I have been weaning myself away from Microsoft products these past few years. First to go was Microsoft Outlook. Then Microsoft Office. And then recently, I am finally rid myself of the last Microsoft product that I have--Windows XP. I have been using Ubuntu for the past two months now. Linux is certainly a lot easier to use now than years ago when Red Hat was the most popular distribution. I installed Ubuntu and the system was ready to use. No more hunting for linux drivers or installing packages one by one. Ubuntu was ready for use right off the bat. The first couple of weeks was awkward as there are many differences between Ubuntu and Windows. I often find myself searching online to see how to perform some trivial tasks. Setting up the Ubuntu system to just the way I wanted took some time and IT skills. But after the initial learning curve of about a week, I am very satisfied. Both Windows and Ubuntu have their pros and cons (there are plenty of comparisons online, so I won't compare them here), I wouldn't say one is better than other. As a skilled computer user, I am fine either way. The primary use of my computer is for running my automated strategies and quant programming. As such, system stability is a top priority for me. Which is why I decided to try Linux in the first place. So far, Ubuntu hs lived up to its expectations. I ran the JForex platform non-stop for days in addition to my regular heavy usage without any hiccup or slowdown. Having made the switch, I will be sticking with Ubuntu for the following reasons:

1. It works.
2. It is stable.
3. It is free.
4. It is fully customizable.
5. It integrates with other open source software that I use.
6. I like how it is always up-to-date to fix bugs and security holes.
7. It runs much better than XP (although that's an unfair comparison as XP is old).

I have been fortunate enough to not have to think about taxes for the longest time. Unfortunately though, that is because of my long stay in academia plus a couple of years of a low salary research position. I didn't have to pay much income taxes, if at all. Things are different now that I am working in a full time job with a decent pay. I am reminded of the impact of our high Canadian taxes from the missing chunk on every paycheck. That is why I am looking into what to do with my RRSP contribution lately. Last month, I analyzed the cost-benefit of a Tax Free Trading Account. I concluded that a TFSA trading account is not worth my while for the moment. So I will probably just stash my TFSA contribution in a good old savings account for now. That is not the case with a RRSP. One big difference that change the whole argument around with RRSP is that any contribution that I make into it is tax deductible! I won't go into details here because I hate taxes. Refer to the Wikipedia entry on RRSP if you are unfamiliar with it. Essentially, I am guaranteed about 30% (or your marginal tax rate) of "profit" by way of tax refund for the amount of money which I put into my RRSP account. I don't know about you, but 30% is a massive return for me! And it's risk free! (Technically it's just a refund of my own money, but still) The benefit of having a RRSP is obvious. What I have been pondering about is where should I put my money in my RRSP? As I discussed in Benefits of trading in a TFSA account, there are many limitations to a self-directed registered account. Although there are certainly other options than just trading stocks in a registered account. Here are the options that I have considered.

1. Savings account
2. Fixed income
3. Mutual funds
4. Exchange traded funds
5. Individual stocks

In my next post, I will rank my preferences for each retirement investment option.

When was the last time that you were working on something and you were so immersed in it that you have forgotten about the hours that gone by? That feeling of timelessness while doing something for hours. Not the type that you're stressed and feel that you don't have enough time to do a job. I am talking about the other kind of feeling. The positive one. The feeling that is serene and content. If you know what I'm talking about, then congratulations! You have found what you're born to do. There are a handful of activities that I am passionate about. I sometimes get that zen-like feeling when I am cycling through a mountain path or snowboarding down a hill. But what I truly like to do is problem solving. In particular, I find that programming quantitative trading systems is a perfect outlet for this side of my personality. Programming is one of the few ways in which you can create something out of nothing. Very much like a composer or a poet. But unlike those trades, you can solve practical problems with just your sheer mental capacity by programming your thoughts into codes. To problem solve, you also need a source of inspiration. And what better field can there be than the capital markets. It is basically an ever-changing chess game in which you are playing against the entire world. Talk about setting a bar high. As you may have read, I've run into a few obstacles with my trading lately. I need to develop a new trading program to let me regain my edge. So I got up early this Saturday to program my new trading software. Next thing I know, it was 4pm already. It was a blissful day. And that, is my reason for wanting to trade for a living.

I'm still recuperating from my food poisoning from last week. Meanwhile, I came across this unbelievable trading workspace showcase from LifeHacker.

I have no idea how this trader can juggle 40 monitors during his day trading. I am satisfied with just one 24" monitor on my desk. However, I'm neither a day trader or a professional trader, so perhaps I'm missing something?

What do you think of this 40 monitors setup? A dream come true or a charts nightmare?