any of these low-end
processors virtually guarantees that your machine will leave you disappointed and
frustrated with the performance when multi-tasking. Just remember, the only thing that
becomes worthless faster than produce at the grocery store is computer equipment. Ok,
I'm exaggerating a little bit, but you get the point. The Intel Pentium IV and the
increasingly popular AMD Athlon are the best processors to go with. The Pentium IV is
the fastest chip Intel currently offers with speeds up to 2.80 GHz.
Intel has clearly
stated that the new micro-architecture of the Pentium IV is what the company will be
betting its future on for the next several years, so buying a Pentium IV today with a
motherboard with a 533Mhz bus means you'll be able to upgrade to even greater speeds
if you wish to do so later on. You may find it tempting to go with a multi-processor
system instead of putting all of the workload on a single CPU. A multi-processor machine
doesn't make sense for most traders and can be a poor investment for a couple of
reasons. First of all, a quality dual processor machine can be expensive. This CPU has
been designed with large amounts of cache memory and specialized features in order to
communicate efficiently with additional system processors. Xeon processors can easily
cost several times as much as a standard Pentium IV chip of like speed. Motherboards
that accept multiple processors can be high-dollar items as well. There are other areas
where your money can be put to better use such as better or larger displays, a faster
CPU, or more memory. Although it's true that two or more linked processors can
outperform a single processor system, these gains can only be realized when using
specially tuned, multithreaded applications designed to take advantage of the
multiprocessor design.
The second and even bigger reason why I don't like multi-processor boxes is because
they are a waste of money if the software applications you use don't support a multiprocessor system. You will find that most popular financial and trading applications are
not multithreaded. Multithreading is a programming technique used by developers to
break an application's processes into separate threads. Once separated, the threads can
be evenly distributed amongst multiple processors to be worked on simultaneously. After
talking with several software companies that design trading applications exclusively, I
learned that current trading platforms are not multithreaded.
Although several
companies are currently working on this problem, a fully multithreaded trading platform
for dual and quad processor machines is not due out for some time. Unless you know for
a fact that the applications you will be using are multithreaded, buying a system with
more than one processor can be an expensive mistake. You should check with your
application vendor and ask if it is a multithreaded application.

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Multithreading is a programming technique used by developers to break an application's

processes into separate threads. Once separated, the threads can be evenly distributed
amongst multiple processors to be worked on simultaneously. After talking with several
software companies that design trading applications exclusively, I learned that current
trading platforms are not multithreaded. Although several companies are currently
working on this problem, a fully multithreaded trading platform for dual and quad
processor machines is not due out for some time. Unless you know for a fact that the
applications you will be using are multithreaded, buying a system with more than one
processor can be an expensive mistake. Your dollars would be better spent on other
options. Quality high speed memory and a lot of it will provide you with a better
performance boost than multiprocessors currently provide.
A standard Pentium IV 1.8 GHz processor or faster if your budget allows is a good choice
when building a 4 monitor system. Many traders have asked about the suitability of the
AMD Athlon for a trading workstation. Typically we build systems with the Intel
Processor as this is the CPU our system components have been tested with but the AMD
Athlon-based system is also a solid performer.
We are not aware of reports of
performance or compatibility problems with the devices we use from other traders. If
you are on a tight budget you can obtain comparable performance with the AMD CPU for
less money. To learn more about processors you can use these helpful links to both Intel
and AMD's web sites:
http://intel.com/products/desk_lap/processors/desktop/pentium4/index.htm?iid=Homep
age+SpotBot_text_020923&
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_1274,00.html
CPU QUICK NOTES

Be sure to select a P-4 CPU with a 512 K L-2 Cache (1.8 or higher) and if possible the
new 533 MHz Bus speed found on the 2.26 GHz or higher. Both of these new features
will enhance the CPU's performance especially the larger L-2 Cache memory this is
memory built into the CPU and it feeds the data to be processed to the CPU a large
Cache means the CPU doesn't waste time waiting for data to process its waiting in line
for the next processing cycle, Previous P-4 CPU had only 256 L-2 Cache and therefore
could not keep up with the CPU wasting processing cycles. The 533 bus speed vs. the
older 400 MHz bus speed refers to the data rate passing from the CPU to Memory and
Back therefore faster bus speed + faster overall performance. To see a comparison
between the AMD and Intel CPU's you can go to this website (nerd stuff)
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_756_3734^3759,00.html

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Motherboard
ASUS P4B/533
Since this isn't really a guide to building your own computer, there's no point in me going
through all the arcane features of motherboards. So here are the basics. The
motherboard is the most important component of your computer. Every other
component, at some point, connects to the motherboard. Also, the motherboard dictates
which components that will work with your computer now and potential upgrades later.
Want to upgrade your machine's memory? You first have to check to see how much what
type of memory your motherboard will support. Want that new faster CPU? If so, your
motherboard better support it. You should always purchase a motherboard that supports
the latest system architectures or you may find yourself having to replace it down the
road to support the upgrade of another system component. A decent motherboard
should have at least 4 PCI slots, 1 AGP slot, and support for 1 GB or more of system
memory and support the latest chipsets. PCI and AGP slots will be covered in more
detail when we get to the section on video cards. The motherboard we typically use for
our trading systems is the ASUS P4B/533 this motherboard should accommodate a
processor upgrade as faster Pentium 4 processors are released.

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Memory
Rambus RAM
DDR RAM
The most common mistake that traders make when purchasing a new machine is getting
one without enough memory installed. When your system memory runs out, your hard
drive must be used to simulate the needed RAM Memory the Hard Drive is mechanical
storage therefore it is many times slower than RAM which is electronic storage. This
slows system performance down dramatically since adding or deleting data from a
mechanical hard drive takes much more time than using RAM for the same purpose.
Operating a computer with an inadequate amount of memory for extended periods of
time can also cause a system crash or hard drive failure. As a general guideline, you
should install at least 192 MB of memory for every monitor you will be using. For
example, if you were building a four-monitor workstation, you would need to install 768
MB (4 x 192) of memory. This would be enough for your system to handle any peaks in
memory demand without having to use the hard drive unnecessarily. There are many
types of memory available, so it's really easy to buy the wrong type if you're not careful.
Pentium III systems use PC100 or PC133 SDRAM, while the Pentium 4 systems can use
the newer RDRAM (Rambus) modules or the DDR SDRAM. Athlon systems can use
PC100, PC133, SDRAM or possibly even DDR SDRAM - which is a newer memory type
recently introduced with bus speeds of 266 MHz and 333 MHz. The exact type of
memory you need is really dictated by the motherboard and processor installed in your
system. The easiest way to buy memory is to use the online memory selector at
Crucial.com <http://www.qksrv.net/click-861102-5032657>
. This handy service shows you which types and sizes of memory are available for your
specific machine after you specify the brand and model of your computer. If you have a
custom built computer, you can enter your motherboard model to achieve the same
results

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Hard Drive
There are two primary categories of hard drives: IDE and SCSI.
Within those categories there are more abbreviations, synonyms,
and interfaces than you can shake a stick at. A detailed overview of
these terms is way beyond the scope of this article so I have no
intention of going any further than the giving you an executive
summary.
In a nutshell, IDE hard drives are mainstream products that are
standard equipment in just about every desktop computer on the
planet. SCSI drives are faster, more expensive drives that are usually found in servers
and workstation-class machines. A separate controller is needed for SCSI devices
whereas IDE drives have their controllers built in. The necessity for an external disk
controller is the main reason why SCSI configurations are twice as expensive as their IDE
counterparts.
As you investigate hard drives a little closer, you will probably see many of them listed as
being ATA, UDMA, or EIDE. There's no point in really knowing the details of these terms.
The important thing to remember is that they all describe the same general type of drive,
which is IDE. When building workstations we recommend 40 to 80 gigabyte UDMA 100
drives with a 7200 RPM rotation speed for fast data transfers. Drives of over 120
gigabytes are available now
Having used SCSI hardware daily for several years, I can tell you from experience that
SCSI hard drives will not bring a lot to the table in terms of real-world benefits. The fast
speed of SCSI drives can be seen most easily when huge files are being read into
memory or written to the disk surface. Real-time trading applications do not need to
work with large files, so the speed advantages of SCSI are barely noticeable. I
recommend you stick with IDE drives. Again this is an area where you will get the most
bang for your buck by adding a second identical drive strictly for image backups of your
system drive. Two Identical IDE Hard Drives will be less money than 1 SCSI drive of
lesser capacity.
Operating System
One of the most important decisions you will need to make when buying or building a
trading workstation is what operating system you will use. One system crash can lock
you out of the markets long enough to wipe out several weeks, or even months, worth of
profit. If you want to run a successful trading business without constantly dealing with
lock-ups, memory leaks, and "blue screens of death", you need an operating system that
will stay up and running for extended periods of time. The newest operating system is
not always the best choice as typically there are the inevitable bugs and errors that need
to be resolved before a new release is reliable and stable. I prefer an OS that has had
time to mature if possible. Listed below (in order of importance) are three qualities of an
operating system that traders need to be concerned with:
1. Compatibility
2. Reliability
3. Speed

