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PCs come in all shapes and sizes.  Keep in mind that you'll want to have a PC that is both fast and expandable.  The tower case will allow a lot of room for the addition of additional hard drives for program and data storage.

Most cases of this size are priced between $95 and $250 and include the power supply.

If you buy a package deal at a computer super store or your local clone shop, make sure that you understand exactly what you're getting and how much room there is for expansion.

• Pentium 4, Processor that s rated at 2.8Ghz or higher.
• 1Gbyte of RAM memory.  If you can afford more, get it.
• 80Gbyte Hard drive for the boot drive (Drive C:).  80Gbyte or more second drive (Drive D:)  Get a larger drives if you can afford. Most PC mother boards will allow you to add three IDE devices if you already have an IDE CDROM installed.  Additional Hard drives can also be added externally using the USB port of the motherboard adapter.
• A 3 1/2" floppy disk drive
• 64MByte Dual monitor video adapter.  WindowsXP and Windows 2003 Server will allow multiple single monitor video boards.
• 32bit Sound card (not required for trading but nice to have).  Most motherboards today have the sound adapter build into them.
• 52x CDROM or DVD reader/burner.
• 56k Digital modem, ISDN router, ISDN Modem, cable modem, or ADSL modem
• The best keyboard that you can afford.  A good one that is comfortable to use helps your typing speed.
• 2 button or 3 button mouse.  On a 3 button mouse you can set the 3rd (center) button to perform a double click with just a single click.  It really saves time in the long run.
• If you are running a Local Area Network (LAN) at home you'll also need a Network Interface Card (NIC). One of the few products you will see recommended here is the 3Com 3C905-TX adapter.  Its fast and reliable and has a lifetime warranty.  Well worth it for around $90 - $105.  Also, many motherboards now have the NIC included on the motherboard.
• WindowsXP operating system.  Windows 95, 98,  Windows NT, and Windows 2000, while available, are now obsolete.

Note: Keep in mind that many traders today are running their systems on a lot less than is stated above, however, these items are what is typically being sold over the counter today.