Professional traders know all about the guts and glory of live trading. Trading discipline is the only difference between unprofitable and profitable traders. Watching a violent swing in the charts that can put a dent in your trading capital can be tough to swallow.
Avoid the Cringe of the News
To preserve your trading capital and avoid a heart attack, it is best to stay away from news related market activity. Even proven strategies are proven to fail when there is a large amount of volatility and gut instinct present in the market. After data releases, such as the Nonfarm payroll or inflation statistics, the markets will go wild with volatility.
Plan to Avoid the News
A trading plan planner should always be kept to outline under what conditions your strategy works best, but also to include times when the strategy is not as profitable. Key news dates should be written down in an easy to see area of your workstation. Markets like to respond to news 15 minutes before the actual news release and continue for hours after the news breaks. Avoiding high volume news times is the best way to preserve your trading capital and keep the cringe-inducing trades to a minimum.
Preservation Equal to Growth
To master day trading is to know when not to take a trade. Preserving your capital is equally as important as growing your portfolio. If the market loses 30% one year and a profitable trader preserves his capital, he’s outpaced the market by 30%. While wealth was not created, he made an effective gain of 30% after comparing to other investors. In a downtrend, trading discipline is critical to keeping your head and your profits.
Monitor the Trends
Cringe-inducing trades are often the product of a sideways trend, rather than a downtrend or uptrend. The uncertainty that comes with a sideways trend makes it that much more difficult to swallow than a well defined uptrend. A sideways trend can snap at any time, sending the price up or down at a violent pace.
Stay True to Your Trading Strategy Plan
The most common mistake made in testy markets is to interfere with your trades. Moving stop losses, taking early profits, or letting a loser run are all dangerous. It is best to let the proven strategies work their magic over the long run than to interfere with the odds on the short run. Creative techniques, such as trading smaller trade sizes or avoiding the trade all together, is the best way to prevent a loss.
Friday, August 28, 2009
How To Manage The Passion Of Trading
Being a trader is more than just a day job. Traders will often find themselves studying the numbers on unrelated events. After taking the plunge into the world of technical investing, you might find yourself looking for trends and chart patterns on things as simple as a weather chart.
Seeing Charts Everywhere
The professional trader will rarely leave work at work. Trading success with technical analysis will bring a trader to actively discuss key issues after hours, such as late day breakouts or momentum strategies. The markets are a bit of an obsession for the average day trader.
Traders who use technical analysis have the hardest time getting away from work. Everywhere you look there are patterns, specifically chart patterns. After years of looking for patterns on stock prices, it is hard to ignore the patterns in everyday life. Finding established chart patterns in a sea of data is easy for a professional trader. It is very likely that traders become obsessed with numbers and chart patterns.
24/7 Trading Makes Stepping Away Difficult
Because trading is such an up and down event, stepping away from the trading desk can be difficult. With the world markets open anywhere, anytime, 24/7, it is hard to ignore the computer screen in favor of a relaxing event. Even financial freedom is not enough for some traders to ignore the markets; buying and selling can be a lifestyle rather than a simple way to make money.
After years of successful trading, life-changing results, such as a ten-bagger in a retirement portfolio, is usually not enough to get away from the markets. Look at any of the most successful professional traders – even though they have financial prosperity, they are still on a quest for more. Financial freedom is just a status rather than a gateway to retirement.
Find Another Passion to Manage Your Trading One
Finding an activity to do each day is paramount to keeping a level head. Ignore your day trading strategies and the late day breakouts and focus on something you like to do. Many trading firms have game consoles, libraries, and even arcades that cater to their employees. Trader burnout is easy to achieve when you spend hours each day looking at candlestick chart patterns. The constant emotional rollercoaster of watching your positions go from the red to the black and back to red can be nerve-wracking. The best thing to do is find another passion to take you away from the day to day and to something you enjoy.
Seeing Charts Everywhere
The professional trader will rarely leave work at work. Trading success with technical analysis will bring a trader to actively discuss key issues after hours, such as late day breakouts or momentum strategies. The markets are a bit of an obsession for the average day trader.
Traders who use technical analysis have the hardest time getting away from work. Everywhere you look there are patterns, specifically chart patterns. After years of looking for patterns on stock prices, it is hard to ignore the patterns in everyday life. Finding established chart patterns in a sea of data is easy for a professional trader. It is very likely that traders become obsessed with numbers and chart patterns.
24/7 Trading Makes Stepping Away Difficult
Because trading is such an up and down event, stepping away from the trading desk can be difficult. With the world markets open anywhere, anytime, 24/7, it is hard to ignore the computer screen in favor of a relaxing event. Even financial freedom is not enough for some traders to ignore the markets; buying and selling can be a lifestyle rather than a simple way to make money.
After years of successful trading, life-changing results, such as a ten-bagger in a retirement portfolio, is usually not enough to get away from the markets. Look at any of the most successful professional traders – even though they have financial prosperity, they are still on a quest for more. Financial freedom is just a status rather than a gateway to retirement.
Find Another Passion to Manage Your Trading One
Finding an activity to do each day is paramount to keeping a level head. Ignore your day trading strategies and the late day breakouts and focus on something you like to do. Many trading firms have game consoles, libraries, and even arcades that cater to their employees. Trader burnout is easy to achieve when you spend hours each day looking at candlestick chart patterns. The constant emotional rollercoaster of watching your positions go from the red to the black and back to red can be nerve-wracking. The best thing to do is find another passion to take you away from the day to day and to something you enjoy.
Success In Real Estate Investing Requires The Right Mindset
Back in the 1980s, if you were going to go on a diet, popular magazines would suggest that you “think thin.” The magazine articles were reluctant to explain what that meant, but people were aware that they were supposed to do it. Adopt the psychology of the thin, whatever that was supposed to be. It follows that, if you want to make money, you would be able to accomplish that by adopting the psychology of the rich, right? As a matter of fact, this is true. In particular, you should internalize the mindset of the accomplished property investor.
Successful property investors are opportunists. They always have their antennae up and ready. They place themselves in the way of information. They “live the life” of the property investor, so to speak. Because of all this, they notice things that others do not.
Ken McElroy, author of The ABCs of Real Estate Investing, part of the Rich Dad book series, says it is all about seeing patterns. If you check out enough properties, study enough areas, talk to enough people, McElroy said, you will start to see these patterns. Then certain things will start to happen. You may start to feel luckier. And, McElroy says, it may be luck, however it is a sort of luck that comes from being prepared.
Don't forget: fortune favors the prepared mind. Opportunity is all around us, but if we don't stay alert, it will be as though it doesn't exist. The alert mind recognizes opportunity.
Ken McElroy stresses over and over again that being successful in real estate is a process. It isn't just something that occurs instantaneously. It's something that you do each and every day. Eventually things begin to happen for you.
A successful property investor focuses on doing a little at a time, on learning this or that thing, or closing this particular deal. It's a “walk before you can crawl” process.
For instance, McElroy says that if you've found a potentially profitable deal, you will be able to get funding for it as others will inevitably want their own share of the eventual profits. This isn't necessarily about skillful negotiation, McElroy said. Of course, those skills can net you an even more advantageous deal on occasion, however you don't need to worry about whether or not you can hold your own when negotiating. Focus on searching for good deals.
Though investors are always considering risk, always aware of it, successful investors aren't scared away by it. They decide whether or not the risk seems reasonable. If the numbers work out correctly, says McElroy, it is a good deal. If it is a good deal, the savvy property investor goes ahead with it.
Easy.
Those who don't understand how to accurately evaluate risk may think that everything is too risky. They make the assumption, for instance, that a larger deal may be too risky for a novice to deal with. They assume that because they think the investor is sinking a lot of personal cash into the deal when, in reality, a larger deal stands to generate greater profit for the participants. For this reason, you may be able to get backing for a deal like that. In the end, not have to put up as much of your own money as you would have on a smaller transaction.
Real estate investment is similar to anything else you might want to learn. Well, for one thing, you first have to learn the ropes. And you learn by doing it. Get out there and examine properties. Visit cities as though you had the intention to make a purchase. Log on to the Internet and read about areas. See what others have to say regarding the real estate climate a particular area. Get to know people. Before long, you will know enough to start considering making a deal. You don't have to have a pile of cash at your disposal prior to entering the game. All you have to do is get out there and enjoy yourself. Everything else will come.
Successful property investors are opportunists. They always have their antennae up and ready. They place themselves in the way of information. They “live the life” of the property investor, so to speak. Because of all this, they notice things that others do not.
Ken McElroy, author of The ABCs of Real Estate Investing, part of the Rich Dad book series, says it is all about seeing patterns. If you check out enough properties, study enough areas, talk to enough people, McElroy said, you will start to see these patterns. Then certain things will start to happen. You may start to feel luckier. And, McElroy says, it may be luck, however it is a sort of luck that comes from being prepared.
Don't forget: fortune favors the prepared mind. Opportunity is all around us, but if we don't stay alert, it will be as though it doesn't exist. The alert mind recognizes opportunity.
Ken McElroy stresses over and over again that being successful in real estate is a process. It isn't just something that occurs instantaneously. It's something that you do each and every day. Eventually things begin to happen for you.
A successful property investor focuses on doing a little at a time, on learning this or that thing, or closing this particular deal. It's a “walk before you can crawl” process.
For instance, McElroy says that if you've found a potentially profitable deal, you will be able to get funding for it as others will inevitably want their own share of the eventual profits. This isn't necessarily about skillful negotiation, McElroy said. Of course, those skills can net you an even more advantageous deal on occasion, however you don't need to worry about whether or not you can hold your own when negotiating. Focus on searching for good deals.
Though investors are always considering risk, always aware of it, successful investors aren't scared away by it. They decide whether or not the risk seems reasonable. If the numbers work out correctly, says McElroy, it is a good deal. If it is a good deal, the savvy property investor goes ahead with it.
Easy.
Those who don't understand how to accurately evaluate risk may think that everything is too risky. They make the assumption, for instance, that a larger deal may be too risky for a novice to deal with. They assume that because they think the investor is sinking a lot of personal cash into the deal when, in reality, a larger deal stands to generate greater profit for the participants. For this reason, you may be able to get backing for a deal like that. In the end, not have to put up as much of your own money as you would have on a smaller transaction.
Real estate investment is similar to anything else you might want to learn. Well, for one thing, you first have to learn the ropes. And you learn by doing it. Get out there and examine properties. Visit cities as though you had the intention to make a purchase. Log on to the Internet and read about areas. See what others have to say regarding the real estate climate a particular area. Get to know people. Before long, you will know enough to start considering making a deal. You don't have to have a pile of cash at your disposal prior to entering the game. All you have to do is get out there and enjoy yourself. Everything else will come.
6 Trading Habits To Strive For
There are many methods to build superior trading habits. Good trading habits will make trading a part of routine, rather than a task. Getting in the habit of doing everything exactly to plan will boost trading profits, marking one more step in the path to financial freedom.
1. Trading Discipline - Following your own trading plan is very important to success. When emotions are left to go as they please, it is easier to lose track of your portfolio. Proven techniques and strategies should not be edited for any reason; follow the plan and let it work for you.
2. Look at Every Time Frame - Even when trading short 5 minute ticks, it is important to evaluate all timeframes for market data. It just might happen that a 200 day moving average is acting to support your position. You’ll never know this unless you take the time to study all timeframes rather than just a few. Long term trends can and do impact short term trading positions. Day traders are more susceptible to trading in only one timeframe because of how time-sensitive their investments are. Swing traders are probably used to checking multiple timeframes for entry points.
3. Trade As Your Capital Allows - Day traders are able to access high levels of margin that can greatly exceed their trading capital. Overextension of credit is dangerous and can compound losses just as easily as gains. Momentum trading with many different entry points can end up in costly mistakes if your account becomes overextended.
4. Understanding Risk - Managing risk is the difference between gambling and investing. Profitable traders can quickly calculate how much of a drawdown they are willing to incur before cutting a position. It is important to have a plan for pruning losses and minimizing the damage of drawdown.
5. Stick to Your Niche - Niche trading or only trading in your specific area of study is the best way to stay profitable. Too often do traders get bored with inactivity, only to take positions that are out of their trading knowledge. Sticking to what you do best keeps your account from being overextended in too many positions and minimizes loss. If you are best in high volume trading, then only trade during periods of high volume. Finding your trading niche will help you to become more a more efficient trader.
