What data vendor will you use after dropping QCharts? From my experience, QCharts is becoming better now, very little delay.
I am in the process of switching to Aspen. it's a bit more expensive ($150/mo + DTN monthly fee + exchanges) but I'm quite happy with what i've seen so far. EDIT: I dropped Qcharts.... It was a good run while it lasted (2 yrs).
Chi, run Ensign and see if you like it. Download the version and run the offline version for a month free. I have come to like it better than any of the more expensive programs I used to have on my desk. Better than CQG and Aspen and it uses DTN for backfill. Only 40 a month and free for the first 30 days. Also, if you have an IB account and need a TT like DOM try Zerolinetrader---Fantastic and cheap as chips. Over the past year and half I have had an IB account so I started experimenting with lower end software solutions with the thinking that if I am getting free data I might as well see what is out there. I have been pleasantly surprised. Ensign is the most customizable program I have used. I have now junked some higher end programs.
I used Zeroline when I first started trading, and loved it... Pretty cool. I should give Ensign a try, but we get Aspen here at Bear as well, and they have a enterprise user deal.. I'm so used to using aspen on the desk that I shelled for it at home for my own stuff... do you use it with the DTN data feed? Does DTN charge an additional fee for using this front end?
Bro, you are going to laugh. But I just have Ensign running IB data. Ensign comes with DTN backfill for the 40 bucks (as well as using IB or Yahoo(you can switch with a click) or importing data as well). It was a little confusing at first but once I started programming my secret sauce into it with the help of the Owner of Ensign Howard. I have been hooked. At this minute, I am only using Ensign and IB and TT. Nothing else. I canned them all. NO CQG, No Bloomberg, No Reuters and Aspen.. I have run everthing. I may eventually add bloomberg or the dtn prohet and another Ensign subscription. I love to have bloomerg and Ensign (they do not connect as of yet). But I will not leave Ensign! I ran all kinds of shit side by side for years and just simplified once I left the desk in Chicago. After Running Ensign and IB on a spare computer for the hell of it (it is soo cheap). I just said screw it. There are differences in data BUT not enough to effect my trading. Aspen is great. Aspen and Bloomberg would be a dream. But I like Ensign more because it is customizable and for some reason it throws good carma into my trading. Now if I could run my secret sauce models in Ensign on Bloomberg data. OH MY! But that is just me. I was just saying you should try it. IB's data is not perfect but with DTN back up data fill and TT.....it has not hurt me at all. So I futured why spend the money. that is just my 2 cents. I have nothing against aspen it is tip top.