This week I made a few extra errors using my TWS stand alone platform so I am considering using a front end. Why do you use them and do you think this will make any difference to help eliminate execution errors? Also recommendations are appreciated. Thanks
I have always been error prone when it comes to executions. In my trading I make frequent adjustments to my stops, targets, etc. as market conditions change and tws is a bit difficult to do this on, as you probably know. Booktrader is an improvement but it is not user friendly imo, so I lhave been using a frontend for quite some time. I am now using Buttontrader and am extremely pleased with its performance. For me it is the simplest of them all to do what I do. Not saying it is the best for everyone, but for me it is. I have not made one error since I began using it and so it is paying for itself many times over. It has not malfunctioned a single time and I cannot say that about the others I have used.
I did not want to add another layer of software, expense and complexity to the order entry process and very happy using X-Keys described in: http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=714466&highlight=xkeys#post714466 Very few errors with this approach since I started using it. I am thinking about upgrading to this keypad described at tomshardware: http://www6.tomshardware.com/game/20050308/ergodex-04.html Have you tried programming the hotkeys using IB and your current keyboard? It would cost nothing to try and may be what you want. Good luck,
That kind of sums it up. For sure, if you're a loser, tacking on a frontend will not turn you into a winner.
I can't stand the TWS front end, i have not had issues with data or executions but the front end is terrible, I find book trader much better to work with than the data pages, but I still do not like TWS all that much. That keyboard looks like a real POS by the way.