Running Ninja Trader 8 on a MacBook Pro 2015, Will it work?

[Marz408]

I have been trading the ES Futures market now for 3 years while working from home due to the pandemic and finally making progress in staying in the green. Have now been asked to return to the office at a minimum (3) days per week right but want to continue making progress. My goal is to build a trading station in my work office in attempt to continue to move forward with becoming a successful trader. For the past (4) months I have managed to stay in the green (via simulator).

So my question is, I have an old MacBook Pro 2015 (specs listed below) and was curious to know if anyone is currently trading from a MacBook Pro 2015 and will it work for Ninja Trader 8? My MacBook is running flawlessly with no issues what so ever.

MacBook Pro Retina 13.3-inch (2015) - Core i7 (3.1 GHz) - 16GB - SSD 512GB

• Processor : Core i7-5557U
• Processor speed : 3.1 GHz
• Processor Core : 2
• Screen size (inches) : 13.3 (Will be running 34" LG external monitor)
• Resolution : 2560 x 1600
• Storage : 512 GB
• Memory : 16 GB
• Storage Type : SSD
• Graphic Card Type : Intel Iris Graphics 6100
• MacBook architecture : 64-bits
• Turbo Boost : 3.4
• Maximum OS supported : macOS Monterey (12)

Thanks in advance, any help is greatly appreciated.

[durdcash]

honestly, I would recommend a VPS. I have been using one for the last 3 months and it has been great. I then can open the vps on my main computer, phone, or my mac. I am always out and about for my job so it is crucial to be able to pick up where I left off. I am using the mobileninjatrader vps and have their most expensive subscription. You can always have any strategy on, there are right next to the exchange, and only takes like 5 seconds to switch from each device if needed

[QuantKey_Bruce]

Good recommendation. Then the MacBook becomes just a way to access the VPS and the specs are immaterial.

[Marz408]

durdcash WOW!!! Thanks for the recommendation! I had not looked into the Ninja Trader Mobile service thinking it was just for phones and tablets. Being I would connect to a virtual server, that takes the guess work out of everything. My MacBook Pro 2015 would handle this no problem. Thank you.

[backtester831]

Marz408 I do the same with running NinjaTrader Desktop on Mac through the VPS from www.ninjamobiletrader.com. I have a Windows PC too, but still prefer the VPS because it's very handy to have a single cloud trading workspace. It works extremely well and much better than any other server company. I think they just have much more powerful base servers, so chart trading through the VPS feels very smooth and natural.

[NinjaTrader_ChelseaB]

Hello Marz408,

NinjaTrader 8 Desktop is a windows application which relies on the .NET Framework to operate and the .NET Framework is only available on Windows Operating System and is supported only with native Windows PCs.

Below is a public link to the installation guide for NinjaTrader 8.

https://support.ninjatrader.com/s/article/NinjaTrader-Desktop-Installation-Guide

Minimum PC Requirements:

• Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2012 or later with all updates
• Minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768
• 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor
• 2GB RAM
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 (pre-installed on most PC's or can be downloaded below)
  Download .NET for Windows 7 and previous here

NinjaTrader is not compatible natively on a Macintosh computer and is not officially supported to run with virtualization software or cloud services such as Azure or AWS.
Our support will not be able to assist with the setup of virtualization software or cloud services.
As a head up, using any virtualization software

• Will cause a performance and internet latency impact
• May cause issues with file paths and access permissions

Using any cloud services

• May cause issues with identifying logical processors
• May cause issues with access permissions

Further, any operating system issues encountered cannot be supported by our support team.

A Virtual Private Server (VPS) with a dedicated processor count would be recommended instead of using cloud services.
We also highly recommend using a PC computer which is fully supported, and not using a Mac which is not supported.
That said, we have had some clients choose to run NinjaTrader on Mac hardware using virtualization software, such as Parallels, VMWare Fusion, and Apple Boot Camp at their own discretion, which will allow running Windows on a Mac.
Below are notes we've collected from users who have decided to take the risk and work in an unsupported environment.


Configuring NinjaTrader for Parallels 7 and greater:
When installing NinjaTrader on a Mac using Parallels 7 or greater users will need to ensure that the following steps have been taken prior to the installation of NinjaTrader.

1. Start Parallels and select your virtual machine
2. Ensure Windows within the virtual machine is completely shutdown
   (Meaning not in standby or in a saved state, but shutdown from within Windows)
3. On the Parallels start page, press the "Configure" button on the top (or click the gear icon)
4. Under "Options", select "Sharing"
5. Uncheck "Share Mac" under "Share Mac User Folders with Windows"
6. Click the X in the upper left corner to close the Configuration window
7. Start the virtual machine
8. Uninstall NinjaTrader from the Windows Control Panel
9. Re-download and run the setup for NinjaTrader to recreate the settings folder
   http://ninjatrader.com/GetStarted

Below is a link to the Parallels documentation.
https://download.parallels.com/deskt...uide/32922.htm


Configuring NinjaTrader for VMWare Fusion:
When configuring NinjaTrader on a Mac running VMWare, users will need to ensure that the following steps have been taken prior to the installation of NinjaTrader.

1. Start VMWare and select your virtual machine
2. Press the "Settings" button on the bottom
3. Under "System Settings", select "Sharing"
4. Uncheck "Documents" from the "Mirrored Folders" list
5. Close the "Settings" window and start the virtual machine
6. Start the virtual machine
7. Uninstall NinjaTrader from the Windows Control Panel
8. Re-download and run the setup for NinjaTrader to recreate the settings folder
   http://ninjatrader.com/GetStarted

Below is a link to the VMWare documentation.
https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Fu...61C656492.html


Configuring NinjaTrader for Apple Boot Camp:
When configuring NinjaTrader on a Mac running Apple Boot Camp, there are no special instructions needed.