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What we're going to do in this section is apply these qualities to the various operating
systems out there to logically conclude which one is the best choice for serious traders. I
realize this isn't the most scientific method in the world but I think it will get my point
across in a way that makes some sense to you.
Compatibility
The first thing to look for in an operating system is how compatible it is with the
programs you will be using. You can have the most reliable operating system in the
world but if there aren't any trading applications available for that platform, you basically
have a worthless machine. Historically, the most reliable operating systems have been
the various flavors of UNIX. Vendors such Compaq, Sun, HP, and IBM have their own
versions of UNIX that mission-critical enterprises have been using for decades. UNIX
variations like FreeBSD, and Linux -- the increasingly popular open-source operating
system, are also regarded to be very reliable. But since there aren't any point-and-click
trading packages available for any of these platforms, we have to turn our heads and
keep looking for a better solution.
The next operating system to scrutinize is the Macintosh OS from Apple. Supporters
have always praised the Mac operating system for its ease of use and intuitive features.
Apple recently released a new version of their operating system called "OS X", which is
basically a UNIX system with a highly customizable graphical interface on top. Although
this operating system is claimed to be the most reliable and feature-rich environment
that Apple has ever produced, there are few if any decent trading platforms available
that will work with it. And this problem in not exclusive to OS X; trading software is
scarce for the older versions of the Mac OS as well.
There are a few software emulators on the market that allow a Mac to run programs
designed for other operating systems, but the feedback I've received from traders has
not been good. The general consensus is that the emulation software slows the
performance of applications down dramatically, which is definitely something you want to
avoid when trading in real time. Simply put, do not buy or build a machine with a
Macintosh operating system for trading!
With the exception of some relatively unknown operating systems, the only one that
remains is Windows from Microsoft. With 98% of the world's computer users running
some version of Windows, Microsoft is the undisputed king of the desktop operating
system. If you want to have a broad choice of trading software and services, then either
Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional is the platform of choice, hands
down. Although this conclusion may seem obvious, we get questions from new traders
on a regular basis regarding trading software for alternative operating systems,
especially the Mac.
Reliability
Since the compatibility filter has already eliminated all of the operating systems except
Windows, we now have to figure out which version of Windows in the most reliable.
Windows 95, NT 3.51, and older versions are not even being considered since Microsoft is
trying to get everybody upgraded to newer versions as quickly as possible. This is a
good thing, considering that Windows 95 has the worst memory leaks of any mainstream
OS I have ever used. That leaves us with three to choose from: Windows 98SE,
Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional.

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Microsoft recently commissioned ZD Labs to compare the reliability of Windows 2000

Professional with that of Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) and Windows NT Workstation
4.0 with Service Pack 6a (SP6a). In the absence of a standard desktop reliability
benchmark, ZD Labs created a custom stress test and ran it on each operating system
for thirty consecutive days around the clock, or ninety eight-hour workdays. The results
of this test are shown below:
I would summarize these results myself but I think ZDLabs' summary speaks for itself:
"While the experiences of individual users may vary from our test results, the reliability of Windows
2000 Professional was outstanding. It performed continuously and flawlessly for more than ninety
business workdays without a single failure. Not only did it not encounter any problems during this
extended period of testing, but also the amount of work done was considerably more than that of a
typical user.
Although testing with different applications might show different results, based on our testing we
conclude that the reliability of Windows 2000 Professional far exceeds that of Windows 98 SE and
Windows NT Workstation 4.0."
Although Windows ME was not included in this test, the general consensus among the
experts I've consulted with is that Windows Me is a real disappointment. Although
Microsoft's marketing machine wanted you to think that ME is an upgrade to Windows
98, Windows ME is, as one expert phrased it, "more prone to the blue screen of death
and other annoying crashes". Another professional user said, "My systems were actually
less stable with ME than they were with Windows 98SE". And a major Windows
magazine summed up their opinion of ME's reliability by saying, "Opting for Windows ME
is a mistake in any situation". Now, I don't know about you, but that sounds like an
operating system worth avoiding to me, especially for trading purposes.

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When it comes to reliability, Windows 2000 Professional is the clear winner. But since
reliability isn't the only quality to look for, let's advance the two most reliable performers
in this category to the final stage of our search for the best operating system. Windows
XP Professional is still a relatively new product but in early testing seems to be as stable
as Windows 2000 Professional. For more detailed information go to this web site to read
the performance reviews by Ziff Davis on Windows XP.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,5766,00.asp.
Our only concern with using Windows XP on your trading machine is that it is not yet a
mature product and inconsistencies, incompatibilities, and bugs are just now getting
resolved. You should review the features of both Windows 2000 and XP and weigh
Windows 2000s stability and maturity against the new cool features of Windows XP
before you decide.
Speed
There is no debate as to whether speed is an important issue for day traders. Lagging
system performance is clearly something to avoid as it can cause poor executions,
missed opportunities, delayed data and unnecessary losses. Although disk capacity,
memory amount, and other external factors can cause an operating system to slow down
in a real-world environment, these things can be made equal in a testing lab to
determine how one operating system stacks up against another.
Conclusion
Well, I think the choice is pretty clear. With broad compatibility, rock-solid reliability,
and great speed, Windows 2000 Professional is probably the most stable operating
system for traders. Windows XP is close behind and improving all the time if you want
the features XP offers, give it a try, just expect some growing pains.
For more information about upgrading to Windows 2000,
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/default.asp
Or Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/
Screen Space
Screen space is the most important thing to consider when setting up a trading
workstation because it directly affects your ability to quickly find and process the
information you need to make fast decisions. Many traders try to use one large monitor
running at a very high resolution in an effort to get the maximum amount of data onto
the screen. This solution requires buying a heavy 21" monitor and running it at a high
resolution that can often make small text difficult to read.

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A single large monitor does not solve the problem of being able to use multiple
applications efficiently. The user interface of applications is designed according to the
4:3 height-to-width aspect ratio of monitors. That's why a lot of display space is wasted
when multiple applications are used on one large monitor. This problem is especially
applicable to traders because they typically need to run trading software and another
application such as a web browser simultaneously. The illustration below shows two 15"
monitors compared to a single 21" monitor. Although the two 15" monitors offer the
same number of square inches of screen real estate as the 21" monitor does, the smaller
monitors provide a much better use of available space.
Trading with a single monitor is like guarding a prison from a guard tower that only has
one window. You can't keep your eye on all the things you need to see when your view
is limited to one area. To be an effective guard, you need a tower with several windows
so you can watch multiple areas of the prison campus at once. Traders use their
computers very much like a window to the markets.
In information-intensive
environments like stock trading, you need to see news, quotes, and charts as quickly as
possible. Trying to view all this activity on one monitor again is like trying to be the
guard in a one-window guard tower. With multiple monitors you can open and view
more application windows simultaneously, thereby becoming a more effective and
efficient trader.
Multiple monitors also offer more display space at a lower cost. While larger monitors
have become more appealing to users in information-packed markets such as computeraided design, 3D animation, and other fields of digital content creation, the increase in
demand has not lowered the cost. Bigger monitors cost more money. As a matter of
fact, monitor costs increase disproportionately with size. Generally speaking, a 100
percent price increase will buy only a 50 percent size increase.
Multiple monitors offer the added benefit of safety through redundancy. If you're trading
using a single monitor and a problem with it arises, your view of the market could be
abruptly halted. This would be a serious problem if you had open positions in a fastmoving market. With multiple monitors, even if one has a problem, you can continue to
trade using the other(s). In the next two lessons, we'll look at the display technologies
that are required to build a reliable multi-monitor setup using a single computer.

