When dealing with day trading you need as fast as you can get. I agree connection speed is important, but the processor speed is, too.
Yes, processor matters, but only to a point. The processor only needs to be fast enough to process the data coming over the connection, and display it on the screen. My guess is that you only need about a 120MHz processor to do that, even on the fastest connection. I had a P120 on a fast T-1, and Web pages loaded *instantly*. And I've seen a P233 on a 56k that was slow as a dog.
If you want "as fast as you can get" I would recommend the following, in priority sequence:
1. A fast connection. ISDN, ADSL, or T-1 (if in an office). As someone mentioned, cable modems are dicey, because as more users plug in, bandwidth decreases proportionately.
2. A good ISP. (I noticed you're on AOL. That alone could account for the 2-3 second lag you're experiencing. AOL is a proprietary network with gateways into the Internet. This architecture slows everything down. Better to use something like Earthlink, AT&T, MCI, etc. Anything but AOL).
3. A decent processor. Again, 120MHz+ should suffice. This isn't that important a factor, believe me.
4. Lots of real memory, like 48MB+. Turn virtual memory off. (If you're giving Virtual PC 120MB on a PowerBook, then I think you have to be using virtual memory. But VPC can only access something like 48MB. And virtual memory is *much* slower than real memory. There are other optimization tricks with VPC, too, like booting directly into it, and not the finder. I can tell you more if you like).
5. A fast graphics card. Notebook computers generally have slow graphics cards. This affects how quickly the screen draws. We have two Macs with 601/100s in the office, one with a slow graphics card and 48MB of RAM, and another with a fast graphics card and 90MB of RAM. It's amazing how much faster the latter computer is.
Good luck, and let me know how it goes.
rhet0ric |