6. Trading is Affected by Emotion - It can be difficult to get away from trading. Holding positions overnight can only double the amount of stress that comes with having open positions. For the day trader, try to limit your exposure to overnight markets and keep stress levels low.
1. Trading Discipline - Following your own trading plan is very important to success. When emotions are left to go as they please, it is easier to lose track of your portfolio. Proven techniques and strategies should not be edited for any reason; follow the plan and let it work for you.
2. Look at Every Time Frame - Even when trading short 5 minute ticks, it is important to evaluate all timeframes for market data. It just might happen that a 200 day moving average is acting to support your position. You’ll never know this unless you take the time to study all timeframes rather than just a few. Long term trends can and do impact short term trading positions. Day traders are more susceptible to trading in only one timeframe because of how time-sensitive their investments are. Swing traders are probably used to checking multiple timeframes for entry points.
3. Trade As Your Capital Allows - Day traders are able to access high levels of margin that can greatly exceed their trading capital. Overextension of credit is dangerous and can compound losses just as easily as gains. Momentum trading with many different entry points can end up in costly mistakes if your account becomes overextended.
4. Understanding Risk - Managing risk is the difference between gambling and investing. Profitable traders can quickly calculate how much of a drawdown they are willing to incur before cutting a position. It is important to have a plan for pruning losses and minimizing the damage of drawdown.
5. Stick to Your Niche - Niche trading or only trading in your specific area of study is the best way to stay profitable. Too often do traders get bored with inactivity, only to take positions that are out of their trading knowledge. Sticking to what you do best keeps your account from being overextended in too many positions and minimizes loss. If you are best in high volume trading, then only trade during periods of high volume. Finding your trading niche will help you to become more a more efficient trader.
6. Trading is Affected by Emotion - It can be difficult to get away from trading. Holding positions overnight can only double the amount of stress that comes with having open positions. For the day trader, try to limit your exposure to overnight markets and keep stress levels low.
Lifestyle Of Traders
Trading can be a very active lifestyle. Whereas day traders spend hours every day in front of a computer monitor scalping small movements in price, the active trader does have a “rich” lifestyle both in money and time.
Lifestyle Depends Upon Trading Style
Professional traders usually make their income from scalping short tick charts, day trading from open to close, or swing trading over a matter of days or weeks. The trading style differs with the lifestyle. Scalpers can profit heavily in just a few hours to have the rest of the day to relax and read up on the markets. Day traders benefit from taking positions when they want through the course of the week, often taking full days off at a time. A swing trader has the luxury of placing few trades every few weeks, allowing for plenty of down time.
Improving Your Trading Skills During Your Down Time
Many traders use their down time to participate in trading seminars to meet new people in the financial world. Trading for the big firms is all about whom you know, and indeed, getting involved in the trading community is the only way to work your way to the top of the trading world. For the smaller investor, time may be better spent on an online home study course to further their trading potential.
Skill-building activities, such as looking at old charts, reviewing failed trades, or sharpening your trend line drawing skills, are a great way to spend the surplus of time trading provides. Developing a trading plan planner is another good way to spend the extra time, as a complete trading plan will give you the confidence to trade, even when the market goes against you.
Trading isn’t just about investing in the markets, but also in your own ability to trade. Locking in consistent profits means more time off and more time to review your trading plan. Bettering yourself at your own job means less time studying and more time off, while bringing in consistent profits.
Earning a Relaxed Lifestyle
To the person on the outside, the financial district appears to be “stressed out” people huddled around computer monitors for the bulk of the day. For many people on the inside, trading provides a profitable career and a relaxed atmosphere. For the home trader, a job as a day trader provides a luxurious income and the chance to be your own boss. The ability to take off work whenever you want easily trumps the consistency of a 9-5.
Lifestyle Depends Upon Trading Style
Professional traders usually make their income from scalping short tick charts, day trading from open to close, or swing trading over a matter of days or weeks. The trading style differs with the lifestyle. Scalpers can profit heavily in just a few hours to have the rest of the day to relax and read up on the markets. Day traders benefit from taking positions when they want through the course of the week, often taking full days off at a time. A swing trader has the luxury of placing few trades every few weeks, allowing for plenty of down time.
Improving Your Trading Skills During Your Down Time
Many traders use their down time to participate in trading seminars to meet new people in the financial world. Trading for the big firms is all about whom you know, and indeed, getting involved in the trading community is the only way to work your way to the top of the trading world. For the smaller investor, time may be better spent on an online home study course to further their trading potential.
Skill-building activities, such as looking at old charts, reviewing failed trades, or sharpening your trend line drawing skills, are a great way to spend the surplus of time trading provides. Developing a trading plan planner is another good way to spend the extra time, as a complete trading plan will give you the confidence to trade, even when the market goes against you.
Trading isn’t just about investing in the markets, but also in your own ability to trade. Locking in consistent profits means more time off and more time to review your trading plan. Bettering yourself at your own job means less time studying and more time off, while bringing in consistent profits.
Earning a Relaxed Lifestyle
To the person on the outside, the financial district appears to be “stressed out” people huddled around computer monitors for the bulk of the day. For many people on the inside, trading provides a profitable career and a relaxed atmosphere. For the home trader, a job as a day trader provides a luxurious income and the chance to be your own boss. The ability to take off work whenever you want easily trumps the consistency of a 9-5.
5 TIPS FOR DEALING WITH THE TRADING BLUES
Can’t seem to pick a winner? Tired of the sideways market? The trading blues are quick to set in and ruin your future trades. Depending on the trading style, you may be more or less prone to the trading blues. Day trading and scalping are very quick, nerve-wracking professions and can be easily impacted by a series of losses.
However, there are five ways in which you can improve your trading environment, allowing you to overcome your trading blues.
1. Skill-Building Activities - Taking a look back to the basics of your trading plan blueprints can help you overcome the trading blues. Skill-building activities, such as drawing trendlines on short-term movements or analyzing candlestick patterns, can help you feel comfortable again with your own trading style. Go back through the step-by-step instructions of your trading plan and fine tune any possible variables in your trading plan – these activities will all help you avoid losses.
2. Trading Seminars - Listen to what others have to say about the markets, find what will work best for you, and incorporate the trading philosophy into a trading plan planner. Trading seminars allow a different perspective on the same market, letting you see the market from someone else’s perspective.
3. Take Some Time Off - Take some time off from the computer and rest your mind. Day trading is very tiresome, both mentally and physically. A brief escape from the constant flux of the markets will give you some time to relax and rewind. Consistent profits are best achieved after a restful break from the drama of the market.
4. Establish an Emergency Fund - Even professional traders have their bad streaks. The key is to ride out each bad period for times of prosperity. Establishing an emergency fund for day to day expenses can take the worry out of living off your trading capital. The stress of knowing you have to deliver results to make money can be devastating to your trading accounts.
5. Have a Complete Trading Plan - A complete trading plan should take into account the worst of times. You should be prepared for anything, including steps for trading in bear markets and what to do in case of a large draw down. A complete trading plan should also include ways to re-up your brokerage account after large losses. A trading plan planner will help set up a plan for even the worst scenarios. Anything short of nuclear war should be included in a complete trading plan.
However, there are five ways in which you can improve your trading environment, allowing you to overcome your trading blues.
1. Skill-Building Activities - Taking a look back to the basics of your trading plan blueprints can help you overcome the trading blues. Skill-building activities, such as drawing trendlines on short-term movements or analyzing candlestick patterns, can help you feel comfortable again with your own trading style. Go back through the step-by-step instructions of your trading plan and fine tune any possible variables in your trading plan – these activities will all help you avoid losses.
2. Trading Seminars - Listen to what others have to say about the markets, find what will work best for you, and incorporate the trading philosophy into a trading plan planner. Trading seminars allow a different perspective on the same market, letting you see the market from someone else’s perspective.
3. Take Some Time Off - Take some time off from the computer and rest your mind. Day trading is very tiresome, both mentally and physically. A brief escape from the constant flux of the markets will give you some time to relax and rewind. Consistent profits are best achieved after a restful break from the drama of the market.
4. Establish an Emergency Fund - Even professional traders have their bad streaks. The key is to ride out each bad period for times of prosperity. Establishing an emergency fund for day to day expenses can take the worry out of living off your trading capital. The stress of knowing you have to deliver results to make money can be devastating to your trading accounts.
5. Have a Complete Trading Plan - A complete trading plan should take into account the worst of times. You should be prepared for anything, including steps for trading in bear markets and what to do in case of a large draw down. A complete trading plan should also include ways to re-up your brokerage account after large losses. A trading plan planner will help set up a plan for even the worst scenarios. Anything short of nuclear war should be included in a complete trading plan.
HOW TO ENJOY YOUR TRADING SUCCESS
Trading discipline is a fast track to trading success. Disciplined, working strategies will statistically win in the long run. But how should you celebrate your trading success and make the most of your wins?
Day Trading Mentality
Day traders who make a quick profit are the first to celebrate trading success. The small intraday movements in price are enough to keep day traders happy with their positions. The most important thing to remember is even with a comprehensive trading plan, losses are inevitable. Statistically, a win only brings more losses, but the biggest trading secret is that a few wins can easily strike out many small losses.
For day trading with a small account, trading success should send the trader to increase his or her stake. Your trading capital must grow over time to cover your own cost of living, as well as provide a “pay raise” over time. To obtain financial freedom, a day trader must have sufficient capital to both weather losses and collect big gains.
The Biggest Fallacy in Celebration
After a big win, the greatest fallacy a trader enacts is changing his or her trading structure. Too many times, an over-confident day trader makes trades based on “gut” feelings, rather than basic trading fundamentals. However, in this scenario, the trader eliminates strategy, instead entering the gray zone characteristic of gambling. Remember, the difference between gambling and day trading is proper money management. Proven techniques and strategies are profitable in the long run because they have set criteria for each trade, rather than just a stab in the dark based upon “gut” feelings.
The Greatest Gift of Success is Education
Learn from your successes. Indeed, the greatest gift of trading success is the education it presents you. Chances are that you placed the trade because of your own trading system and analysis; review the details surrounding your trade (ideally in the trade journal you keep) to develop a core of strategies that will produce winning trades.
Give Yourself a Brokerage “Present”
Boost your own trading profits by topping your account. Day trading with a small account is very limiting. After a big win, add some of your own personal funds to your account to keep your success. Undercapitalized accounts are the first to falter when the market turns. Investing in yourself can be the difference between profitability or simply getting by.
For large wins, you might even consider quitting your day job. Many people have found financial freedom through day trading. If the time is right and you have bankrolled a significant balance, making day trading or swing trading a career can be both profitable and rewarding. Quitting the 9-5 is the ultimate way to celebrate long-term trading success.
Day Trading Mentality
Day traders who make a quick profit are the first to celebrate trading success. The small intraday movements in price are enough to keep day traders happy with their positions. The most important thing to remember is even with a comprehensive trading plan, losses are inevitable. Statistically, a win only brings more losses, but the biggest trading secret is that a few wins can easily strike out many small losses.
For day trading with a small account, trading success should send the trader to increase his or her stake. Your trading capital must grow over time to cover your own cost of living, as well as provide a “pay raise” over time. To obtain financial freedom, a day trader must have sufficient capital to both weather losses and collect big gains.
The Biggest Fallacy in Celebration
After a big win, the greatest fallacy a trader enacts is changing his or her trading structure. Too many times, an over-confident day trader makes trades based on “gut” feelings, rather than basic trading fundamentals. However, in this scenario, the trader eliminates strategy, instead entering the gray zone characteristic of gambling. Remember, the difference between gambling and day trading is proper money management. Proven techniques and strategies are profitable in the long run because they have set criteria for each trade, rather than just a stab in the dark based upon “gut” feelings.
The Greatest Gift of Success is Education
Learn from your successes. Indeed, the greatest gift of trading success is the education it presents you. Chances are that you placed the trade because of your own trading system and analysis; review the details surrounding your trade (ideally in the trade journal you keep) to develop a core of strategies that will produce winning trades.
Give Yourself a Brokerage “Present”
Boost your own trading profits by topping your account. Day trading with a small account is very limiting. After a big win, add some of your own personal funds to your account to keep your success. Undercapitalized accounts are the first to falter when the market turns. Investing in yourself can be the difference between profitability or simply getting by.
For large wins, you might even consider quitting your day job. Many people have found financial freedom through day trading. If the time is right and you have bankrolled a significant balance, making day trading or swing trading a career can be both profitable and rewarding. Quitting the 9-5 is the ultimate way to celebrate long-term trading success.