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Video Card
A video card is a computer component that is responsible for
sending all outgoing information to a monitor. When you plug in
a monitor cable into the back of a new computer, you are actually
connecting the cable to a video card that was originally installed
in the machine during assembly.
Aside from dedicating a computer to each monitor, there are two
ways to implement the use of multiple monitors. The first
method is to install multiple video cards in a single machine. This
is the cheapest route to take but it has several drawbacks. The
biggest problem is that there is no standard configuration that will work for everybody.
Adding a second video card is not supported in Windows 95 or Windows NT so this option
doesn't even exist for these users. Windows 98/ME/2000 users do have this capability,
but each of these operating systems has different requirements regarding which video
cards are acceptable. That means you could install multiple cards in a Windows 98
machine, and upon upgrading the operating system to Windows 2000, you may have to
purchase new video cards because of incompatibility issues.
The success of a multi-card installation is also dependent upon the hardware
configuration of the computer being used. Instead of using a third party video card, some
of the lower end machines have their video capabilities built right into the motherboard.
Adding a new video card to these machines can be difficult or impossible. I have seen
instances where two identical computers had completely different results when adding
the exact same video cards to each system simply because the two machines had slightly
different BIOS versions.
What I'm trying to convey is that there are many variables involved when trying to
successfully install multiple video cards in a single machine. Unless you have some
expertise in hardware installation and troubleshooting, you may find that the hassle
involved with this method far outweighs the cost savings.
Another big problem with multi-card installations is that nobody wants to support them.
Microsoft doesn't want to support them because most of the problems are related to
hardware issues. The video card manufacturers keep their distance because they never
guaranteed that their cards would work in a multi-card installation in the first place. And
finally, the computer manufacturers don't offer any support either because they don't like
supporting systems that are modified from their original configuration with third party
hardware. That leaves the end user with the trial and error process of experimenting
with various video cards and motherboards in the search of a solution that works
properly. Since there are thousands of possible hardware combinations, the task of
integrating several video cards into a single system can quickly become a nightmare.
Multi-card installations are limited to the number of available slots in your machine.
Since most computers only have two or three available card slots, this type of solution is
not very scalable. Traders that want to run four monitors or more should not even
consider this method.

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The best way to add multiple monitors to a single computer

system is to install a multi-monitor video card. This is a
special type of video card that has been designed from the
ground up to control more than one monitor. These cards
are typically available in either a 2-port version (shown to
the left) or a 4-port version, which allow you to control two,
or up to four monitors, respectively.
Although this solution is more expensive than using several
video cards at once, there are many advantages that
should be noted. A multi-monitor card can be installed in practically any computer in
existence, so it can be used by just about anyone. This broad compatibility includes
computers with Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000 as well as systems that use Macintosh,
Linux and UNIX operating systems. Multi-monitor video products come with specialized
software, full technical support and multi-year warranties, which provides some piece of
mind regarding performance, reliability and service life.
Most importantly, the
installation of a multi-monitor card does not require any computer hardware expertise, so
the process can be completed by just about anyone in less than 30 minutes.
No matter which solution you choose, a fundamental understanding of video card
terminology is useful for determining the best product for you. So let's take a moment to
quickly go over some common specifications and features.
Processor
A good video card has its own processor (often called a chipset) that calculates
everything related to graphics. This allows your computer's main processor to focus on
other tasks like running programs and performing calculations required by the operating
system. Most of the on-board processors on video cards today were originally designed
to render complicated 3D graphics. Trading software does not produce 3D graphics, and
therefore does not push the limits of any modern video card chipset.
Video Memory
When you start shopping for a video card, you will quickly see that the most advertised
feature is how much memory the card has. A common misconception about video
memory is that the more you have, the faster your system's video performance will be.
In reality, video memory only affects how many colors can be shown at higher
resolutions. A video card with 4 MB of memory can display over 16 million colors on a
monitor running at 1280 x 1024, which is about as high as most traders go. Today most
multi-monitor video cards have at least 4 MB per display and usually 8 MB or more of
video memory, so the whole memory issue is a moot point. The only time that I would
specifically recommend a video card with more than 8 MB of memory would be if a trader
told me that he also uses his system for graphically intensive tasks like video or image
editing at very high resolutions (1600 x 1200 or higher).

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Bus
You will see the terms "PCI" or "AGP" when
investigating video cards. These terms refer to the bus
type used by the video card and computer system. A
bus is simply a common set of wires that connect the
components of a computer system together. In order
for a video card with a PCI bus to be used, your
computer's motherboard must have a PCI slot that the
card can be physically installed in. Likewise, an AGP
slot is necessary for you to use a video card with an
AGP bus. Since the actual dimensions between AGP
and PCI slots are different, you can't install a PCI card
into an AGP slot, or vice versa. Your computer will
probably have multiple PCI slots and a single AGP slot,
similar to the one shown here. However, many
computers do not have an AGP slot at all so you
should inspect your motherboard before you even
consider buying a multi-monitor video card with an
AGP bus.
From a performance standpoint, AGP is considered to
be the faster interface. The problem is that practically
all of the performance gains of AGP can only be seen
when using 3D applications, so this technology is not of any real benefit to us as traders.
Unless you are using your computer for some serious 3D gaming, animation, or 3D
modeling, you will not see any measurable gains in video performance by going with an
AGP video card. The only true benefit of going with an AGP card is that the AGP slot in
your machine would become occupied, which effectively frees up a PCI slot for use by
another type of PCI card like a disk controller, sound card, Ethernet card, etc.

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Interface
The final feature to look for in a video card is whether it has analog or
digital outputs. Most video cards have analog outputs that can control all
traditional monitors and some LCD flat panels. However, we live in a world
that is swiftly moving from analog to digital technology, so many of the
newer video cards and monitors are now equipped with digital interfaces to
provide even better picture quality.
You can easily tell if a video card is digital or analog by inspecting its video
connector. Digital products use the new DVI connector, while older analog
equipment uses the standard VGA connector that we're all familiar with. The
DVI connector can come in two types, DVI-D and DVI-I. The DVI-D
connector is used strictly for digital transmission, so you can't use a
standard multi-monitor video card with VGA outputs to control digital
monitors with DVI-D inputs. The second type of DVI connector is the DVI-I
version, which can allow the flow of both digital and analog signals. Obviously, the DVI-I
connector is best since it allows a video card to be compatible with older analog monitors
as well as the new digital flat panels.
When a monitor or video card is called "digital", it doesn't necessarily mean that the
product has a DVI interface. There's another type of digital interface called "DFP", which
looks similar to a DVI connector but is actually quite different. There are several
limitations of the DFP standard that make it less suitable than DVI for the long term.
Consequently, the display industry is rapidly accepting DVI as the standard interface for
digital components. The reason why I'm bringing this up is because there are still some
display products out there with a DFP interface. You should avoid these and purchase
only the ones that are DVI-enabled.
At the end of the next lesson, I'll make some video card recommendations that should
help you figure out which one is best for your situation.
Monitors
Since most professional traders purchase more than one monitor for their trading desks,
the costs involved can be substantial. In fact, it's not uncommon for a trader to spend
more on monitors than he does on his computer, chair, and desk combined. As a general
rule, monitors should be large, crystal clear, and free of any defects or problems that
may cause them to become unreliable or difficult to read.
One thing to remember when investigating monitors is that they don't lose value as fast
as other computer system components. Advancements in display technology are still
being made, but the industry landscape doesn't change anywhere near as fast as
processor or memory technology. So don't be afraid to invest in the highest-quality
monitors you can afford, because it's likely that they will outlast your next two or three
computers.

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Before we dive into the details of monitor types and technologies, I want to encourage
you to not forget about the piece of furniture than your monitors will be sitting on -- your
trading desk. Many traders mistakenly buy several monitors for their desks before they
realize they simply don't have enough space to accommodate them.
Before you start shopping for a bigger display, get out your tape measure and see if you
need to buy a new desk first. While you're at it, keep in mind that large traditional
monitors are not only wider than smaller ones; they are also much deeper. If you find
that you need to purchase a desk, be sure to purchase one that has enough depth to
accommodate your monitors plus room for your keyboard or other accessories. The last
thing you want is to buy a shallow desk, only to discover later that your screens are way
too close to your face. As a rule of thumb, you should allow at least 18 inches between
your eyes and monitors screens to minimize the exposure to monitor radiation and the
possibility of eyestrain.
If you plan on purchasing several large monitors, don't underestimate how heavy they
are. I know of a trader who decided to add two additional 19" monitors to his existing
setup but he didn't have the desk space to accommodate them. So he went out to his
local department store and bought a $35 card table as a makeshift desk. Two days later,
the entire top caved in and both monitors ended up broken on the floor.
Models that are 17" and larger can weigh up to 60 pounds each, so be sure that your
desk has the quality physical construction that will be needed to support them.
Monitor Types: CRT vs. LCD

There are two primary types of monitors. The first is called a CRT, which stands for
Cathode Ray Tube. This is what most people refer to as a traditional or conventional
monitor. The second and most recent type is called an LCD, which stands for Liquid
Crystal Display. This type is often referred to as a "flat panel" because of its shallow
depth.
Each type of monitor has its advantages and disadvantages, so I want to give you a brief
overview of each. First, let's take a look at CRTs.
A CRT monitor operates very similarly to how your regular television set works. The
principle is based upon the use of an electronic screen called a cathode ray tube, hence
the abbreviation CRT. This is a mature technology that's been in use for decades.
If you go to your local computer store, you'll see that the glass screens on some CRT
monitors are slightly curved in both directions. This type of monitor uses a special tube
with curved metal mesh inside called a shadow mask. The major complaint with CRTs
that use shadow masks is that their curved glass panels seem to pull in reflections from
all directions, making visibility difficult under certain lighting conditions.

