Thanks you for your replies. I will look into the Dell suggestions..
Previosuly my approach was mainly TA for short term (2-3 weeks holding period). I dont believe in TA for the longer time frames.
However, I am now looking to incorporate a statistical approach to the trading strategy. Hence need the data mining capability of a strong PC with a the processing power to handle the calculations and back testing.
RE: Masters çourse - I found the "resource industry analysis" and "economics of financial markets" applicable to trading.