This Investments article is provided by Articleteller - The Free Article Directory http://www.articleteller.com
About the Author:
Leroy Rushing is an active, professional day trader; trading coach; and eBook author. He is the Founder and CEO of Trading EveryDay, a distinguished provider of educational trading products and services that are available worldwide.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Microsoft phased out 13 products in last 8 months, analyst says
Employees aren't the only victims of Microsoft Corp.'s declining profits, as the company has killed, frozen or spun out 13 software and Web services since last fall, according to a report released Monday.
Matt Rosoff, of the independent analyst firm, Directions on Microsoft, said "as Microsoft continues to ."
Potential victims include products that overlap with others inside Microsoft but have less internal executive support, wrote Rosoff. Others include products such as Encarta, whose market has disappeared due to competition -- in Encarta's case, Wikipedia -- or products introduced to compete against firms no longer seen as threats to Microsoft, such as Office Accounting and Dynamics Entrepreneur, both killed now that Intuit Corp. has been replaced by Google Inc. on Microsoft's radar.
Products that are likely to survive cost-cutting purges can be tiny, such as the MSN dial-up Internet service, as long as they still turn a tidy profit. Or they can be money-bleeding products like XBox or the search engine Bing that are considered key to defending Microsoft's money makers such as Windows or Office. Or they may merely need the support of leaders such as Bill Gates, as MSN Direct and the .Net Micro framework did, wrote Rosoff.
cancelled by Microsoft since October 2008 can be seen here.
Sometimes Microsoft outright kills a product. Take Encarta, which was a and Microsoft's move away from packaged consumer software, Rosoff said
Other times, Microsoft folds struggling products into better-performing ones, such as Office Live, a collection of online services for small businesses or PerformancePoint Server, a that Rosoff said overlapped too much with SharePoint Server, into which it is being folded.
Some products are made free due to a plethora of free rivals. Examples include anti-virus service OneCare, which will be replaced by a free product code-named Morro, and SharePoint Designer, a Web site designer which will also be given away free to accelerate the SharePoint ecosystem.
Others were niche products that were spun out, such as Microsoft's to Polycom in April. That move was used to "eliminate" the product "quickly without alienating current customers," wrote Rosoff.
Another example was Microsoft's service to Multiply.com.
Sometimes products are old and gently nudged aside. Microsoft put Office Accounting into maintenance mode, meaning the company will support it through the end of its lifecycle but no longer plans to update it.
Budgeting Tools and Software Products in Lieu of Microsoft Money
You may have heard the news already but in case you haven’t, then here’s something to mull over: Microsoft is discontinuing the sale of their popular financial software product, Microsoft Money, by the end of this month (June 2009). It’s the close of an era: R.I.P. Microsoft Money.
The reason for this decision is obvious. Microsoft Money could no longer compete with the likes ofonline banks, online brokers, free personal finance tools, sites and other desktop personal financial software products. There are just too many strong products out there using better technology that are becoming available for free. We should continue to expect a lot of changes in the personal finance landscape with the proliferation of newer, more relevant products and slicker tools.
Here are the Microsoft products to be discontinued:
- Microsoft Money Essentials
- Microsoft Money Plus Deluxe
- Microsoft Money Plus Premium
- Microsoft Money Plus Home & Business
You can check out Microsoft’s announcement for more details. If you’re an MS Money user, you’ll probably soon be hearing from (or about) software companies that are hoping to swoop in and snag your business. If you’re interested in replacing MS Money, check out the following alternatives:
Budgeting Tools and Software Products For Your Desktop
- Excel Spreadsheets: If you aren’t an Excel user, could it be because you’ve deliberately decided that spreadsheets are just too much of a bear to use? But it may be time to revisit how Excel works. I personally use this tool for my financial management needs. While it’s the most basic tool out there for your money (some desktop products are actually based on it), it’s also the most flexible one you’ll probably ever come across.
- You Need A Budget: I’ve covered the YNAB tools to some extent before — just check out my review of YNAB (You Need A Budget). YNAB Basic and YNAB Pro are highly rated desktop budgeting tools which incorporate a methodology that strongly encourages you to stop living paycheck to paycheck. The product enforces a strategy that allows you to create a savings buffer while you budget. You can check out more details here.
- Quicken: This software is probably the best known alternative to Microsoft Money. On occasion, there’s a Quicken software discount offered on Intuit’s products that range from $20 to $50 off (depending on the product). The latest sales promotion will become available from June 15 to June 28 when you’ll be able to receive the aforementioned discounts. Quicken products include Quicken Deluxe, Premier, Home and Business, and Rental Property Manager, which you can pick up here.
- iBank: From IGG Software, we have this financial management software application for the Mac. The full version costs $59.99 and the software comes with a 30 day guarantee. It has some interesting features, including the ability to sync up your data with your iPhone, and the ability to manage your loans and investments. It’s also compatible with tax applications, allowing you to export your tax records to software like TurboTax.
- Moneydance: Here’s another software product that you can download. It appears to do the standard stuff that other products do, but there’s one thing that stands out about this application: the fact that it’s open source financial software that runs on a lot of software platforms such as the Mac, Windows, Linux and various Unix operating systems. Moneydance is also one of the fewer products that can support multiple languages and currencies. The downside? I haven’t tried it myself, but I’ve read that it comes with less features (bells and whistles) than more popular products of its kind. Could simplicity be a good thing? It’s available for $39.99 as of this writing.
What About The Free Financial Tools?
For your money management needs, there’s also the free online stuff that you can blame for the demise of Microsoft’s money software. So what are some of the buzzworthy online personal financial tools out there?
- Quicken Online: We’ve already discussed Quicken desktop products, but if you’re looking for an Intuit product that’s available at no cost, then try out Quicken’s free online version.
- Mint.com: This online personal finance tool is one of the most recognized in its space. I’ve actually covered them a little bit on this blog. Find out how Mint stacks up to similar tools in the following articles: Mint vs Thrive and Mint vs Wesabe.
- Wesabe: This is another great money management tool that comes with a highly regarded online community. They’ve got some cool forums too.
- Thrive: With this tool, you’ll be able to do the basics: make a budget, manage your spending, manage your savings, plan for your future and get a credit score. Check out my Mint vs Thrive post for more insights.
- moneyStrands: Yet another financial site to help you set up a budget, control your spending, and start saving… you get the picture. I’m sure there’s more where this came from.
This must be just the tip of the iceberg. Any more software products and tools you know about? We’d love to hear about it!
Microsoft temps get shorter hours
Details are emerging of how Microsoft plans to trim its costs while axing as few full-time staff as possible during the ongoing worldwide recession.
On current projects, Microsoft is cutting payments to staffing agencies by ten per cent, and it won't raise the rate for temps who return following a mandatory, 100-day break, the APhas reported.
The company will also reduce the amount of overtime plus the total number of hours worked by temps and contractors.
The reduction is smaller than expected. In January, chief financial officer Chris Liddel told Wall Streetthe company would cut "contractor cost" by 15 per cent.
Last month, Microsoft said it would cut 5,000 staff during the next 18 months, with 1,400 gone immediately. Comments to the MiniMicrosoft blog made it clear that many Microsoft groups had been promised by managers that full-time staff would not feel the cuts.
That put the focus on contractors and on areas not considered "core" to Microsoft and not home to large numbers of employees - such as the ACES game studio with just 150 staff. ®
HP Ireland asks staff to vote for pay cut
HP has begun asking EDS staff to take a pay cut as part of its wide-ranging cost cutting strategy.
In a bizarre email, seen by the Reg, titled HP Salary Reduction Programme, staff from the Electronic Data Systems are asked to agree a five per cent pay cut, and related cuts in benefits, by clicking on the "I Agree" button. The mail is from Martin Murphy, MD of HP Ireland, and addressed to all HP Ireland employees.
The cuts will come into force from 1 September 2009. Staff have until 21 July to make their minds up. Not surprisingly those who have emailedReg Towers are unimpressed with the plan and are voting No.
Some staff are being offered a 2.5 per cent cut.
The email also said that if they agree to the pay cut then they will be able to change some of their flexible benefits.
Company cars are also in the firing line - HP will no longer provide "Status cars" to new hires and people being promoted will not get a car benefit. Lucky HP execs who already have a status car will keep them.
We contacted HP to ask for more details on cost-cutting, and what the hell a Status car is, but they've yet to get back to us. However, one employee explained to us that Status cars are not specially tricked out exec rides, but simply regular old company cars.
Many UK firms are asking staff to reduce their hours, or at least those they are paid for, in order to cut costs.
HP sent us the following:
As announced in February, during the Q1 results, HP announced it will reduce employee compensation and benefits to increase flexibility in the company’s cost structure. In the UK the proposed base pay reductions are subject to the consent of those concerned.HP statement regarding Car Policy:
In November 2008 , we announced to our employees our plan to reduce our discretionary spending as part of our ongoing focus on operational efficiencies. These actions have been taken in order to keep the company competitive in the challenging economic environment.
Microsoft will continue to provide online services to Money for two years after activation or until 31 January 2011. After that, the software will not
A French marketing specialist is reportedly the latest beau being targeted by Microsoft for an arranged marriage with its digital advertising pick-up Razorfish.
Microsoft has appointed Morgan Stanley to find a buyer for Razorfish, with Publicis thought to be in the running for an acquisition the FT has reported. Razorfish has been valued at between $600m and $700m. Microsoft declined to comment.
Razorfish was pulled into the Microsoft machine as part of the software company's $6bn acquisition of ads campaign and tools specialist aQuantive in May 2007.
The deal marked Microsoft's wholesale jump into online advertising against online ads and search giant Google. The goal is to let clients not just place ads on MSN, but to also co-ordinate ads on Microsoft properties like its Xbox games and online community and Office Live.
Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer called the deal the next step in the evolution of Microsoft's ad network from its initial investment in MSN, in the mid 1990s.
At the time of the deal, Microsoft called Avenue A/Razorfish - now just Razorfish: "One of the largest interactive ad agencies in the world, providing advertisers with industry-leading digital marketing consultation, media planning and buying, and creative services that help advertisers use the online channel to build meaningful, profitable relationships with their customers."
It seems, though, Microsoft was not interested in becoming an advertising agency - Razorfish's clients include Audi, Nike and Kraft. The company was last year reported to be looking for a buyer for Razorfish and then a partnership with PR and ads powerhouse WPP.
aQuantive's ads tools and technologies were the real drivers for this deal. The company delivered an operation of 2,600 staff with ad-serving company Atlas and an online-advertising exchange network called Drivepm, which aggregated excess inventory from publishers and resold it to advertisers. Microsoft planned to merge its own advertising platform with Atlas.
Any sale would come as Microsoft trims its operating expenses to get through the recession. That's a strategy that's so far seen the company shut down or spin out a number of products and units considered outside of the core business.®
Microsoft abolishes Money
Microsoft is pulling the plug on Money - its personal finance and small business software package.
The software will no longer be available to buy after 30 June and anyone who has bought MS Money needs to activate it before 31 January 2011. Microsoft Money was sold in four versions from $19.99 to $69.99.
Microsoft will continue to provide online services to Money for two years after activation or until 31 January 2011. After that, the software will not support online banking and bill payment. The company ended annual updates for the software last year. It scaled back UK ambitions much earlier - it has not updated the UK version since Money 2005.
Last September the company announced it was to stop selling packaged versions of Microsoft Money in retail stores. It said it would sell the product online download only. At the time, Chris Jolley, group manager for Microsoft Financial Products, said that personal finance remained an important category for the company.
But a statement published today on Microsoft's website reports that demand has fallen as institutions such as brokers and banks roll out similar services. The company points users in the direction of Microsoft's MSN online financial services.
Of course another beneficiary of Money's demise is Intuit, America's leader in personal finance software. Microsoft tried to buy the company once but was stopped in its tracks by the Department of Justice, whose valedictory statement is still available online.
The demise of Money is part of cost cutting measures announced by Microsoft in January, along with 5,000 job cuts.
In March this year Microsoft pulled the plug on Encarta - its old school encyclopedia. It has also euthanised its anti-virus product and its hugely popular flight simulator. ®
Microsoft guns down 13 unlucky products
Microsoft shuttered, put a hold on and let go of 13 products in the past eight months to help it cut costs, following a profits dive at the company that led to job cuts.
According to a report published yesterday by analyst outfit Directions on Microsoft, Redmond is expected to cull more of its software and web-based products over the coming months to help it cut back on spending.