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To get around this problem, some manufacturers use a different type of tube, called an
aperture grill. You can tell which CRT monitors have an aperture grill because their glass
panels are flat, not curved. An aperture grill is made of ultra-fine metal strips that run
vertically from the top of the screen surface to the bottom. The benefit to using this
method is that the colors it produces are a little brighter and richer than shadow masks.
The problem with this technology is that thin metal strips don't have the same physical
stability as a metal sheet with holes in it (the shadow mask). This means that the metal
strips can tend to vibrate. To correct this problem, two or three thin stabilizing wires are
run horizontally across the inside of the screen. These eliminate any problems with the
metal strips moving around, but they cause an unfortunate side effect: the appearance of
very faint lines where the stabilizing wires are. They are most apparent when viewing a
full screen of information with a white background such as a web page or Microsoft Word
document.
Although most of the marketing buzz these days revolves around the flat CRT monitors, I
can tell you first hand that these monitors are more fluff than substance. Although the
colors are a little richer, those horizontal lines that I mentioned are really quite annoying.
Also, I have found that images and text tend to be a little distorted and fuzzy around the
edges of a flat screen CRT. And the bigger the monitor is, the more noticeable the
distortion is. From what I've been told, this is an optical problem that's a direct result of
making the glass flat.
From a price perspective, the flat CRTs tend to be more expensive than similar models
with shadow mask tubes. Although there is no doubt that both technologies have
attained success in the market place, think twice before buying a flat screen CRT, as the
few benefits are not justified by the price premiums they command.
There are two important features of all CRT monitors that you need to understand before
you decide on a specific model. The first is called refresh rate.
Refresh rate refers to the speed a screen is repainted or refreshed. The exact refresh rate
of a monitor has two components, the horizontal scan rate and the vertical scan rate. The
vertical scan rate, which indicates how many times per second that a screen is repainted
from top to bottom, is much more important because it is so much slower that its
horizontal sidekick.
As the vertical scan rate drops, you'll notice an annoying flicker beginning around 60Hz.
Flicker is something you want to avoid when using CRT monitors because it causes
eyestrain.
Symptoms of eyestrain typically include:
headaches, neck aches

blurred vision
soreness of the eyeball or eyelids

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The minimum standard for a flicker-free CRT display is 75Hz, but I recommend you crank
up the refresh rate to 85Hz, as there is a noticeable increase in screen quality at that
level. As you are shopping, the monitors you purchase should have a vertical scan rate
of at least 85Hz at the resolution(s) you plan to use. LCDs are fine at 60 Hz
Another important specification to consider is dot pitch, which refers to the size of the
smallest dot (pixel) your screen can display. Dot pitch is expressed as a fraction of a
millimeter, such as 0.24 mm or 0.30 mm. The smaller the dot pitch, the sharper and
more detailed the image. If you run across two monitors where one uses a .26 mm dot
pitch and the other a .31 mm dot pitch, you can usually feel pretty comfortable that the
first one is going to give you a better quality image. However, you must make sure that
the two monitors you are looking at are in the same category. In other words, don't
compare the dot pitch of a shadow mask CRT with the dot pitch of a flat screen CRT. And
you wouldn't compare the dot pitch of an LCD monitor with any type of CRT display. To
do so would be comparing apples to oranges, as the technologies involved with these
types of monitors are totally different.
Liquid Crystal Display Monitors, or LCDs, use two panels
of glass with a thin layer of liquid crystal solution
sandwiched between them. When a charge of current
passes through the layer of liquid crystals, they twist,
sort of like shutters, to prevent or allow light to pass
through. Unlike CRTs, there are no space-consuming
vacuum tubes or electron guns needed for LCDs to create
crisp, vibrant images. This yields a monitor that's about
1/6th as deep and 60% lighter than a conventional CRT display.
LCDs are also very efficient. If you were to compare the power requirements of a 15"
CRT with that of a 15" LCD, you would find that the CRT monitor needs about twice as
much power to operate. That additional power means additional heat, which can be
really aggravating sometimes.
I used to have several CRTs and a couple of computers running around the clock in my
home office. The equipment produced so much heat that it made the room about ten
degrees warmer than the rest of house. I used to get so annoyed because in order to
keep my office a normal temperature, the rest of the house would have to feel like an
igloo.
From a screen quality standpoint, LCDs have virtually no flicker at all so eyestrain is not
a concern. Still images are extremely bright and crisp, and text is significantly sharper
than the text displayed by CRTs.
The radiation produced by LCDs is very small so you don't have to worry about those
irritating high-pitched tones that can be heard from CRTs sometimes. You know, the
ones that make you feel like your going to start glowing if you sit too close to the screen.

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So far, LCDs sound perfect, right? Well, there are a few disadvantages that you should be
aware of. The most obvious one is cost. The lowest price I've seen on a decent quality
15" LCD has been around $400 and about $800 for a quality 17. Shoot, you can buy two
17" CRTs for that price. LCDs are more expensive because nobody has figured out how to
manufacture these high-tech panels in a really efficient manner. For every one panel that
gets produced, one gets thrown in the trash because of a random defect. Only until the
manufacturing process gets more fine-tuned will we see LCDs reach the price domain of
CRTs.
The second drawback of LCDs is their inability to run at multiple resolutions without a
decrease in quality. CRTs can display a variety of resolutions up to a published
maximum without any degradation in the display quality. LCD monitors, on the other
hand, work properly only when operated at their "native resolution". Resolutions lower
than the published native resolution can be displayed but the image quality is really poor.
If you need to toggle back and forth between multiple resolutions for whatever reason,
then stay away from LCDs because you will be very disappointed otherwise. And it goes
without saying that you should definitely know what the native resolution is for any LCD
in order to determine whether it's suitable for your vision before you purchase it. The
chart above reflects the resolutions used by our site visitors over the past few years. As
you can see, the most popular resolutions are 1024 x 768 and 800 x 600. Most LCDs
have a native resolution of 1024 x 768 or greater, so if you have vision problems, you'll
probably be better off going with a large CRT monitor that can be adjusted to 800 x 600.
LCDs have one more drawback, but this one is pretty small. Motion video reproduction
on an LCD is not as smooth as it is on a CRT monitor. This problem exists because the
liquid crystals in the panel have a hard time keeping up with the ultra-fast display
changes that are required when displaying moving images. Don't get me wrong. The
quality isn't awful by any means, but the movement between frames is noticeably less
smooth than a CRT.
As you're debating which size monitor(s) you should purchase, be aware that screen
sizes are measured diagonally. As if that wasn't weird enough, CRT manufacturers have
confused the matter even more by measuring their screens before they have been put
into their plastic casings. That means there is a portion of the screen that is covered up
by plastic. On many models, this reduces the viewable area of the screen significantly by
inch, all the way around. Let's say you buy a 17" monitor that has 3/8" of the screen
covered by plastic. Multiply 3/8" by four sides and the result is 1 inches of unusable
screen space. The effective viewable area on your monitor is now 15 1/2 inches
(diagonally).
Viewable area calculations do not apply to LCD panels. If you see an LCD monitor listed
as being a 15" display, that's what the final diagonal measurement is.
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There's no subtraction necessary. The reason why I'm bringing up this issue is because
many people make the mistake of thinking that a 15" LCD monitor has the same screen
size as a 15" CRT. But nothing could be further from the truth. A 15" LCD is
approximately the same size as a 17" CRT, so factor that into the equation when you're
out shopping for monitors and/or comparing prices.
Digital vs. Analog

Since a CRT is an analog device, it is designed to accept analog signals from a
computer's video card. The only problem is that a video card is technically digital, not
analog. To get around this issue, engineers outfitted video cards with components that
convert all outgoing signals into an analog format that CRT monitors can understand.
This setup worked fine until LCDs came along. Even though LCDs are digital devices,
they could not be introduced as such because all the video cards up to that point were
sending out analog signals. So what did the manufacturers do? They put a converter
inside the LCDs to convert incoming analog signals into a familiar digital format. This
enabled anyone with a standard video card to upgrade to an LCD monitor. It didn't take
long for everybody to realize that this solution wasn't all that great. A digital signal,
which is natively generated in the video card, is converted into an analog signal for
transmission, only to be converted back into a digital signal again inside the LCD display.
This double conversion not only increases hardware costs, it also contributes to a loss of
display quality.
Nowadays, the display industry is in the process of migrating to all-digital technology.
Having a digital signal from start to finish means that images will be more stable, and
that monitors will require no tweaking or configuration settings. Many monitors are now
shipping with both digital and analog interfaces, and some video cards are doing the
same. Although several types of digital interfaces have been introduced over the years,
the emerging industry standard is "DVI", which stands for "Digital Visual Interface". For
compatibility reasons, the first specification you should check when shopping for digital
monitors or digital video cards is that they are DVI compliant. If you are starting from
scratch and you have a decent budget to work with, there's no need to even consider any
video cards or monitors with analog interfaces. The best setup is a digital multi-monitor
video card with DVI outputs that controls digital LCD monitors with DVI inputs. This
combination of next-generation components will provide the best possible display quality.
And since the costs of digital components have come down recently, you'll find that
standard multi-monitor cards and analog LCDs are only a little bit cheaper. The best part
about investing in digital products today is that they will easily be compatible with any
future components that are introduced within the next several years.

