I have an "office" in my home where theoretically I am supposed to do most of my work, however I actually spend about 99% of my time '"working" (trading & doing all the other things I do) in my living room (actually on my sofa - you should see the "butt print" there - my chiropractor considers me a "valued client"). I have a nice setup in my home office, including multiple screens, but I've found that I don't hang around in that room most of the time, thus I can't be watching what is happening in the markets throughout the day.
The solution that I'm about to present isn't for everyone, as it does cost some money, but if you are a serious trader making nice $$$ by trading, especially with scalping, then you should consider this idea for yourself Buy a laptop computer that is exclusively dedicated to trading. Don't use it for anything other than for trading. If you need to use a computer then use another one, but this laptop computer is your dedicated trading machine.
The reason for having this laptop is that it is portable, so you can be lugging it around your home (or elsewhere). What you want to do is to have it turned on and situated wherever you are so you can frequently glance at the charts to see what the market is doing, scanning regularly for potential scalp trading opportunities. If you are in the living room watching television then have it sitting on your coffee table, or on a pedestal next to the sofa, where you can just look at it from time to time. If you are hanging out elsewhere like the kitchen, family room, bedroom (provided that your spouse allows this distraction), backyard, or elsewhere then you can take it with you and place it somewhere you can glance at it periodically. If you are a doctor, lawyer, business owner, or some other professional (if you are an employee your boss might not approve, but if you are the "big kahuna" then you can do whatever you want) then you can also take this laptop computer to your office to scan the markets throughout the day (heck, you might score more profits than what you do at work all week).
You don't need to buy an expensive laptop computer; the cheapest one available from a large "high-tech toy store" will be far more than adequate. Get a laptop with a "wide screen" (the screen is the dimensions of a wide screen DVD movie). I'd suggest that you talk to the sales agent about which laptop has a quiet fan (as I find the hum of the fan annoying), and you might want to splurge on having a smaller lighter laptop (but these usually cost more, which is not necessary - my personal preference is for tiny computers). I'm a laptop computer addict (my wife rolls her eyes at me because I buy a new one every several months) so I usually don't buy the extended warrantees that they try to sell (I think that they're a big rip off), but because of how you'll be using this computer you might want to consider getting it (it'll be on for extended periods and so it is possible that it may breakdown from "wear & tear").
The reason you want a wide screen is because you can have multiple windows open and arranged so that different areas of your screen shows different charts (for visual scanning purposes), and then when you'll be trading you can have your trading software on one side with the chart on the other side. Here are some useful accessories that you might want to consider getting.
You might want to get an optical wireless mouse. A wireless mouse is great because you can manipulate your computer without having to move the computer from the convenient place where it is resting, and if the mouse is optical (not a hack ball inside) then you can use it on just about any surface, such as a coffee table, sofa, magazine, or anything (no mouse pad required).
Your laptop computer should come with a WiFi wireless device inside that allows you to connect to the Internet wirelessly (obviously you'll need a wireless router on your Internet connection). I have found that for most purposes the wireless works great, but occasionally I lose the wireless connection. What I did is I bought a "Powerline Ethernet Bridge" ("HomePlug" from IOGear). I simply plug one of the devices (you get two) into the electrical outlet near my Internet router (and plug in tlie network cable connecting it to the Internet router), and the other device I plug into the electrical outlet near where I intend to work (next to my sofa in my living room). I then connect that device to my computer with a network cable. This ingenious pair of devices uses your home's electrical wiring to make a direct physical connection from your computer (anywhere in your house) to the Internet. The advantage of using this is that you have a constant connection to the Internet, whereas using wireless is prone to loosing your connection (which can be bad for your trading).
A few more thoughts for you. If your laptop is plugged into your power outlet then remove the battery (as the battery will get weaker over time of constant use). Keep your battery fully charged and use it when you need to move the computer (without turning it off) to another location. Over hours and hours of being turned on your laptop will tend to get quite hot. Don't place it on surfaces that might get damaged from the heat. When you are not paying attention to the markets then simply turn your computer off (giving it a rest and a chance to cool off).
Turn your "screen saver" off. A screen saver is there to prevent damage to your screen due to images burning into the screen, but you need to have your charts displayed at all times, so you'll want to disable this feature (another reason to buy the extended warrantee). Right-click on your desktop (assuming you have a Windows computer - I hope you didn't buy a Mac computer (sorry to any die-hard Mac users for this offense, but unless you're a graphic designer why the heck would you buy a Mac in a predominantly Microsoft world) then choose "Properties" then click on the "Screen Saver" tab on the top, then set your screen saver to "None".
To save power and to reduce wear on your computer do the following: In the same place where you made the change to your screensaver you should see an option to change your power settings. Click on the button to get there and another window should pop up. Change the following settings for "When computer is PLUGGED IN" (not when running on batteries). "Turn off monitor" = Never (or "After 2 hours" incase you've abandoned your computer - if it shuts off then just touch the mouse to reactivate the screen). "Turn off hard disks" = After 5 mins. "System standby" = Never. "System hibernates" = Never.
If you don't know how to do the above simple steps then ask a teenager to help you out. If you broke your computer following the above steps (highly unlikely, but hey, I need to protect myself legally) then too bad for you; I accept no responsibility for your actions. You are fully responsible for what you do, and don't come crying to me.
If you are serious as a trader, especially as a scalper, then you'll find that having a secondary laptop computer exclusively dedicated to trading will be quite useful, convenient, and will allow you to catch more hades than you might otherwise. This computer should pay for itself. source: rapid forex