“Since October 2008, when the company began experiencing a slowdown in its core businesses, Microsoft has stopped selling or scaled back development on at least a dozen products,” wrote analyst Matt Rosoff.
“While some cancellations are probably the result of cost-cutting efforts, others may have been planned before the downturn or continue trends that started a long time ago.”
Indeed, the firm’s MSN Encarta encyclopedia website and software is one such victim of a planned culling. MS confirmed in March that it was pulling the plug on the product following Wikipedia's obliteration of the online reference market.
Similarly, Microsoft has eliminated other packaged consumer software, such as Digital Image Suite, Autoroute and Equipt, noted Rosoff.
“Nonetheless, as Microsoft continues to reduce costs, product development will be impacted,” he said.
“Understanding the characteristics of cancelled products - as well as characteristics that can protect seemingly unsuccessful products - could help partners and customers identify products that are most likely to become victims of the cost-cutting drive.”
Microsoft announced in January that it would lay off 5,000 workers. Boss Steve Ballmer admitted the firm had been forced to make the job cuts - the first in its history - to reel back spending in the face of a shrinking world economy.
Friday, March 20, 2009
What is FOREX ?
Forex (FOReign EXchange market) is an inter-bank market that took shape in 1971 when global trade shifted from fixed exchange rates to floating ones. This is a set of transactions among forex market agents involving exchange of specified sums of money in a currency unit of any given nation for currency of another nation at an agreed rate as of any specified date. During exchange, the exchange rate of one currency to another currency is determined simply: by supply and demand – exchange to which both parties agree.
The simple sense of Forex (Forex currency exchange, Foreign Exchange) is simultaneous purchase and sale of the currency or the exchange of one country's currency for the one of another country. The world currencies do not have a fixed exchange rate and are always fluctuating being traded in the currency pairs like Euro/Dollar, Dollar/Yen an others. 85% of daily trades are taken by major currencies trading.
Investments usually deal with 4 major pairs: Euro against US dollar, US dollar against Japanese yen, British pound against US dollar, and US dollar against Swiss franc or EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, and USD/CHF used to sign these pairs accordingly. These major pairs are considered as Forex market's "blue chips". You will not receive any dividends on the currencies. Well known "buy low - sell high" gives the profit for currency trades.
In case you have a forecast that one currency would get higher to another you can exchange the second one for the first one and wait for the profit. If you are lucky to see the trades following your forecast you can make an opposite transaction and to exchange currencies back gaining the profit.
Forex transactions are carried out by Forex brokerage companies, also known as major banks dealers. Forex market is worldwide and your European colleagues may make a transaction with Japanese traders when it's time for you to sleep in the North America. There are 3 shifts for the major institutions to work in due to 24-hours a day activity of the Forex market. It's possible to ask for overnight execution for take-profit and stop-loss orders of the client.
Prices in the Forex market fluctuate without any dramatic changes unlike stock market where considerable gaps are likely to be seen. There isn't any problems entering and exit the market due to its daily turnover of about $1.2 trillion. Forex market can not ever be forced to stop. The transactions were carried out even in 2001, on September, 11th.
Foreign exchange market (also called Forex of FX to shorten the name) is the oldest market in the world. It is also seen to be the largest one. Being currencies' primary market working 24-hours a day, Forex is also the largest market with highest liquidity. This is an interbank market carrying out spot (or cash) transactions. The currency futures market, to be compared with Forex is traded only 1% as much.
Forex market doesn't have any exchange center unlike the stock market. Forex trading seem to go after the sun around the world, from banks of the United States to other parts of the world like Australia, New Zealand, the Far East or Europe and back to the US some time later.
High minimum amount of transaction and strict financial requirements used to make this interbank market unavailable for small speculators. The only dealers of currency markets were banks, huge-amount speculators and largest currency dealers. They had an ultimate access to this market dealing with lots of primary exchange rates of the world currencies, the market with an extremely high liquidity along with an unusually strong nature of trends.
Nowadays small traders have an opportunity to purchase the small lots (units), as a result of the large inter-bank units being split by market maker brokers like eToro, at the amount they like.
The traders of any size like small companies and individual speculators have an access to the market at the same price fluctuations and exchange rates which only large players used to enjoy recently. Market makers monitor the rates so that produce their profit on the difference of rates at which the currency was bought and sold.
Foreign Exchange Market has an acronymic name Forex. It has the largest size and the liquidity throughout the world nowadays. Forex daily transactions are carried out at the common amount from 1 to 3 trillion dollars. There is no stock market that is able to deal with a comparable amount of money.
This enormous market is like the dangerous sea where you can meet lots of sharks and dangerous waters but at the same time it is the only one where two weeks of trading can hypothetically bring you $1,000,000 out of $1,000 of initial investment.
This is certainly hypothetically because a lot of newbie traders deal with their trades as gambling, that surely bring them to having nothing in the end. You should always keep the phrase "be careful!" in your mind. This market would give you its profit possibilities only if you learn the basic things hard and make lots of demo trading.
The statistics is that as much as 95% of traders come to losing their money at Forex, 5% have profit and less than 1% of traders make large fortune at Forex. You shouldn't produce, sell or advertise anything trading at Forex. Your assets are your knowledge, experience and a small amount of cash.
This market is a platform for banks, transnational corporations and individual traders to change the currencies they possess into other ones. This is the spot Forex market. At this market you can trade with up to 1:400 leverage which means that you'll get $400 on your account for each dollar invested. So, you can trade with the $400,000 sum having invested $1,000 onto your account.
Still, lots of experienced traders consider such leverage dangerous and won't get started with it. Though, if you know how ho use such high leverage it will do you only good. But this is the place to stop speaking about the basic things. Keep reading these articles if you want to be aware of how this market has occurred and some of its historical matters.
Now it is time to speak about the strategies and the way of making money at Forex some traders use. First we should say that the things that work in one case do not certainly work in another. The fact is that currency trading surely means risk. Still, there are a number of strategies for the newbie to use to be the winner.
Forex trading may seem very easy but it is not. Your high today earnings may turn into considerable losses even of your starting capital tomorrow. Newbie traders are likely to make the same mistakes several times. Here is a list of such typical mistakes.
1. There is no use of searching the "Holy Grail"
This phrase is to think for those who are scared of losses or being too greedy does his best to get rich in no time. You can surely make lots of money during some time and there isn't a necessity of producing and advertising anything but a huge homework is required to learn first. You have to know how this market works and which factors can take the exchange rate up or down. You should also be aware of the effective management for your money not to lose everything.
The majority of traders starting at Forex, look for their ultimate strategy that will cause no losses and will bring only profit. The desire of such people is to make a strategy that guarantees stable profit and millions of earnings in a short time without any losses for them to quit and enjoy their fortune and the new huge house. This will never bring any success.
There is no strategy that will give you only profit and such research is only waste of time. High profits of trading are caused by high risk, and you won't earn a fortune without being on the knife edge. Don't be sure that every trade will close in advantage to you. You will always feel uncertain and there is no way to vanish it. It means that you should always be ready to the possibility of your strategy failing even if it is thought as perfect.
You'll save a plenty of time and nerves by avoiding the search for the perfect strategy of earning millions. Even if you find this strategy you won't ever need it. You'll see why later.
2. Apply fundamental and technical analysis.
At the beginning of my trading I relied only on the money management on which I wanted to base my strategy and saw no sense of these analyses. But money management which is still very important doesn't worth omitting them. You can forecast the direction of the market basing on your technical and fundamental strategies to see their effectiveness.
You'll be able to make forecasts of price movements by applying the past data of the prices and graphs to the technical analysis methods. You can predict future prices with the level of accuracy dependent on your technical analysis skills using the graphs of the rates you observe.
Trading with some brokers you can see technical indicators along with the graphs. You can apply it to your demo account and estimate your prediction skills necessary for planning trading decisions.
It is impossible to choose the most effective indicator among lots of various ones. Each trader has to decide for himself which indicator is best for him. You can't find any magic formula; you just see the graphs, make your forecasts and find out whether they come true seeing the values in the news later.
Your decisions form this formula along with your knowledge that occurs out of the practical experience. Starting trading with an online broker it's best for you to trade with yourself on the sheet of paper rather than invest real money at once.
There are a lot of technical analysis indicators available but here are the ones which are the most wide-spread: the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD), the Bollinger Bands, Pivot Points, RSI, Stochastic, Fibonacci, EMA, Elliot Waves.
The broker's software will automatically make all the necessary calculations when you add the technical analysis indicator to the graph so that you'll see some facts which are unavailable without using these indicators. It is even possible for you to build your own technical systems basing on these indicators.
Fundamental analysis is another tool that maximizes your profit and minimizes your losses on the trades. There are some traders who prefer only one kind but the majority prefers both.
Fundamental analysis means trading following the news, e.g. telling about the economies or unemployment rate in the countries of the currencies you trade. They can also tell about the events that can have a strong influence on the currencies' exchange rate.
You can make forecasts on the market direction by following the news as well.
3. Use the strategies of money management.
Money management strategies let you win or lose. You should use them to be in a profit. Many traders make too vast investments in every trade and this is not always rational and reminds of a saying: "Expect to make too much and you will make too little, expect to make little and you will make a lot." It means that even if you invest much trying to get a lot on every trade you can lose all and even if you make small investments looking for a small reward you can make a lot in some period.
1% of the total sum of your account is the maximum sum of the potential risk. This is the first rule of the money management. Stop loss and limit orders may help you to follow this rule. This may be the reason of the small profit, especially if you have small initial investments, but by compounding a part of you profit or the whole one you can get an exponentially growing income.
This strategy of compound profits is the one that helped to make millions on financial market instead of gambling that results in losing all investments quickly.
Here is the example of the opposite tactics that many traders follow. Imagine that you have an initial investment of $5,000. You're lucky to possess the trading account and you enter a $1,000 trade. In case the markets trends down and you lose your $1,000 your assets become $4,000. You keep following your strategy and enter a $1,500 trade being sure that the market is at its low and hoping to get back your $1,000 plus earn $500 more. Then the market keeps moving against you leaving you with $2,500 on your account which is only one half of your starting capital. This is a very difficult situation to recover from.
The simple sense of Forex (Forex currency exchange, Foreign Exchange) is simultaneous purchase and sale of the currency or the exchange of one country's currency for the one of another country. The world currencies do not have a fixed exchange rate and are always fluctuating being traded in the currency pairs like Euro/Dollar, Dollar/Yen an others. 85% of daily trades are taken by major currencies trading.
Investments usually deal with 4 major pairs: Euro against US dollar, US dollar against Japanese yen, British pound against US dollar, and US dollar against Swiss franc or EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, and USD/CHF used to sign these pairs accordingly. These major pairs are considered as Forex market's "blue chips". You will not receive any dividends on the currencies. Well known "buy low - sell high" gives the profit for currency trades.
In case you have a forecast that one currency would get higher to another you can exchange the second one for the first one and wait for the profit. If you are lucky to see the trades following your forecast you can make an opposite transaction and to exchange currencies back gaining the profit.
Forex transactions are carried out by Forex brokerage companies, also known as major banks dealers. Forex market is worldwide and your European colleagues may make a transaction with Japanese traders when it's time for you to sleep in the North America. There are 3 shifts for the major institutions to work in due to 24-hours a day activity of the Forex market. It's possible to ask for overnight execution for take-profit and stop-loss orders of the client.
Prices in the Forex market fluctuate without any dramatic changes unlike stock market where considerable gaps are likely to be seen. There isn't any problems entering and exit the market due to its daily turnover of about $1.2 trillion. Forex market can not ever be forced to stop. The transactions were carried out even in 2001, on September, 11th.
Foreign exchange market (also called Forex of FX to shorten the name) is the oldest market in the world. It is also seen to be the largest one. Being currencies' primary market working 24-hours a day, Forex is also the largest market with highest liquidity. This is an interbank market carrying out spot (or cash) transactions. The currency futures market, to be compared with Forex is traded only 1% as much.
Forex market doesn't have any exchange center unlike the stock market. Forex trading seem to go after the sun around the world, from banks of the United States to other parts of the world like Australia, New Zealand, the Far East or Europe and back to the US some time later.
High minimum amount of transaction and strict financial requirements used to make this interbank market unavailable for small speculators. The only dealers of currency markets were banks, huge-amount speculators and largest currency dealers. They had an ultimate access to this market dealing with lots of primary exchange rates of the world currencies, the market with an extremely high liquidity along with an unusually strong nature of trends.