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Questions & Answers

Q. My computer came with a 17" CRT monitor but I want to replace it with an
LCD. For now, I do not want to replace the video card. What type of LCD should
I buy?
A.
Since you have a 17" CRT, you should be looking for a 15" LCD if you want roughly
the same amount of screen space. You could go with an LCD that strictly has analog
inputs, but the best choice would be an LCD that has both analog and digital inputs. This
will allow you to continue using your existing video card while giving you the ability to
use your new LCD with any future systems that may come with a pre-installed digital
video card.
Q.
I'm currently using a 19" CRT monitor and I want to add another 19"
monitor exactly like the one I have to my existing system. I'm basically looking
for the cheapest solution I can find. So with that in mind, what would be the
best video card for me?
A.
You should go with the Matrox G450 for analog displays or the G550 Dual Head DVI
for digital output, the ATI Radeon 7500, or the Appian Hurricane, which is a standard
dual-monitor video card with analog outputs.
Q.
After measuring my desk, I discovered that I only have room for three 19"
CRTs. What solution exists for driving three monitors?
A.
For triple-monitor configurations, the best video card would be the Appian Jeronimo
Pro, the Colorgraphic Predator Pro or ProMedia, or the Matrox G200 four head, all of
which is capable of driving up to four analog monitors. The Matrox G200 four head and
the Appian Rushmore can be configured to provide 4 head DVI output to 4 LCD Displays.
The only downside is that you still have to pay for that fourth monitor capability even
though you won't be using it.
Q. What are the key features to look for in a LCD Monitor?

A. Look for and compare Dot pitch. A Contrast Ratio of 400:1 or better is desirable check
for type of input analog, digital or both. And finally look for special features you might
desire such as a Black Case built in speakers and some LCD monitors even rotate on
their mounting for a landscape or portrait configuration. For traders we like monitors
either CRT or LCD that are designated for graphics work.
Q. I bought two 15" LCDs from EBAY but after receiving them, I discovered that
one is analog and the other is digital. What should I do?
A. You need the Matrox G200 MMS or the Appian Gemini DVI-I, which are flexible, Quad
monitor cards with DVI outputs that can drive two to four digital monitors using analog
monitors, or a combination of analog and digital.

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Q. I just purchased a dual-processor machine with two hard drives, 1 GB of RAM

and Windows 2000. I want to build a four-monitor system for trading and I'm
willing to spend whatever it takes to get the best setup possible. What video
card and monitors would be best?
A. You should purchase four digital LCDs, preferably 16" or larger, with DVI inputs. To
drive those, you'll need a Matrox G200 MMS four head with TV Output, or the AppianX 4Port video card. The AppianX is a high-performance video card with DVI outputs that is
capable of driving four displays at extremely high resolutions. The and the Appian
Rushmore and the Colorgraphic ProMedia can be configured to provide 4 head DVI output
to 4 LCD Displays All of these are premium video cards and in our opinion the best
setups money can buy.
Matrox & Colorgraphics along with Appian provide multi-monitor display adapters of high
quality. Matrox & Colorgraphics like Appian offer a full range of video card selections that
support up to 4 monitors per video card with many options available such as a video
tuner and multiple input overlays. The Colorgraphics and Matrox cards may be a lower
cost alternative but the trader should fully evaluate the features available with all the
available cards. Below is a summary of the features of the three manufacturers along
with their respective website link and a link to another helpful website that focuses on
multi-monitor workstation configurations.
http://www.multiplemonitors.org/Pages%20-%20Hardware/Hardware%20%20Multi%20head%20Video%20cards.html
Appian Graphics WWW.APPIAN.COM

The Appian product line includes:
The Appian Rushmore - Drives up to four monitors from a single PCI slot . Up to 64
MB RAM. Integrated DVI. Supports Windows NT 4.0, 2000 and XP.
The Appian Hurricane - Single-slot, dual-display graphics card featuring a high-speed
PCI or AGP interface and 32MB DDR RAM. Supports Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000
and XP.
The Appian Traveler - A PC-Card adapter that enables extended-desktop functionality
on any major PC laptop model. You can attach a digital or analog display or projector
and still retain independent use of your laptop screen. Supports native resolutions up to
1280 x 1024, dedicates 4MB of onboard RAM to your second display, and ships with
Appian's patented HydraVision desktop management software.
Operating system
support includes Windows 98 and 2000.
The AppianX - Single-slot, quad-display Xtended Desktop Solution, with up to 64 MB
SDRAM, two Appian AGX multi-display graphics processors, DVI-Integrated, and Video-In
capability. Bundled with HydraVision. Supports Windows NT 4.0, 2000 and XP.

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HydraVision - Part of every Appian Xtended Desktop Solution, Appian's patented,

sophisticated, yet easy to use desktop management software solution has everything you
need to manage increased amounts of information across your desktop and improve your
productivity. To provide further control of the extended desktop, Appian has developed
AppianXtras, a suite of multi-monitor specialty tools designed to help you see and do
more."
Colorgraphic Video Cards WWW.COLORGRAPHIC.NET

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Matrox - WWW.MATROX.COM
Matrox G200 Multi-Monitor Series
The Matrox G200 Multi-Monitor Series (MMS), available with quad-DVI and quadanalog display support and TV-tuner option, is the leading high-end multi-monitor
solution for the financial market and information displays. With incredible stability
and reliability, simple installation, robust drivers, DVI output, and a high level of
support, the G200 MMS is designed to satisfy the needs of traders at banking and
financial institutions. All Matrox G200 MMS SKUs are designed for PCI systems
with 8 MB of SGRAM per channel, DVI, and/or RGB output. Prices range from US
$499-$799.
1. G2+/DUALP-PL - This dual-output graphics card is best suited for financial users who are looking
for a stable and reliable product with a dedicated graphics chip and frame buffer per analog or
digital output.
2. G2+/QUADP-PL/7 - This single-slot, quad-output card offers dedicated graphics and memory per
output, as well as support for both analog and digital output. This solution is used extensively in
financial, data control centre, air traffic control centre, and public information displays.
3. G2+/QUAD-PL/TVE - In addition to offering the same features as the G2+/QUAD-PL board, this
version comes equipped with a PAL TV-tuner (Europe) that enables TV input to be displayed on
any of the screens in the multi-monitor set up; this feature is especially useful for displaying
financial news on TV.
4. G2+/QUAD-PLP/TVN - This version is the same as the G2+/QUAD-PL/TVE but comes with an
NTSC TV-tuner for the North American standard.
Millennium G550
With a wide variety of display output options, the Millennium G550 is the most
comprehensive graphics solution for the high-end business desktop and 2D
workstation. The G550 Series also comes equipped with HeadCasting
technology and Virtual Presenter software for 3D-delivered PowerPoint
presentations . Designed for AGP systems, this 32 MB multi-display solution
combines world-leading 2D image quality with extensive OS support.
1. G55+MDHA32DB - This mainstream graphics card offers advanced dual-display capabilities with
dual-RGB or RGB with DVI output support. The bundled DualHead software that powers the card
and its multi-display capabilities makes this card the most robust and feature-rich graphics solution
for business. A TV-Out cable and the Software DVD Player are available as an option.
2. G55+MDHA32DR - The retail version of the Millennium G550, this card offers all of the above and
includes the TV-Out cable and the Matrox Software DVD Player.

