X_Trader looks good. I'm currently very busy and in no immediate rush, but I did dig around a little on Sierra. It seems to get great reviews and many of them are former NT users, BUT, most people seem to complain that it's not very user-friendly and takes some time to learn properly. What I like about NT was that it was very user-friendly and easy to set up. Regardless, I think I'm moving on from NT.
If you don't need API/programmatic access - why not just use ThinkOrSwim from TD Ameritrade? It is probably the best charting software available to retail traders.
At this point, I certainly don't need it. ThinkOrSwim - I tried it briefly, but didn't like it on my first attempt. Maybe I should give it another shot? Anyway, I'm not sure if you read the entire thread, but I will probably be going for one of the 'free' platforms through AMP futures.
They do charge an extra dollar per contract. So, the marketing can be a little misleading but, as long as you get a decent commission rate, it may still work out as a cheap option for traders trading less than 1000 contracts per month.
Here's another one, beta: http://forums.medvedtrader.com/. I use it with IB/IQFeed (2 computers), very stable, I'd give it a try.
You are kidding, aren't you? "The marketing can be a little misleading." Really? The only question is this: AMP blatantly advertises that they provide X_Trader for free; well, then, is it free or are they lying?
It's not a blatant attempt to pull the wool over your eyes. Many platforms have an additional transaction fee. This incredible deal is only around because they will sunset the product and hope to get some of the customers into the newer $1000+ product. You can be paranoid and skeptical as much as you wan't but it's an incredible entry for a lot of people to do more sophisticated strategy development.
I think I've narrowed it down to Sierra, X_Trader (TT) or CQG IC. Both Sierra and X_Trader is "free" through AMP. CQG IC does not seem to be. Does anyone happen to know what the cost of CQG IC with AMP is? And does people know if AMP will let me demo my chosen platform for an extended period of time? Perhaps I could solve the issue by actually depositing money and opening an account, although I'll prefer not to do that. I don't see myself trading live in at least 6 months, but I will need to have access to a live charting software leading up to that. Thanks again. PS: I'm of course contacting AMP directly myself some time this week, so I will get the details directly from them, but I'd thought I ask here as well.
X_Trader is total overkill. You're not auto spreading and I doubt it's going to offer any significant advantage for intraday trading.
X_Trader invented the DOM. Though, I can only guess if they have the best Trade Management Features. ADL for rapid prototyping of strategies might be of use to you. AMP is not charging the monthly fee for CQG QTrader and you will get AMPs lowest commish. CQGIC is the flagship product and will not be free. If you see yourself going into equities, you might as well go with Sierra. PS: Your trade blotter must have the luckiest 1 lot in the world for all the time and attention you've put into this.