Nowadays small traders have an opportunity to purchase the small lots (units), as a result of the large inter-bank units being split by market maker brokers like eToro, at the amount they like.
The traders of any size like small companies and individual speculators have an access to the market at the same price fluctuations and exchange rates which only large players used to enjoy recently. Market makers monitor the rates so that produce their profit on the difference of rates at which the currency was bought and sold.
Foreign Exchange Market has an acronymic name Forex. It has the largest size and the liquidity throughout the world nowadays. Forex daily transactions are carried out at the common amount from 1 to 3 trillion dollars. There is no stock market that is able to deal with a comparable amount of money.
This enormous market is like the dangerous sea where you can meet lots of sharks and dangerous waters but at the same time it is the only one where two weeks of trading can hypothetically bring you $1,000,000 out of $1,000 of initial investment.
This is certainly hypothetically because a lot of newbie traders deal with their trades as gambling, that surely bring them to having nothing in the end. You should always keep the phrase "be careful!" in your mind. This market would give you its profit possibilities only if you learn the basic things hard and make lots of demo trading.
The statistics is that as much as 95% of traders come to losing their money at Forex, 5% have profit and less than 1% of traders make large fortune at Forex. You shouldn't produce, sell or advertise anything trading at Forex. Your assets are your knowledge, experience and a small amount of cash.
This market is a platform for banks, transnational corporations and individual traders to change the currencies they possess into other ones. This is the spot Forex market. At this market you can trade with up to 1:400 leverage which means that you'll get $400 on your account for each dollar invested. So, you can trade with the $400,000 sum having invested $1,000 onto your account.
Still, lots of experienced traders consider such leverage dangerous and won't get started with it. Though, if you know how ho use such high leverage it will do you only good. But this is the place to stop speaking about the basic things. Keep reading these articles if you want to be aware of how this market has occurred and some of its historical matters.
Now it is time to speak about the strategies and the way of making money at Forex some traders use. First we should say that the things that work in one case do not certainly work in another. The fact is that currency trading surely means risk. Still, there are a number of strategies for the newbie to use to be the winner.
Forex trading may seem very easy but it is not. Your high today earnings may turn into considerable losses even of your starting capital tomorrow. Newbie traders are likely to make the same mistakes several times. Here is a list of such typical mistakes.
1. There is no use of searching the "Holy Grail"
This phrase is to think for those who are scared of losses or being too greedy does his best to get rich in no time. You can surely make lots of money during some time and there isn't a necessity of producing and advertising anything but a huge homework is required to learn first. You have to know how this market works and which factors can take the exchange rate up or down. You should also be aware of the effective management for your money not to lose everything.
The majority of traders starting at Forex, look for their ultimate strategy that will cause no losses and will bring only profit. The desire of such people is to make a strategy that guarantees stable profit and millions of earnings in a short time without any losses for them to quit and enjoy their fortune and the new huge house. This will never bring any success.
There is no strategy that will give you only profit and such research is only waste of time. High profits of trading are caused by high risk, and you won't earn a fortune without being on the knife edge. Don't be sure that every trade will close in advantage to you. You will always feel uncertain and there is no way to vanish it. It means that you should always be ready to the possibility of your strategy failing even if it is thought as perfect.
You'll save a plenty of time and nerves by avoiding the search for the perfect strategy of earning millions. Even if you find this strategy you won't ever need it. You'll see why later.
2. Apply fundamental and technical analysis.
At the beginning of my trading I relied only on the money management on which I wanted to base my strategy and saw no sense of these analyses. But money management which is still very important doesn't worth omitting them. You can forecast the direction of the market basing on your technical and fundamental strategies to see their effectiveness.
You'll be able to make forecasts of price movements by applying the past data of the prices and graphs to the technical analysis methods. You can predict future prices with the level of accuracy dependent on your technical analysis skills using the graphs of the rates you observe.
Trading with some brokers you can see technical indicators along with the graphs. You can apply it to your demo account and estimate your prediction skills necessary for planning trading decisions.
It is impossible to choose the most effective indicator among lots of various ones. Each trader has to decide for himself which indicator is best for him. You can't find any magic formula; you just see the graphs, make your forecasts and find out whether they come true seeing the values in the news later.
Your decisions form this formula along with your knowledge that occurs out of the practical experience. Starting trading with an online broker it's best for you to trade with yourself on the sheet of paper rather than invest real money at once.
There are a lot of technical analysis indicators available but here are the ones which are the most wide-spread: the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD), the Bollinger Bands, Pivot Points, RSI, Stochastic, Fibonacci, EMA, Elliot Waves.
The broker's software will automatically make all the necessary calculations when you add the technical analysis indicator to the graph so that you'll see some facts which are unavailable without using these indicators. It is even possible for you to build your own technical systems basing on these indicators.
Fundamental analysis is another tool that maximizes your profit and minimizes your losses on the trades. There are some traders who prefer only one kind but the majority prefers both.
Fundamental analysis means trading following the news, e.g. telling about the economies or unemployment rate in the countries of the currencies you trade. They can also tell about the events that can have a strong influence on the currencies' exchange rate.
You can make forecasts on the market direction by following the news as well.
3. Use the strategies of money management.
Money management strategies let you win or lose. You should use them to be in a profit. Many traders make too vast investments in every trade and this is not always rational and reminds of a saying: "Expect to make too much and you will make too little, expect to make little and you will make a lot." It means that even if you invest much trying to get a lot on every trade you can lose all and even if you make small investments looking for a small reward you can make a lot in some period.
1% of the total sum of your account is the maximum sum of the potential risk. This is the first rule of the money management. Stop loss and limit orders may help you to follow this rule. This may be the reason of the small profit, especially if you have small initial investments, but by compounding a part of you profit or the whole one you can get an exponentially growing income.
This strategy of compound profits is the one that helped to make millions on financial market instead of gambling that results in losing all investments quickly.
Here is the example of the opposite tactics that many traders follow. Imagine that you have an initial investment of $5,000. You're lucky to possess the trading account and you enter a $1,000 trade. In case the markets trends down and you lose your $1,000 your assets become $4,000. You keep following your strategy and enter a $1,500 trade being sure that the market is at its low and hoping to get back your $1,000 plus earn $500 more. Then the market keeps moving against you leaving you with $2,500 on your account which is only one half of your starting capital. This is a very difficult situation to recover from.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Microsoft's Origami
Microsoft has suddenly taken the center stage of technology world with its new product called Origami. Every major media of the world seems to be running after Origami now. All the news websites contain more than one article about Origami. It seems that Origami is the next big thing in the technology world is going to dominate the market in the next few months or may be years. Intel is with Microsoft in making Origami. Origami is expected to address a new market for portable computers. It is neither a laptop nor a smart mobile phone or PDA but has can do many works for a user. In terms of size it is in the middle between a PDA and a notebook PC. The only shocking thing is that the device will not be called as Origami but as Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) and most probably this name will gradually take place of the name, Origami.
Speculations were very high among the tech bloggers from around the world about Project Origami in the last few months. Although scare information was available until recently, every one expected Microsoft to produce something that would create a storm in the technology world.
Microsoft bosses hope that they have been able to address a new market with Origami since it is a unique device in terms of size, price and performance. It is so light that its weight is less than 2.5 pounds and it comes with a 7-inch touch-sensitive screen. Thus Origami is really portable. Microsoft officials are upbeat with their optimism that within a few years Origami computer (UPMC) will become indispensable like mobile phone. Perhaps the main reason behind their high expectations is the versatile nature of Origami computers. It runs on Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system and it can do many works including playing games, digital music, mobile communication, and surfing internet, checking and responding to emails and so on. In future, Origami computers will run on Windows Vista. Origami computers can support both Blue Tooth and Wi-Fi wireless technology. This also means that a user can use his keyboard with the help of wireless technology. They run on microprocessors built by Intel. The only thing that a user may miss is keyboard. However, it has USB 2 ports and thus adding an external keyboard is not a problem. 30 to 60 Gigabyte hard drive means a user can really use it like a regular PC too.
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Taiwan's Asustek Computer Inc. and China's second largest PC-maker, the Founder Group, are the 3 companies who are going to produce the hardware of Origami computers (UMPC). All of them are serious players in the technology world and naturally they will try their best to make Origami computers popular in the market. Samsung's product (known as Q1) will hit the market in this May. However, the price of Q1 is going to high.
Who will be the main customers of Origami computers? Microsoft officials are hopeful that this device will attract everyone. Since it can do the works of a mobile phone, a personal computer, a notebook and a PDA handheld device, Microsoft bosses have the feeling that may be this is the ultimate portable device we all need. GPS, a webcam, fingerprint reader, digital TV tuners, and compact flash and SD card readers will be in many Origami computers (UMPC) in very near future. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Ethernet networks can be used to connect between Origami computers and wide-area networking is on the card too.
Many people think that project Origami is an effort to seriously challenge Apple's IPOD, the portable music player. iPOD has remained largely unchallenged since its birth as a portable device and many bloggers have speculated the emergence of Origami from Microsoft as a response to Apple's supremacy in the portable device market. However, Microsoft officials are in no mood to confirm this theory and surely they have a strong point. Origami is not just a music player like iPOD but lot more than that. Microsoft officials can also argue that many players have been trying to make an ultra thin and ultra light but very powerful portable computer but Microsoft could make the breakthrough. Since, Origami computers run with Windows XP operating system, it will be able to do many functions. This feature will also make the works of application developers easier.
The main problem with Origami computers is its high price. When Bill Gates first talked of the idea of an ultra light portable computer, most people got the perception that its price would be under US $500 but we already know that the price will be from US $600-1000. Such a high price may discourage many users. However, it is natural that any technology is expensive at first and later becomes cheaper. The same will happen for Origami computers too. Finally, Origami is not just a source of entertainment but also
Microsoft's bid to enter into the portable device market seriously will surely create pressure on other industry players. It is for sure that other major players both in the hardware and the software world will try to come out with something substantial to answer to Microsoft's challenge. If another company can address the price issue seriously then surely Microsoft and its partners will face serious challenge. On other hand, we are yet to get any reaction from the open source world about Microsoft's Origami computers. Are they thinking of their own version of UMPC?
Until a few years ago, the idea of an ultra thin computer was like a science fiction. Microsoft has successfully brought this idea into reality with its project Origami. We have heard in the recent years that the computers of tomorrow will be thin like paper and users will be able to fold them after using. Project Origami only reminds us that the researchers are not sitting idle to make this idea into reality.
Speculations were very high among the tech bloggers from around the world about Project Origami in the last few months. Although scare information was available until recently, every one expected Microsoft to produce something that would create a storm in the technology world.
Microsoft bosses hope that they have been able to address a new market with Origami since it is a unique device in terms of size, price and performance. It is so light that its weight is less than 2.5 pounds and it comes with a 7-inch touch-sensitive screen. Thus Origami is really portable. Microsoft officials are upbeat with their optimism that within a few years Origami computer (UPMC) will become indispensable like mobile phone. Perhaps the main reason behind their high expectations is the versatile nature of Origami computers. It runs on Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system and it can do many works including playing games, digital music, mobile communication, and surfing internet, checking and responding to emails and so on. In future, Origami computers will run on Windows Vista. Origami computers can support both Blue Tooth and Wi-Fi wireless technology. This also means that a user can use his keyboard with the help of wireless technology. They run on microprocessors built by Intel. The only thing that a user may miss is keyboard. However, it has USB 2 ports and thus adding an external keyboard is not a problem. 30 to 60 Gigabyte hard drive means a user can really use it like a regular PC too.
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Taiwan's Asustek Computer Inc. and China's second largest PC-maker, the Founder Group, are the 3 companies who are going to produce the hardware of Origami computers (UMPC). All of them are serious players in the technology world and naturally they will try their best to make Origami computers popular in the market. Samsung's product (known as Q1) will hit the market in this May. However, the price of Q1 is going to high.
Who will be the main customers of Origami computers? Microsoft officials are hopeful that this device will attract everyone. Since it can do the works of a mobile phone, a personal computer, a notebook and a PDA handheld device, Microsoft bosses have the feeling that may be this is the ultimate portable device we all need. GPS, a webcam, fingerprint reader, digital TV tuners, and compact flash and SD card readers will be in many Origami computers (UMPC) in very near future. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Ethernet networks can be used to connect between Origami computers and wide-area networking is on the card too.