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Millennium G550 Dual-DVI
The Millennium G550 Dual-DVI is the first and only single-chip graphics card
designed to fit into Low Profile or ATX systems, that lets you immediately benefit
from dual-analog output and easily upgrade to dual-digital output using the dualDVI cable.
1. G55MADDA32DB - The only single-chip graphics card to support two DVI outputs, this Low Profile
(LP) card comes with both an ATX bracket (installed) and an LP bracket. Standard dual-RGB
cables provide dual-analog display capabilities, while the optional dual-DVI cable* instantly
upgrades the card to provide dual-DVI output. The dual-DVI option is great for future-proofing IT
investments when businesses upgrade to digital flat-panels: it allows an easy upgrade path to
support two DVI flat-panels using the optional cable.
* Dual-DVI cable (DL-CAB-DVI) available at Shopmatrox.com.
Millennium G450 Series
Available in both 16 MB and 32 MB DDR versions, the Millennium G450 with

DualHead is the base-model corporate card and provides high-performance,
full-featured graphics for mainstream and value business desktops.
1. G45+MDHA16DLXB - This base-model Millennium G450 AGP card is constructed with 16 MB of

DDR and dual-RGB output. It's the perfect solution for the value business desktop.
2. G45FMDHP16DB - As the industry's first single-chip, dual-display PCI graphics card, the
Millennium G450 PCI is a feature-rich and affordable solution that offers accelerated, high-quality
2D graphics for systems with baseline or non-upgradeable AGP graphics, such as Intel i810based systems. As well, this solution caters to IT professionals using PCI server systems.
3. G45FMDVP32DB - This latest version of the Millennium G450 PCI is fully loaded with added
productivity-enhancing features such as DVI output, double the memory with 32 MB of RAM, and
support for resolutions in DualHead modes of up to 1600 x 1200 on both displays.
4. G45FMDHA32DB - With 32 MB of DDR memory, this version of the Millennium G450 offers
stability and performance for users working with 3D-intensive applications such as CAD design. As
well, it supports 1600 x 1200 resolution in 32-bit color in multi-display mode.
5. G45FMLDVA32DB - The Millennium G450 DVI is a Low Profile graphics card ships with a separate
ATX bracket for easy installation in either configuration. The Millennium G450 DVI natively
supports single-DVI output to a digital or analog flat-panel, and ships with a dual-RGB cable for
DualHead output to two analog monitors.

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Backup Power
Computer users fall into one of two categories: those who have lost data or hardware
because of a power problem, and those who are going to. Having experienced powerrelated computer problems more than once, I can tell you with certainty that being
prepared for these unwanted situations is an aspect of setting up your trading
workstation that you should not overlook.
IBM did a study recently that showed a typical computer is Common Power Problems
exposed to more than 120 power problems per month. The
effects of these problems range from the subtle-keyboard Brownout - A decrease in voltage,
lockups and hardware degradation-to the dramatic- due primarily to high demand for
electricity during peak hours. It can
complete data loss or permanent hardware failure.
cause unexpected system crashes and
keyboard lockups.
Computers contain sensitive electronic components that are

easily affected by fluctuations in voltage. A momentary
power glitch of less than a second is all it takes to cause a
loss of data. Should a power problem strike while your
computer is saving a file, you could lose previously written
files or your entire hard disk could be wiped out.
Since day trading requires the daily use of computers,
monitors, and other hardware, running into power
problems is an almost inevitable occurrence. But unlike a
casual computer user, a day trader has much more to lose
than just the data on his local machine.
If a power
problem strikes, your computer could be rendered useless
while you're in the middle of managing open positions. If
you are unable to restart it and get back online
immediately, it could cost you thousands of dollars or more
in losses.
Blackout - A total loss of power,

causing a loss of all data in system
memory. It can also destroy the file
system on a hard disk.
Spike - A dramatic increase in voltage
caused most often by a nearby
lightning strike. It can cause
catastrophic damage to computer
hardware.
Surge - A short term increase in
voltage, typically lasting 1/120th of a
second. Surges are usually caused by
switching off large devices like washers
or dryers.
Noise - Interference caused by many
factors such as lightning, radio
transmitters, or large industrial
equipment. Noise can introduce errors
into computer programs and data files.
The best way you can prepare for power problems is to

invest in an uninterruptible power supply, commonly
referred to as a UPS. In the event of a voltage decrease or power outage, this device
detects the problem and instantly supplies your computer with the electricity it needs to
run normally. So even though the building you are in may not have any power, your
computer will run as if everything is normal.
A UPS should not be confused with a surge protector. While both can handle surges,
only a UPS can provide reliable backup power during brownouts or blackouts. The other
difference between them is cost. You can pick up a surge protector for less than $20, but
a high quality UPS that can handle a variety of power problems will set you back between
$200 and $600. UPS units aren't cheap, but considering how much you can lose without
one, I'd say they are a wise investment. For extra protection from lightning you can
even place a high quality surge suppressor (High Joule Rating) between the UPS and the
electrical outlet thereby giving your expensive UPS extra protection also.

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The length of time that your equipment can stay supplied with power is directly related to
the size of your UPS. Generally speaking, you want to purchase a UPS that is large
enough to keep things running smoothly for at least 15 minutes. That should give you
enough time to exit any risky positions and shut your system down in a safe manner.
UPS units come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The size that is right for you will
depend primarily on the complexity of your computer system. To save you some time,
I've put together a table of three common computer configurations used by traders and
the UPS that works best for each (assuming 20 minutes of uptime). I have factored in
an overhead allowance of 30%, which means you can add a few additional peripherals to
the base systems I have shown below without having to move up to a bigger UPS. Also
we have included a printer in the following configurations and some people elect not to
include the printer in their UPS configurations. Your Broadband modem & Router should
be included although there is no guaranty that your broad band provider will stay on line.
It would depend how large the affected area is that lost power and if it includes your
providers service center.
System Configuration
Recommended UPS
Single Processor Pentium III/IV Computer

Powered speakers
19" Monitor
Inkjet Printer
-----------------------------Total Load : 250 Watts
Back-UPS Pro 650

APC BK500MC
SmartLink SL-625
$150 -$299.99
Single Processor Pentium III/IV Computer

Powered speakers
Two Three 19" Monitors
Cable/DSL Modem
Inket Printer or Fax Machine
-----------------------------Total Load : 425 Watts
Dual Processor Pentium III/IV Computer

Powered Speakers
Four 19" Monitors
Cable/DSL Modem
Inkjet Printer or Fax Machine
------------------------------Total Load : 609 Watts
Back-UPS Pro 1000

APC 1000 net
SmartLink SL 1000
$225 - $499.99
Back-UPS Pro 1400

$584.99
Internet Connectivity
Bandwidth is without a doubt the most overlooked aspect of a reliable trading setup. The
ironic thing is that it's the most important. You can have the best workstation money
can buy but if your connection to the Internet is slow, your quotes will be delayed and
your trading will suffer. I know a trader who dropped $10,000 on a quad monitor
workstation, but connected it to the internet using a 28.8k modem. And he wondered
why his 24 chart windows were not updating properly!

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When it comes to trading, speed is king. Those who are able to send and receive realtime data without delay are the ones who have an edge over the thousands of slower
participants be sure you investigate all the connection methods discussed below and go
with the fastest one that's both available and affordable in your area.
56k Modems
56k modems that use the V.90 standard over existing phone lines are standard
equipment in PCs nowadays. Theoretically, 56k modems can transmit data at speeds up
to 56kbps (kilobits per second). You can expect to achieve real-world speeds between
35-50 kbps depending on the condition of your phone line. You should be aware that the
speeds just mentioned are for downloading only. Maximum upload speeds are usually
around 28.8kbps. This is not usually a problem since traders generally upload small
pieces of data such as usernames, passwords, orders, etc.
For the most part, 56k modems work fine, but they are very limited in the amount of
data they can transmit. If you have too many applications open for your modem to
handle, you will undoubtedly have problems. For example, if you have a real-time news
feed, five Level II screens, five intraday tick charts, and several quote pages all operating
at once, your modem will have a problem keeping up. Therefore, the timeliness of your
quotes and the accuracy of your order executions will depend largely on you keeping the
amount of data being requested to a minimum. This is achieved primarily by using
simple quote layouts in your trading software. By simple, I mean one Level II screen, two
intraday charts, and a basic quote page containing no more than 20 stocks or indices.
The best thing about using 56k modems is their low cost of operation. 56K modems will
work with the same phone line you're currently using, so no special equipment or lines
are necessary to get up and running. The main costs involved are the phone line charges
from your local telephone company and the monthly fee your Internet Service Provider
charges you for dial-up internet access. Once a 56k modem is operating online, the
phone line it is using can't be used for voice calls. Therefore, you should consider getting
a second line installed if you still want to place or receive calls while you are trading
online.
In order to minimize the potential for data delivery problems, you should ask your quote
provider which ISP they recommend. If your quote provider does not have a specific
recommendation, your internet access account should be with a national "Tier 1" ISP that
operates its own internet backbone, not with a local sub-provider. Some popular national
ISPs that offer 56k access are Earthlink, UUNET, and AT&T.
You should also consider having a secondary internet account as a backup in case you
experience any connection problems with your primary ISP during trading hours. Many
traders have their second account with a free ISP such as NetZero or Juno. These
services are free because they display small advertisements in a non-removable window
for as long as you are connected online and they have limited free connect time.
Although somewhat annoying, most traders consider the ads to be worth the piece of
mind that having a backup ISP brings.

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ISDN
ISDN, which stands for Integrated Services Digital Network, is a system of digital phone
connections which has been available for over a decade. For the individual user, ISDN is
available in speeds of 64kbps and 128kbps. A 128kbps line is approximately 3 to 4 times
faster than the real-world speed of today's 56k modems. ISDN is a digital connection,
which means that it is constantly connected and thus eliminates the need for dialing up
to an Internet service provider like you must do with a standard phone modem. Probably
the most unique feature of ISDN is that you can place a phone call and access the
Internet on the same line simultaneously.
There are three basic cost components to an ISDN line: setup fee, monthly fee, and line
fee. All vary widely from state to state, meaning that the actual cost of ISDN really
depends on where you live. The setup fee and monthly fee are comparable to the costs
of setting up a standard phone line. It's the line fee that's the killer. A line fee is a perminute charge for the actual line usage and it's typically the fee to consider most when
looking into ISDN. The good news is that some ISDN vendors don't charge line fees at
all. The bad news is that if your local ISDN provider does indeed charge a line fee, the
cost of ISDN service may run several hundred dollars per month or more (assuming
you'll be online each trading day during market hours).
The feedback I've received most from traders is that ISDN is a real hassle to set up
considering its speed isn't near as fast as other high speed services requiring the same
basic installation charges. Even though it uses the existing phone lines in your home,
ISDN requires special equipment on your end that must be purchased, installed and
configured initially. This equipment can cost as much as $400. If your current Internet
service provider is not compatible with ISDN, then you must switch to one that is (which
means additional setup hassles, a new email address and more setup fees). Generally
speaking, ISDN should only be considered if no other high-speed services are available in
your area.
ADSL/SDSL
ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, and like ISDN, this technology uses
existing copper phone lines to transmit digital data at very high speeds. You can use the
Internet and talk on the phone simultaneously and the connection is always on.
However, when comparing the speed of ADSL versus ISDN, there is no contest. ADSL can
reach average speeds of 1.5 Mbps (megabits per second), which is 10 times faster than
ISDN and over 25 times faster than a 56k modem.
ADSL, as the name suggests, is asymmetric - providing more downstream bandwidth
than upstream bandwidth; about a 10-to-1 ratio. That means you'll be able to receive
data much quicker than you'll be able to send it. As I mentioned earlier, the average
trader sends very little data upstream, so this limitation is not considered to be a
problem. The only major drawback of ADSL service is that subscribers must live within 3
miles of a phone-switching station, commonly known as a CO, or Central Office. Within a
given ADSL service area, those who live closest to the CO will have the greatest
download speeds (up to 7 Mbps). SDSL is for users who need faster upload speeds as
the upload speed is the same or faster than the download speed. If you want a deeper
understanding of broadband access or to test your connection I recommend the website
WWW.dslreports.com.

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Like ISDN, ADSL requires special hardware and the cost

varies dramatically depending on where you live. Once
you get past the initial equipment fee ($199) and installation fee ($99), you'll be billed at
a flat monthly rate ranging from $40 - $250 per month. For most traders, this is
acceptable considering the dramatic improvement in speed over 56k modems and ISDN.
If you're interested in subscribing to ADSL or ISDN service, you should contact your local
phone company to see if it's available in your area.
Cable Modem
A "Cable Modem" is a device that allows high speed Internet access through a cable TV
(CATV) network. That's right; the same cable line that provides dozens of channels to
your television can also send data back and forth between your personal computer and
the Internet. This technology is referred to as broadband technology and its users can
expect to have download speeds from 500kbps - 3 Mbps. The biggest advantage that
cable modems have over ADSL is that you don't have to live within a certain distance of
your service provider. So if you are currently a subscriber to cable TV, you are eligible to
receive cable modem service (assuming it's available in your area).
Most cable modems are external devices that have two connections, one to the cable wall
outlet using CATV coaxial wire and the other to your computer through a standard
10Base-T Ethernet card and twisted-pair wiring. Cable operators are typically charging
between $40 and $60 per month for the service, which includes cable modem rental and
unlimited Internet access. You can also expect to pay a one-time installation fee of $99 $199 to cover the cost and installation of a networking interface card (NIC card) in your
home computer, splitting and running the cable wire to your home computer, and the
configuration of any necessary software.
Every trader I've ever talked to with cable modem service loves it. However, like ADSL,
the main problem with broadband cable service is the lack of availability throughout
many parts of the country. This is due primarily to the fact that cable companies must
invest millions of dollars and years of work to update their networks just to provide this
service. Although many cable companies have already updated their systems and are
currently offering cable modem service, plenty of others are not yet ready. To find out if
cable modem service is available in your area, you should contact your local cable
company.
Even if ADSL or Cable modem service is available in your area, I still recommend that
you maintain a separate phone line and a traditional dial-up internet account as a lowcost backup. Although broadband services provide the greatest speed, their networks
can still suffer from unpredictable events such as cable cuts, power outages, or
equipment failures. So it's a good idea to have a spare connection to ensure that you
won't be shut out of the market if there's a disruption in your broadband service.

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Router/Firewall
When connected to the Internet with a broadband connection you have established a full
time connection to the Internet. There are some exceptions based on the type of
connection you have but by being connected fulltime your data is also exposed to
hackers and others with perhaps bad intentions for your personal data. You must protect
yourself and your data. A product called a firewall was developed to block access to your
system by all requests except those allowed by you through preset ports or previous data
request from your machine as the originating machine. To put it another way, no one
gets in unless you have invited them in by a request or by leaving a special door
unlocked. The firewall can be provided by either a software firewall or a hardware
firewall. Software firewalls such as Black Ice Defender & Norton Personal Firewall, work
well and can be set up easily by the user. The second option is to use a hardware
router/firewall by companies like D-Link or Linksys. These devices have the advantage of
allowing you to share your internet connection with other computers, in effect, creating a
small network in your house as these devices have between 3 and 8 network cable
connections available. The hardware solution is our preference as it allows you to share
printers and data between machines along with your broadband access. One other thing
to consider is a wireless router/firewall. This will allow the same network services as the
standard router but without a hardwire connection. This enables you to sit in the living
room or out on the patio and surf the net on your laptop without cumbersome network
cables. I have to say, this is pretty cool.
System Backup Devices

Another important component in Trading Machines or any computer holding valuable
data is your backup device. You can utilize a CD writer, tape backup, jazz or zip drive, or
even a DVD RAM or DVD writer. Our personal preference is the CD writer. You can
purchase blank CD's at a cost of less than 25 cents apiece and each CD will hold from
650 to 700 MB of data. Using software like Symantecs Ghost 2002 ($99) and Roxios
Take Two in the CD Creator 5 platinum collection ($99), you can make complete copies
of your hard drive that span multiple CDs. These drive images can be used to restore
your hard drive in the event of a catastrophic failure. You can also make backups of your
data files that can be used in virtually any computer. Therefore, you can create backups
on your trading machines and in the event of a hardware failure or damage to your
trading machines, the backups can be placed in any other machine with a CD ROM. Your
data can then be read, and youre back in business. If price is a consideration, the highquality CD writer can cost about $175 with each blank CD costing less than 25 cents a
tape backup for example are made to as much as his $275 and a blank tape as much as
$45. A new product we are starting to use will image the hard drive to a second drive
and boot to the backup drive in the event of a hard drive failure all automatically check
out System Guardian at: https://www.duocor.com
Keyboards & Mice

While Keyboard and Mouse selection is somewhat subjective, I believe the key reason to
select a particular keyboard or mouse is because you like the feel. There are numerous
mice available. Find one that feels comfortable in your hand. Typical mice utilize a ball
that rolls across the mouse pad as you move the mouse. This movement is translated to
curser/pointer movement on the screen.