Many people think that project Origami is an effort to seriously challenge Apple's IPOD, the portable music player. iPOD has remained largely unchallenged since its birth as a portable device and many bloggers have speculated the emergence of Origami from Microsoft as a response to Apple's supremacy in the portable device market. However, Microsoft officials are in no mood to confirm this theory and surely they have a strong point. Origami is not just a music player like iPOD but lot more than that. Microsoft officials can also argue that many players have been trying to make an ultra thin and ultra light but very powerful portable computer but Microsoft could make the breakthrough. Since, Origami computers run with Windows XP operating system, it will be able to do many functions. This feature will also make the works of application developers easier.
The main problem with Origami computers is its high price. When Bill Gates first talked of the idea of an ultra light portable computer, most people got the perception that its price would be under US $500 but we already know that the price will be from US $600-1000. Such a high price may discourage many users. However, it is natural that any technology is expensive at first and later becomes cheaper. The same will happen for Origami computers too. Finally, Origami is not just a source of entertainment but also
Microsoft's bid to enter into the portable device market seriously will surely create pressure on other industry players. It is for sure that other major players both in the hardware and the software world will try to come out with something substantial to answer to Microsoft's challenge. If another company can address the price issue seriously then surely Microsoft and its partners will face serious challenge. On other hand, we are yet to get any reaction from the open source world about Microsoft's Origami computers. Are they thinking of their own version of UMPC?
Until a few years ago, the idea of an ultra thin computer was like a science fiction. Microsoft has successfully brought this idea into reality with its project Origami. We have heard in the recent years that the computers of tomorrow will be thin like paper and users will be able to fold them after using. Project Origami only reminds us that the researchers are not sitting idle to make this idea into reality.
Why a Tablet PC May Be Right For You
Get ready for a new type of computer that is about to be as common as the laptop. In fact, you could think of it as the next evolutionary step of the laptop.
Before you replace your current portable computer, you may want to get yourself informed about this handy new machine that is known as the Tablet PC.
Of all the personal technology advances we've seen over the past five years, the Tablet PC has to rank among the most significant. For the Tablet PC is truly one of the most innovative and useful products that is just now starting to gain major traction. These machines, which are powered by a specially tweaked version of the Windows XP operating system, allow users to scribble notes on a screen with a pen-like stylus, turning handwriting or block printing into what's called digital ink.
Although Tablet PCs have been on the market for a few years now, much of the public has been unexposed to them. That's about to change. Tablet PCs are now showing up on TV commercials, in magazine and newspaper ads and being exuberantly talked about through word of mouth. Maybe it's time for you to consider one.
Some Tablets are slate models only. That means there is no keyboard, just the screen. You write on them like those old Etch-a-Sketches that kids used to play with. Others, are called convertibles. Flip the screen up and it looks and works like a notebook computer, with a keyboard, CD/DVD slot, track pad and the like. But swivel the screen around and down over the keyboard and it's a slate.
All of the big computer makers produce Tablet PC models: Dell, Gateway, Toshiba, Lenovo (IBM), Fujitsu and others. There are a couple of Tablet-only makers, too, like Motion Computing and Rugged Computers. Even Apple Computer with its fabled Macintosh line is rumored to be close to developing a Tablet version.
You can get a Tablet PC for arounf $1,800 with most of the features we all demand in portable computers like wo-fi Internet access and Bluetooth wireless. Some models have built-in CD.DVD drives (which adds to the weight factor), others include them as external devices.
Whatever you do, make sure you get enough memory to run all those cool applications. My recommendation is at least one GB, instead of the standard 512MB on most machines.
Over the past couple of years, Tablets have sold fairly well in what are known as vertical markets, among niche interest groups like students (great for note-taking and recording lectures), medical professionals (for keeping track of patient records) and salespeople (for forms and order-taking). Indeed, some schools are now giving Tablet PCs to their students, that's how great they are as educational tools.
But now that the momentum has built up, most observers are convinced the real market is much larger ... and largely untapped, if you'll excuse the pun.
The Tablet PC does everything a regular computer does. It has a complete Windows XP operating system and can run all of the normal programs and applications consumers are used to on their desktops and laptops. The big difference is that with a Tablet PC, you can also use that electronic stylus to run many programs, taking notes by hand or tapping on the individual letters of an on-screen keyboard representation to type.
Handwriting can be converted to type with just a tap of the stylus, though, obviously, the neater you write or print, the more accurate will be the conversion into type.
I've been a a tablet user for several years and, truthfully, I seldom convert handwritten notes on the Tablet. I don't need to. I can read my own notes just fine. And there's something satisfyingly personal about seeing my scribbes on a computer screen. It's sort of the ultimate in customization.
While a Tablet does everything a regular computer does, they have the added advantage of some special tablet-only software enhancements. I bought a $39 add-on to the Outlook program that lets me use digital ink to enter calendar, to-do, journal and contact info. And a $99 program called PlanPlus from Franklin Covey puts the equivalent of a Franklin Planner on my Tablet. I've fallen in love with this application.
Then there's Microsoft OneNote, which comes bundled on many of the Tablets sold today or can be purchased separately for $99. OneNote I believe, is the most amazingly useful application for any platform I have ever tried.
Besides the digital ink note-taking and organizational features, OneNote uses the built in microphone on the Tablet to record meetings, lectures, interviews, whatever you want. As you take notes of a presentation and hear something that's important, make a star or exclamation mark next to someone's words that you've jotted down, just as you do with pen and paper notes. Afterwards, as you review the notes, you can tap on the special mark you made to hear the actual recording of the subject as the presenter spoke the information.
No matter how much I use OneNote, it blows me away every time.
If you're thinking about a new laptop and if note-taking is a part of your life, a tablet should be at the top of your shopping list.
It's that handy.
Is a Tablet PC right for you?
Obviously, only you can answer that. But it's been my esperience as a longtime road warrior who has used all sorts of laptops, that the Tablet PC offers so many more features and so much more convenience than a standard laptop that I would never go back.
I bet you will feel the same.
Before you replace your current portable computer, you may want to get yourself informed about this handy new machine that is known as the Tablet PC.
Of all the personal technology advances we've seen over the past five years, the Tablet PC has to rank among the most significant. For the Tablet PC is truly one of the most innovative and useful products that is just now starting to gain major traction. These machines, which are powered by a specially tweaked version of the Windows XP operating system, allow users to scribble notes on a screen with a pen-like stylus, turning handwriting or block printing into what's called digital ink.
Although Tablet PCs have been on the market for a few years now, much of the public has been unexposed to them. That's about to change. Tablet PCs are now showing up on TV commercials, in magazine and newspaper ads and being exuberantly talked about through word of mouth. Maybe it's time for you to consider one.
Some Tablets are slate models only. That means there is no keyboard, just the screen. You write on them like those old Etch-a-Sketches that kids used to play with. Others, are called convertibles. Flip the screen up and it looks and works like a notebook computer, with a keyboard, CD/DVD slot, track pad and the like. But swivel the screen around and down over the keyboard and it's a slate.
All of the big computer makers produce Tablet PC models: Dell, Gateway, Toshiba, Lenovo (IBM), Fujitsu and others. There are a couple of Tablet-only makers, too, like Motion Computing and Rugged Computers. Even Apple Computer with its fabled Macintosh line is rumored to be close to developing a Tablet version.
You can get a Tablet PC for arounf $1,800 with most of the features we all demand in portable computers like wo-fi Internet access and Bluetooth wireless. Some models have built-in CD.DVD drives (which adds to the weight factor), others include them as external devices.
Whatever you do, make sure you get enough memory to run all those cool applications. My recommendation is at least one GB, instead of the standard 512MB on most machines.
Over the past couple of years, Tablets have sold fairly well in what are known as vertical markets, among niche interest groups like students (great for note-taking and recording lectures), medical professionals (for keeping track of patient records) and salespeople (for forms and order-taking). Indeed, some schools are now giving Tablet PCs to their students, that's how great they are as educational tools.
But now that the momentum has built up, most observers are convinced the real market is much larger ... and largely untapped, if you'll excuse the pun.
The Tablet PC does everything a regular computer does. It has a complete Windows XP operating system and can run all of the normal programs and applications consumers are used to on their desktops and laptops. The big difference is that with a Tablet PC, you can also use that electronic stylus to run many programs, taking notes by hand or tapping on the individual letters of an on-screen keyboard representation to type.
Handwriting can be converted to type with just a tap of the stylus, though, obviously, the neater you write or print, the more accurate will be the conversion into type.
I've been a a tablet user for several years and, truthfully, I seldom convert handwritten notes on the Tablet. I don't need to. I can read my own notes just fine. And there's something satisfyingly personal about seeing my scribbes on a computer screen. It's sort of the ultimate in customization.
While a Tablet does everything a regular computer does, they have the added advantage of some special tablet-only software enhancements. I bought a $39 add-on to the Outlook program that lets me use digital ink to enter calendar, to-do, journal and contact info. And a $99 program called PlanPlus from Franklin Covey puts the equivalent of a Franklin Planner on my Tablet. I've fallen in love with this application.
Then there's Microsoft OneNote, which comes bundled on many of the Tablets sold today or can be purchased separately for $99. OneNote I believe, is the most amazingly useful application for any platform I have ever tried.
Besides the digital ink note-taking and organizational features, OneNote uses the built in microphone on the Tablet to record meetings, lectures, interviews, whatever you want. As you take notes of a presentation and hear something that's important, make a star or exclamation mark next to someone's words that you've jotted down, just as you do with pen and paper notes. Afterwards, as you review the notes, you can tap on the special mark you made to hear the actual recording of the subject as the presenter spoke the information.
No matter how much I use OneNote, it blows me away every time.
If you're thinking about a new laptop and if note-taking is a part of your life, a tablet should be at the top of your shopping list.
It's that handy.
Is a Tablet PC right for you?
Obviously, only you can answer that. But it's been my esperience as a longtime road warrior who has used all sorts of laptops, that the Tablet PC offers so many more features and so much more convenience than a standard laptop that I would never go back.
I bet you will feel the same.
Tablet PC - Information
A tablet PC is a refined and mechanized version of what the Egyptians used to write on clay tablets with a writing stick. Tablet PC has replaced the clay tablet with a screen and the writing stick with a stylus. The main advantage of using a PC Tablet whose idea was conceived by Alan Kay of Xerox, is of portability, with the size they offer it makes ultra convenient for a person to actually carry with himself!! First ever tablet PC to hit the market was Newton of Apple Computers. . They come in various sizes like 8.5 inch, 10 inch and 14 inch. As this is compact device the hardware is minimal which consists of a slim touch screen, stylus, optional wireless keyboard and mouse. In this type of computers the data input is not through the traditional mouse and keyboard but through a stylus or a virtual keyboard on the screen. It also has the facility of data input through wireless keyboard and mouse. The stylus which is used to write directly/tap on the screen or fingers are used to input data through the touch screen makes it really very convenient for the user to enter some information to Tablet PC. What makes Tablet PC screen respond to stylus is that there is a magnetic field over the screen which interacts with the stylus electronics, hence the user can rest his hands on the screen without altering the image and only stylus movement affects the screen. Moreover users who are not comfortable with keyboards find stylus more friendly, they do not butt in line of sight as they are kept on the table and are helpful in meetings and are handheld so can be used in giving presentation while standing up.Many varieties of Tablet PC’s are floating in the market like slates, convertibles and hybrids. Slates are having the minimum of all, just the screen and the stylus. A slate is termed to be convertible when it is attached with a keyboard. The Hybrid version has a detachable keyboard so that it can be used both as a slate or a convertible.Software’s that are prevalent in Tablet PCs are handwriting recognition software, speech recognition software, shorthand entry software, virtual keyboard etc. Various companies like Acer, Lenovo, Toshiba Fujitsu, HP, Gateway, Compaq, Motion, NEC etc are manufacturing Tablet PCsNow the question arises, that portability which a major plus point in Tablet PC, then why it was not a success, answer lies in its cost. Due to high initial prices it could not attract huge customer base but with lowered cost and also with the advancement in battery technology, handwriting recognition software, wireless internet access, larger memory, better screen resolution they are being accepted as commercially viable option. Tablet PCs are bound to replace the notebook & pen and future books, magazines, newspapers.Certainly the tablet PC may be considered the pen and notebook of the future.