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Another newer design in mice is the optical mouse which uses an LED Laser to detect
mouse movement across the mouse pad. Optical mice have some advantages along with
a higher price, For one thing there is no mouse ball to
get dirty the optical mouse is far more accurate than the
conventional mouse. We recommend to traders using
the Logitech wireless mouse & keyboard as the wire
mess is eliminated and they are available with both
optical and standard mice.
Optional Configurations
When designing your trading machine consider what
other uses you may have for this remarkable machine. If other users are to use the
machine you should have it set up for multiple users each user can have their own
configuration based on their needs and preferences and it will give you some protection
from someone inadvertently deleting or compromising your trading configurations and
data. Your machine can even be set up to have multiple operating systems. This
provides the best security for your trading setup one selection can be for Trading Only
and the other for Family use such as games and internet surfing your trading data will be
hidden and have a higher degree of protection from viruses and accidental deletions and
foul ups. Each startup option will be password protected. If you use a digital camera or
VTR you can have a Firewire port included for downloading your photos and video. There
are also high end Audio and Video peripherals and software that will expand the uses of
your machine. Another consideration is to install a wireless broadband router/firewall
this will allow you to use additional computers and laptops through the house without
hard wiring while sharing your high speed connection and devices such as a printer.
Suggested Software
BACKUP & RECOVERY
Norton Ghost 2002- This program will allow you to create an image file on a second hard
drive or use your CD writer store the image of your hard drive onto multiple CD ROMs
this is a great way to ensure that you have a easy way to restore your system exactly as
it was when the image was created this is very handy in case of system failure caused by
a virus or premature hard drive failure as I stated on the previous page our trading
systems now include A new product that will image the hard drive to a second drive and
boot to the backup drive in the event of a hard drive failure all automatically check out
System Guardian at: https://www.duocor.com
ANTI VIRUS
Based on current offerings of the anti virus software available we recommend Norton
Antivirus 2002 or internet security suite, Trend Micro PC Cillin 2002 and EZ Antivirus 5.4
from Computer Associates. PC World Magazine, WWW.PCWORLD.COM in the July 2002
issue, reviewed 7 AV programs and gave Norton AV an outstanding rating; EZ AV
received a very good rating and PC-Cillin a good rating. With some new systems a free
version of AV software is included with the purchase. This free version usually does not
have all the features of the retail version but usually does the job. Remember it is your
responsibility to ensure that your AV program is updated weekly with new virus
definitions from the parent company website most AV programs can be setup to update
automatically.
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Problem Software
Remember any software you add to your machine may cause conflicts with
existing applications although this problem does not occur as often as it used to
you should only install essential software on a trading machine as system
downtime can cost you money!
Norton System Works 2002 we have found this product creates as many problems as it
solves unless you just install the AV portion of the software. We have not found any
system maintenance & repair utility software you need on your system. You should also
be cautious of free programs downloaded from the internet as many of these programs
automatically push ads and in some cases install programs on your system without your
knowledge. Also on any software you should periodically check for updates and patches
that have been released to fix bug or defects in the software these can be found at their
respective websites under the support tab. Another responsibility of the user is to be
sure to run Windows Update periodically usually monthly to download and install updates
to windows itself. You can set up your machine to update automatically but I like to
perform this task myself so I can review the update incase it causes new problems.
Another precaution is when installing new software beware of version 1.0 this means that
the product is new and has not yet had an opportunity to have had revisions or upgrades
for bugs and errors.
Rightways Recommendations
What do we recommend as a good compromise between price and

performance?
A quality trading workstation should have sufficient power (CPU) to run your analysis
software in a timely manner and still have power enough to also run your trading
software at the same time with out performance delays and/or bottlenecks. A trade
delayed because you had a system lock-up or had to reboot could be costly. In most
cases you would use Windows 2000 Professional With all Windows operating systems to
be stable and reliable, you must provide plenty of RAM memory 1 GB or more on a 4
monitor system. Remember RAM is where your applications do their thing; you need
multiple applications to run concurrently with out getting in each others way. To display
all the data from your analysis and trading applications you need plenty of display space.
The most common multi-monitor workstation includes 4 17 LCD or 4 19 CRT monitors
and a 4 head graphic card with at least 4 MB VIDEO RAM per display. And finally you will
need a reliable system for backups of all your data. Your data and records may have
taken months to acquire and develop without a backup could you create the same in a
timely manner? Rightway includes an image copy of your system at shipping and by
using the utility Ghost 2002 you will be able to create updated images of your system to
CDs and a second hard drive? Of course there are also considerations for what type of
internet connection will you be using. What other ancillary uses or needs you have in
mind for your new workstation. Below is a component list for a typical high performance
workstation.
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Intel Pentium-4 2.4 GHz 533 FSB

This is a great processor with the updated buss speed
Pentium 4 ASUS Motherboard P4-B/533(P-4 DDR)
1 GB DDR RAM PC 2700/333
This is system RAM
60 GB ultra-DMA IDE HD 7200 RPM IBM + 60 GB Secondary for imaging.
1.44 MB 3.5 floppy drive
DVD ROM (Toshiba)
This unit plays either CDs or DVDs
Logitech Wireless Optical Deluxe Mouse & Keyboard
Sony 40X12X40 CD-CDRW
This is the CD writer for backups and CD copying
Onboard Sound
This is a sound card built into the system board
Altec Lansing Speakers AVS 330
ATX P-4 Tower Case Solid Black Aluminum
This is your system case
Windows 2000 Professional or XP Professional
Net Card 10/100 D-link
Your network Card
3Com/USR 56K Fax Modem
UPS SmartLink SL-1000
Your UPS.
Matrox G200 MMS 4 head with TV in/output and DVI cables
This is your 4 head video card with a TV tuner.
(4) Viewsonic Black 17 LCD (VG171B) Graphics Series 400X1 contrast ratio
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/lcd_vg171.htm
The above system could be upgraded with DVD & DVD RAM, Firewire, faster processor up
to 3.0 GHz, larger hard drive and a high performance sound card such as the Creative
Live Platinum series. Recommended software such as, Microsoft Office, Ghost 2002,
Winfax 10.02, Norton Antivirus, System Guardian, Etc. all can be included as you design
your custom machine.

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TRADING SYSTEM
Quote Request
Customer Name ____________________________Date _________________
Address ________________________________________________________
E-Mail ____________________________Phone________________________
Mobil # ____________________________ FAX_________________________
[ ] I would like to discuss a configuration that will meet my needs.
[ ] I know what I want please quote:
CPU Intel Pentium IV _______GHz.
AMD XP
_______GHz
Memory [ ] SDRAM ______MB [ ] DDRRAM ______MB [ ] Rambus ______MB
Hard Drive Make ______________7200 RPM IDE Ultra DMA ______________GB
Video Card [ ] 2 HEAD [ ] 4 Head [ ] Analog [ ] Digital [ ] TV Output
Make _______________________ Model _____________________________
CD ROM [ ] DVD ROM [ ]
CD/CDRW Make _________________ Model ________________________
Monitors
Make _________________ Model _____________________ Qty [ ]
LCD Panel Make _________________ Model _____________________ Qty [ ]
UPS
Make _________________ Model ________________________
Broadband Router [ ] Make______________ Model ___________________
Wireless configuration [ ]
Internal Modem
[ ] Make______________ Model ___________________
Sound Card
[ ] Make______________ Model ___________________
Speakers Altec Lansing [ ] Other [ ]________________________________
Wireless Keyboard & Mouse [ ] Make___________ Model ______________
Network Card
[ ] Make______________ Model ___________________
Other devices
[ ] Make______________ Model ___________________
Operating System Win 98 [ ], Win 2000 Pro [ ], Windows XP Pro [ ]
Please quote for delivery by, Date___________________________________
Other___________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Please FAX or e-mail the above to Jack Hall

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1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

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1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

The best way to add multiple monitors to a single computer

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

Monitor Types: CRT vs. LCD

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

headaches, neck aches

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

Digital vs. Analog

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

Questions & Answers

Q. What are the key features to look for in a LCD Monitor?

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

Q. I just purchased a dual-processor machine with two hard drives, 1 GB of RAM

Appian Graphics WWW.APPIAN.COM

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

HydraVision - Part of every Appian Xtended Desktop Solution, Appian's patented,

Colorgraphic Video Cards WWW.COLORGRAPHIC.NET

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

Millennium G550 Dual-DVI

Millennium G450 Series

Available in both 16 MB and 32 MB DDR versions, the Millennium G450 with

1. G45+MDHA16DLXB - This base-model Millennium G450 AGP card is constructed with 16 MB of

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

Computers contain sensitive electronic components that are

Blackout - A total loss of power,

The best way you can prepare for power problems is to

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

Single Processor Pentium III/IV Computer

Back-UPS Pro 650

Single Processor Pentium III/IV Computer

Dual Processor Pentium III/IV Computer

Back-UPS Pro 1000

Back-UPS Pro 1400

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740

Like ISDN, ADSL requires special hardware and the cost

1319 So. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740