Finding The Best Tablet PC Computers For Sale
Have you bought your personal tablet PC computer already? And just don’t tell me you have a Tandy 1000! I am sure you have hurled it in an empty room. I am talking about a real up-to-date computer. Is it a computer with all Internet access capabilities? Is it one, which is the latest array of technology! Maybe I’m going too far with this computer stuff. I just want you to be sure that you have the proper PC or Mac.In order to witness the latest achievements of technology you’d better upgrade your computer. Otherwise, you should be acquainted with the wide variety of computers for sale. The computer is such a complicated machine that if fact there is no limit to what is available for sale. Computers can perform many complicated tasks nowadays. Do you want to burn a CD? Do not worry at all! Do you want to have high-speed cable Internet access at home? You will surely have it! Up-to-date machines can satisfy all your whims. You just need to search for computers for sale. If you don’t have a proper computer, computers for sale are your only chance.Now, we must make sure that you are aware of where to look for computers for sale. PCs shopping are not a difficult challenge. Computers for sale are available almost everywhere. I guess that there is even a PC shop on your street. May be one of the best places for shopping for PCs is Circuit City.Computers For SaleThen, you should think twice of what you want your personal computer to be able to do. If you want your computer to perform simple tasks like Internet access, sending e-mails and typing documents, it will be easy to choose. Moreover, your computer won’t cost very much. For example, you can buy a Dell desktop package for around 300 dollars. This is a reasonable price. The package consists of monitor, tower, keyboard, mouse and often a printer. Another good shop for computers for sale is Best Buy. You can find there great alternatives of computers for sale ranging from Sony to IBM.Do you prefer to buy a simple desktop PC or you dream of a mini notebook computer? I was very glad to see that nowadays they offer computers for sale as small as a half an inch thick. These computers even work as good as the desktop PCs! Using your computer, you are able to spend less to buy your favorite music. You can do this by simply downloading the tunes to the computer, and then burn them to a CD.On the World-Wide-Web, a superfluity of computers for sale is available. The choice is so big that you may find yourself lost it the variety of computers for sale. Have you already searched for computers for sale? You can find online everything that is connected with computers in some way. Try to receive an advice that you are offered the best deals on hardware and software. Isn’t it time to take a look at the computers for sale online? When talking about computers, things are changing every day.
The Advanced Technology Of The Toshiba Tablet Pc
Featuring the latest advances in computer technology, the Toshiba Tablet PC is a notebook style computer designed to allow interactive writing on the screen. Touch-screen technology enables users to write with either a stylus or a digital pen. Eliminating the need for a standard mouse and keyboard makes the Toshiba Tablet PC a real asset for executives on the go. For easy access and presentation capability, the Toshiba Tablet PC includes a swivel screen that can be turned out or in depending on the needs of the user. With all the power of a regular notebook PC and the advanced touch-screen capabilities, it represents the future of computer technology.
Features Available on the Toshiba Tablet PC
Just as with standard notebooks, the Toshiba Tablet PC can be customized to include the features that will be most applicable to each user. Selecting the options that will provide the most benefit allows for greater overall value. In addition to the normal applications available, the Toshiba Tablet PC can include:
* Versatile RAM Memory – Original and expansion memory can be added as necessary.
* Wi-Fi Capability – Get connected to the internet anywhere without the hassle of wires and dial-ups.
* Bluetooth Connectivity – Allows for optimum use of Bluetooth devices and synchronization.
* Flash Memory Drive – Increases the amount of mobile memory in your PC.
* Toshiba Custom Utilities – Created specifically for Toshiba PCs, utility software enables you to monitor and repair your system.
* Dual-Axis Accelerometer – Automatically detects the screen position and adjusts the visual accordingly.
* Docking Capability – Makes working with a Toshiba Tablet PC as simple to operate as any desktop PC.
Toshiba Tablet PC Models
Toshiba offers several models of their popular tablet PCs. Finding the right Toshiba Tablet PC is a matter of determining the power and utilities you most need. Tablet PCs range in price depending on the model and accompanying features. Some of the most popular models include:
* Toshiba Portege M200 Series - One of the most desired tablet PCs on the market, the Portege M200 series contains everything you from a notebook and tablet PC. Features on the Portege series:
1.5GHz Pentium Processor
256MB Expandable RAM Memory
40GB Hard Drive
12.1” Display Screen
2 USB 2.0 and VGA ports
Network Connectivity: 10/100 Ethernet, Modem or Wi-Fi
Storage: PC Card Type 1, SD Slot
Weight: 4.4Lbs
* Toshiba Satellite R15 Series - A step up from the Portege model, the Toshiba Satellite R15 Series gives you even more power for your applications. Features on the Satellite R15 Series:
1.7GHz Pentium Processor
256MB Expandable RAM Memory
40-80GB Hard Drive
14.1” Display Screen
3 USB 2.0 and VGA, FireWire
Network Connectivity: 10/100 Ethernet or Modem
Storage: DVD Double Layer Drive
Weight: 6.1Lbs
* Toshiba Tecra M4 Series - The top-of-the-line in tablet PCs, the Toshiba Tecra M4 Series supplies advanced power, memory and application capabilities for a complete tablet PC package. Features of the Tecra M4 Series:
1.73Hz Pentium Processor
256MB Expandable RAM Memory
80GB Hard Drive
14.1” Display Screen
2 USB 2.0 and VGA, FireWire, S Video Ports
Network Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet, Modem or Fast IR
Storage: DVD Double Layer Drive
Weight: 6.2Lbs
About The AuthorPaolo Basauri is an expert author who writes for Toshiba Tablet PC http://www.best-tablet-pc.com.
Features Available on the Toshiba Tablet PC
Just as with standard notebooks, the Toshiba Tablet PC can be customized to include the features that will be most applicable to each user. Selecting the options that will provide the most benefit allows for greater overall value. In addition to the normal applications available, the Toshiba Tablet PC can include:
* Versatile RAM Memory – Original and expansion memory can be added as necessary.
* Wi-Fi Capability – Get connected to the internet anywhere without the hassle of wires and dial-ups.
* Bluetooth Connectivity – Allows for optimum use of Bluetooth devices and synchronization.
* Flash Memory Drive – Increases the amount of mobile memory in your PC.
* Toshiba Custom Utilities – Created specifically for Toshiba PCs, utility software enables you to monitor and repair your system.
* Dual-Axis Accelerometer – Automatically detects the screen position and adjusts the visual accordingly.
* Docking Capability – Makes working with a Toshiba Tablet PC as simple to operate as any desktop PC.
Toshiba Tablet PC Models
Toshiba offers several models of their popular tablet PCs. Finding the right Toshiba Tablet PC is a matter of determining the power and utilities you most need. Tablet PCs range in price depending on the model and accompanying features. Some of the most popular models include:
* Toshiba Portege M200 Series - One of the most desired tablet PCs on the market, the Portege M200 series contains everything you from a notebook and tablet PC. Features on the Portege series:
1.5GHz Pentium Processor
256MB Expandable RAM Memory
40GB Hard Drive
12.1” Display Screen
2 USB 2.0 and VGA ports
Network Connectivity: 10/100 Ethernet, Modem or Wi-Fi
Storage: PC Card Type 1, SD Slot
Weight: 4.4Lbs
* Toshiba Satellite R15 Series - A step up from the Portege model, the Toshiba Satellite R15 Series gives you even more power for your applications. Features on the Satellite R15 Series:
1.7GHz Pentium Processor
256MB Expandable RAM Memory
40-80GB Hard Drive
14.1” Display Screen
3 USB 2.0 and VGA, FireWire
Network Connectivity: 10/100 Ethernet or Modem
Storage: DVD Double Layer Drive
Weight: 6.1Lbs
* Toshiba Tecra M4 Series - The top-of-the-line in tablet PCs, the Toshiba Tecra M4 Series supplies advanced power, memory and application capabilities for a complete tablet PC package. Features of the Tecra M4 Series:
1.73Hz Pentium Processor
256MB Expandable RAM Memory
80GB Hard Drive
14.1” Display Screen
2 USB 2.0 and VGA, FireWire, S Video Ports
Network Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet, Modem or Fast IR
Storage: DVD Double Layer Drive
Weight: 6.2Lbs
About The AuthorPaolo Basauri is an expert author who writes for Toshiba Tablet PC http://www.best-tablet-pc.com.
Better battery life and improvements
Notebooks continue to represent a popular choice among small to medium-sized enterprise road warriors. And while maximum battery life is a principal feature, buyers must weigh notebooks' power consumption advantages against trade-offs in performance. Indeed, despite growing demand for PDAs, handheld PCs, and other mobile devices, users often prefer notebooks' keyboards and screen sizes when crunching numbers, checking email, or preparing PowerPoint presentations. The challenge for OEMs has been to boost notebook battery lives while packing the machines with increasingly power-hungry CPUs and graphics processors. The Trade-Off Factor The ultimate goal? To offer the same capabilities that high-powered, battleship desktops offer in a notebook form factor that can run on battery power alone during an entire workday or transcontinental plane ride. Unfortunately, the gap remains between ultra-high performance, power-draining processing power, and long notebook battery lives. "It's a battle between end user wants for better battery life and improvements in technology that sometimes require more power," says Howard Locker, chief architect for desktop and mobile development at IBM's personal-computing division. "Battery life is also a trade-off between weight and size. You can put a bigger battery in a laptop to get more battery life, but it will weigh more." Notebook battery life is largely taxed by the applications running at a given time and the power of the CPUs, graphics processors, and other components, which must be scaled down to reduce power consumption. "For a longer battery life, a trade-off in performance is thus necessary. It might take a little longer to do things, but if something takes four seconds instead of two seconds but your battery lasts another 45 minutes, then that is a good trade-off," Locker says. "[Designing] intelligent power management by detuning functions and performances that are not needed is critical." Battery-Life Kings So which notebooks on the market offer the longest battery lives? The answer varies according to many performance variables and form-factor preferences, but Tablet PCs from Electrovaya (www.electrovaya.com; 905/855-4610) and notebooks from IBM (www.ibm.com; 888/839-9289) stand out, says Rob Enderle, an analyst with the Enderle Group. "In Tablets the Electrovaya Scribbler is the clear winner with nine hours of battery life, but of course you would kind of expect this given Electrovaya is known for its work in batteries, not computers," Enderle says. "The IBM T Series, with its large battery, used to be the segment leader with around six hours of battery life." So what are Electrovaya's and IBM's secret sauces? "The Electrovaya uses a special high-capacity battery, and IBM's product has a combination of a large battery and a system tuned for battery life as opposed to performance," Enderle says. "The Electrovaya also has a special high-capacity battery that is unique—or at least for now." So what are the trade-offs involved? "Both products are slow to use, particularly if you run a suite of virus, antispam, and anti-spyware offerings," Enderle says. "However, once the applications are up and running, the performance hit doesn't seem as bad, and many users can get used to it." Several components are responsible for the performance hit vs. long battery life in the IBM T Series and Electrovaya offerings. "What is causing the performance hit is slower moving drives, which may at times actually spin nearly all the way down between reads, processors working at a fraction of their potential on battery life, dimmer screens, and lower power fans," Enderle says. Electrovaya largely attributes the Scribbler's long battery life to its patented LiIon, 75 watt-hour battery. The SC2100 also features a 1.3GHz Intel Centrino processor, a 12.1-inch display, 802.11g wireless capabilities, and an 80GB hard drive and weighs in at 3.5 pounds. IBM's ThinkPad T43, introduced last month and available in April, weighs 4.5 pounds and is also equipped with an Intel Centrino processor that supports up to 2GB of DDR2 system memory. According to IBM, the new T43 can offer up to eight hours of battery life while running office applications, including Internet connectivity with an 802.11 connection. Battle Of The Form Factors HP (www.hp.com; 800/752-0900) this month attempted to shake up the battery life sector with the launch of the HP Compaq 6220/6230 notebook series that the company says can offer more than nine hours of battery life when a travel battery, which is sold separately, is added. The notebook's form factor enables the travel battery to be attached directly to the notebook so that it is simultaneously operable with the integrated battery. The notebook series, which offers Centrino CPU clock speeds up to 2.13GHz and a memory capacity of up to 2.048GHz, weighs in at 5.99 pounds when the travel battery is attached. In addition to the Intel Centrino processor that offers SpeedStep power-saving controls and Intel's Display Power Saving technology for the screen—which represents the most significant power-draining component—HP also says its patented NIC technology helps to lower power consumption on a BIOS system level. Nine hours is also a realistic benchmark for the HP Compaq 6220/6230 notebook series when running typical applications, such as accessing the Web and checking email with the Centrino chipset's 802.11 capabilities, using a word processor or other applications, the company says. "Nine hours is a realistic test of what you would experience while sitting in a conference room in a, God forbid, nine-hour meeting," says Herman de Hoop, a worldwide technical marketing manager for HP. ASUS (www.asus.com; 888/678-3688) also represents an OEM with a consistent notebook offering that at least keeps the vendor in the battery longevity notebook race. The company also relies on Intel's Centrino to regulate its latest M3Np notebook's power-saving features at clock speeds of 1.30GHz to 1.70GHz. With ASUS' Power4 Gear power-consumption technology, the company maintains the M3Np can operate more than five hours. The M3Np weighs about 5 pounds. A 10-Hour-Plus Battery Life? So what is in store for next-generation long-battery life notebooks? OEMs will likely continue to rely on power-saving capabilities of CPUs, as well as BIOS and other system tweaks to reduce notebook power consumption in future models, but no breakthroughs in battery technologies are in store for the near term. It will likely be several years before battery lives extend beyond 10 hours, which will probably involve replacing power-hungry LCDs with new display types, Locker says. "I don't see battery life [extending to] up and beyond 10 hours [in the near future]. Inventing a new technology to replace the panels with OLEDs, for example, would do it, but that is four to five years out," Locker says. "However, [OLEDs] will also probably represent the next breakthrough on a system leve
Should Your Next PC Be A Tablet PC?
If it's time to consider getting a new laptop computer, you may want to look into getting a Tablet PC instead. A Tablet PC is the perfect choice for the professional on the go, or for anyone who is into mobile computing. The Tablet PC gives the user all the benefits of a regular laptop pc, with some really cool features which are only found in a Tablet PC.
Tablet PCs come with the Windows XP operating system, but it's the Tablet PC version. It's the same Windows XP Professional that you're already accustomed to using, but it has a really handy added feature called Pen and Ink which allows the use of handwriting as input. The pen is used as a navigational instrument which operates like a mouse, and allows for quickly accessing any program or file within the Tablet PC.
Portability is just one of the perks that a Tablet PC has to offer. Flexibility is another strong point with Tablet PCs. Users can choose between a slate style Tablet PC, or a convertible model. Slate model Tablet PCs do not have an attached keyboard, while the convertible models have an integrated keyboard. Users who opt for the slate model can attach a keyboard externally if needed. Some models even come with detachable keyboards, adding even more flexibility to the Tablet PC.
You can buy your new Tablet PC with almost any of the devices that you're used to using on a laptop. The Tablet Pc can sport a DVD or CD-RW drive internally, or users can opt for one internal and the other be used as an external device. For long meetings or working extended periods at home, the user may make use of a docking station. When used along with an attached external keyboard, the Tablet PC functions as comfortably as a desktop PC.
The average Tablet PC has a standard 512mb of memory and is equipped with a 60 GB hard drive. If you're into gaming, then you may want to upgrade to 1 GB of RAM and possibly a 160 GB hard drive. The CPU usually falls within the 1.2 GHz to 2 GHz range, which gives the Tablet PC more than enough muscle to run all but the most demanding software.
As with any Pc purchase, it's always best to know what software the Tablet PC is intended to primarily run to insure you get the components needed for the best possible performance of the machine. If you're looking for a powerful, portable computer, the Tablet PC may just suit your needs better than a traditional laptop.
Tablet PCs come with the Windows XP operating system, but it's the Tablet PC version. It's the same Windows XP Professional that you're already accustomed to using, but it has a really handy added feature called Pen and Ink which allows the use of handwriting as input. The pen is used as a navigational instrument which operates like a mouse, and allows for quickly accessing any program or file within the Tablet PC.
Portability is just one of the perks that a Tablet PC has to offer. Flexibility is another strong point with Tablet PCs. Users can choose between a slate style Tablet PC, or a convertible model. Slate model Tablet PCs do not have an attached keyboard, while the convertible models have an integrated keyboard. Users who opt for the slate model can attach a keyboard externally if needed. Some models even come with detachable keyboards, adding even more flexibility to the Tablet PC.
You can buy your new Tablet PC with almost any of the devices that you're used to using on a laptop. The Tablet Pc can sport a DVD or CD-RW drive internally, or users can opt for one internal and the other be used as an external device. For long meetings or working extended periods at home, the user may make use of a docking station. When used along with an attached external keyboard, the Tablet PC functions as comfortably as a desktop PC.
The average Tablet PC has a standard 512mb of memory and is equipped with a 60 GB hard drive. If you're into gaming, then you may want to upgrade to 1 GB of RAM and possibly a 160 GB hard drive. The CPU usually falls within the 1.2 GHz to 2 GHz range, which gives the Tablet PC more than enough muscle to run all but the most demanding software.
As with any Pc purchase, it's always best to know what software the Tablet PC is intended to primarily run to insure you get the components needed for the best possible performance of the machine. If you're looking for a powerful, portable computer, the Tablet PC may just suit your needs better than a traditional laptop.
Active Ink Software Launches New Software Development Kit for the Tablet PC Platform
Laguna Niguel, CA (PRWEB) September 26, 2006 -- Active Ink Software, Inc., a Microsoft Premier Tablet PC Partner announced the general availability of the Active Ink Software Development Kit (SDK) for integrating custom forms into 3rd party applications."The ability to include custom forms quickly and present them to users in a powerful way just got a lot easier," said Allan Warren, Head of Development for Active Ink Software Inc. "Developers can now concentrate on the business rules of their application instead of the intricacies of collecting data on a Tablet PC." The Active Ink SDK is a programming tool that allows software developers to incorporate the Active Ink Client into their application by including a DLL that can be distributed as a runtime client license. The SDK allows you to customize and control the client assembly by modifying the user interface with your own custom menus, buttons and toolbars. The SDK notifies the third party application when the user takes specific actions allowing the developer to implement business rules.The Active Ink SDK works in conjunction with Active Ink Form Designer, a form-building application that enables end users and developers to build electronic forms for the Tablet PC platform. The Active Ink form is an ink-enabled document that can be used to collect data, drawings, images and signatures for 3rd party applications. The form can be filled out using a digital pen with the handwritten ink automatically being converted to text. The form can then be saved as an XML, PDF, JPG or TIF document and exported to an Excel spreadsheet or saved and retrieved from an Access or OLE-DB database (Oracle, SQL Server, etc.).About Active Ink SoftwareActive Ink Software creates electronic form design software for the PC and Tablet PC markets. The company's e-form solutions reduce operational costs by eliminating paper forms and duplication of entry. For more information, visit the company web site at www.activeinksoftware.com.
Using your Tablet PC or cellphone 4INFO
Thanks to wireless technology, it’s now as close as punching in 44636 on your cellphone or Internet-connected Tablet PC. Send that number via SMS – Short Message Service – and you can get sports scores, stats, weather info, stock reports even a list of movies and showtimes playing near you.Best of all, it’s free.For example: You’re having dinner with friends and decide it would be fun to continue the night by going to a movie. Whip out your cellphone or Tablet PC, open up your text messaging SMS application, address it to 44636 and, in the message body, just type the letter m, followed by a space and then your zipcode.Hit send and, in about a minute or so, back will come a text message listing theatres, movies and showtimes.How cool is that? Makes carrying a Tablet PC around worth it, doesn’t it?The service is a boon to sportsfans. Use your mobile phone and type in the information you want and a synopsis of the latest tournament action is texted back to your tablet or cellphone screen.You can get results by team or conference, or even have a message sent giving you the scores of specific games at the end of each quarter.There is no charge for the service from 4INFO, though wireless providers may charge for such messages, depending on the service package you have and whether data calls are bundled.If you register at the 4INFO Web site (www.4info.net), you can customize specific information needs and have them automatically sent to your phone.You’re asked to pick your wireless provider, note your phone model and then give your phone number with an e-mail address and a password. The service than sends a confirmation code to your phone. Enter that number in the set-up box and you’re registered.You can then choose from a list of topics you’re interested in getting alerts about - sports, weather, stocks and the like. You can even customize the data by team or game.A list of commands and an easy tutorial on what to type for specific information requests is available on the Web site.The 4INFO service is one of several that link the Internet with its ability to provide specific information on demand to mobile phones or Net-enabled Tablet PC computers. With most cell phones sold today capable of exchanging data as well as voice services, wireless providers like Sprint, Cingular and Verizon are finding big income streams in offering non-voice features through information brokers like 4INFO.That’s because the wireless providers usually charge extra for data, typically 10-cents per message. Most offer discounts when purchased in bundles, starting around $10 a month above the normal phone rates for 500 messages.A study by the M:Metrics research and marketing firm reported that 61 million Americans have used text messaging. The BBDO Worldwide advertising agency says a 2005 study it did with 3,000 U.S. cell phone users found 44 percent reported using the cell phone to flirt.Text messages use something called SMS for Short Message Service that is available on most cellphones sold today. With an Internet connection, you can use the Tablet PC to do the same thing. Most text messages are limited to about 150 characters or less, as set by your wireless provider.The 4INFO service (www.4info.net) is not the online text messaging service that will provide free information on demand to cellphones and Tablet PC computers.Both Google (text message 46645 or go to www.google.com/sms) and Yahoo! (text message 92466 or visit mobile.yahoo.com/search/smsdemo) offer online demos and lists of commands to send via text messaging to get local weather, movie, weather and driving information sent back to your cellphone. Both are free.Ask Me Now (www.askmenow) is a service that works a little differently. You register online and can then use voice service on your cellphone to call 888- 392-7563. Instead of typing text, you speak your question about just about anything and an answer will be sent back to your phone in a minute or so. For each answer there’s a 49-cent fee charged to your cell phone bill.
Getting The Most Out Of A Tablet PC
Tablet PC's were originally designed to put mobile computers in the hand of people working in the field. The people using them spent the majority of their time away from a desk and wouldn't have access to a keyboard or mouse. Users would make entries via stylus or digitizer. The lightweight and highly portable nature of these types of computers made them perfectly suited to field technicians and health care workers. These original models are known as slate tablets do to their distinctive one piece design. The entire computer screen and all was encased in one small unit, usually weighing 4 pounds or less. All of the units came with ports for connecting an optional keyboard, mouse, CD/DVD drive, printer, monitor or other computer peripherals. By choosing not to include all of these peripherals computer manufacturers were able to shave off pounds and lengthen the battery life considerably.
Many people were attracted to these new tablet PC's but still wanted a traditional keyboard setup. Manufacturers responded to consumers demand and the convertible tablet PC was born. A convertible tablet PC looks very much like a small notebook computer. Aside from the monitor it functions exactly like a traditional laptop computer. The monitor is attached on special hinge that allows the monitor to swivel, making it an extremely powerful tool for small customer presentations and demonstrations. The monitor is also capable of swiveling completely around and lying on top of the keyboard with its screen facing up. This gives it the appearance of the traditional slate tablet PC. Convertible tablet PC's traditionally have a larger viewing screen, larger hard drive, larger battery, and other accessories. These extras make it a much more powerful computing platform, but they also make it heavier and more expensive.
Is a tablet PC the right PC for you? The real question is how portable does you're computing lifestyle have to be? Do you spend a lot of time outside of a traditional office environment? Do you need to use a computer to record or makes notes while you're walking, or moving from place to place, if so a tablet PC is the perfect choice for you? For salespeople or business men who spend a lot of time traveling a convertible tablet is probably a much better option. It gives them more power, and more features, with a more traditional computer setup.
Many people were attracted to these new tablet PC's but still wanted a traditional keyboard setup. Manufacturers responded to consumers demand and the convertible tablet PC was born. A convertible tablet PC looks very much like a small notebook computer. Aside from the monitor it functions exactly like a traditional laptop computer. The monitor is attached on special hinge that allows the monitor to swivel, making it an extremely powerful tool for small customer presentations and demonstrations. The monitor is also capable of swiveling completely around and lying on top of the keyboard with its screen facing up. This gives it the appearance of the traditional slate tablet PC. Convertible tablet PC's traditionally have a larger viewing screen, larger hard drive, larger battery, and other accessories. These extras make it a much more powerful computing platform, but they also make it heavier and more expensive.
Is a tablet PC the right PC for you? The real question is how portable does you're computing lifestyle have to be? Do you spend a lot of time outside of a traditional office environment? Do you need to use a computer to record or makes notes while you're walking, or moving from place to place, if so a tablet PC is the perfect choice for you? For salespeople or business men who spend a lot of time traveling a convertible tablet is probably a much better option. It gives them more power, and more features, with a more traditional computer setup.
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