InvestorRT Demo feels like a Windows app ported to the Mac -- though company profile boasts of having started on the Mac. Charts drag-zoom okay, but feels jumpy. Chart windows do not like being moved around. Toolbar palettes seem stuck on the left side of my display. Subwindows cough out awkwardly. Hopefully just the demo version? With InvestorRT, eSignal is not available (for the Mac). Seems like MyTrack by Track Data is best value? But is basic package reliable and quick? Admittedly not too many choices... I appreciate all the replies.
Definitely dtniq! I have used IRT for OS X with both mytrack and dtniq. The latter is faster, more reliable and gives more data- especially if you trade options. Yeah, agreed beesoft should get with OS X last year, but its a great EOD program and classic, while not as pretty, is completely useable IMHO.
I don't want to sound like I work for them because I don't, and I don't want to defend the app because I won't. First off, the toolbar. Go to setups, preferences, general. There you set the toolbar to do what you want. Do the same for charts. Ported to Mac....well it's true it doesn't look like Final Cut Pro. But you get used to it. The thing I like about it is the graphics are SO much better than any PC trading program I've seen. Granted, graphics and good looking charts aren't going to necessarily help you get winning trades, but it's nice to look at good looking candles. And if you are trading real time for 7 hours or so, it makes a difference. Chart windows are very full of data to make good looking charts so they may be slow to move, unless you have a faster processor and Panther. This will of course get better and it has with every OS update. But why do you need to move them around once you get them where you want them? You can position as many as you want on your monitor then double click them to the dock and bring them up whenever you want. Here again, personal preference. What do you mean by subwindows? For data I have to recommend DTNIQ. I had both at the same time on two separate computers for two months to see what's what. And Track Data was late with quotes on the ES many times when things got fast, especially near the open. Not always mind you, but sometimes. And over the two months, DTNIQ was down for 10 minutes total for the entire 40 trading days. Track Data was down 90 minutes total. It's cheaper yes, but.... My wish is that IRT would work with eSignal, but it's not going to happen. Life goes on. Finally Fenceguy, I wanted to stay with the Mac platform if at all possible because I been a Mac guy since 1988 and I'm a loyal puppy. I found Linnsoft, (along with then new great OSX) to be my saving grace. Is it the best Mac app I've ever used...no way. But I don't have to apologize for it either. It's solid. However, if you don't like the Mac choices, and there aren't many I know, then a Windows machine running IRT and eSignal might be for you. If you want me to send you some of my chart definitions to import to IRT, let me know. That way you can see how I've set up my charts to look really good on a Mac. The ones in the demo are ka ka. I've attached one of my daily ES charts. jd
ProAnalyst has what seems like a handy 1-min chart, but it does NOT flip easily for ticker selection like their other charts. Also seems unreliable for up-to-minute charting -- it is "remote server based" I'm told (an entire day's chart was missing for most stocks today). The software also has a "line tick" chart that tracks each ticker move -- but it tracks only from the time point you open the chart for each ticker, no previous pattern available. Not particularly useful. InvestorRT Demo does not even have shorter than 3-min charting! Is "line tick" charting hidden somewhere? Or am I missing something in the demo version? Although I'm new to real-time charting, I've been trading stocks online for several years -- mostly long term and interday (as opposed to intraday) position trades. Now I'm trying to get more data -- namely, short-period, real-time streaming, reliable, zoomable charts. Wouldn't short-period charting be rather useful for any style of trading? Longer period charting is already available everywhere online for free (yahoo, quicken, businessweek, etc. has all sorts of 5-min, 5-day charts). Aren't there any day traders or intraday position traders on the Mac? Must I get a Windows machine, or is this type of charting as good as it gets on any platform? I thought at-home traders now had tick-by-tick analysis available at their finger tips.
mac is a play computer not a working computer. trading is hard enough without adding other distractions like software problems.
I am a Mac user. I love my Powerbook G3, although it is a little outdated now. When I was contemplating a new computer last year I though about a Pentium and a G4 Portable. I bought a Pentium portable because I did not want all the hassle with sofware and datafeed. However, I am using IRT on XP and while it is not a perfect app, it has more functionality that you could wish for. It is pretty expensive nowadays and still has a bit of a homemade feel, especially the clunky userinterface. However, it behaves the same under OS X and windows and it has one of the fastest databases available. you can scroll through chars faster than with most other programs because it maintains a local database. If I had to do it again I would buy a G4 portable with IRT becuase even after a year I have to confess: Windows XP does not even come close to the elegance and functionality of Mac OS X and trading wise it would not make a difference at all. Plus I have never ever once had a virus on Mac OS(X) in ten years, but within two hours my XP PC was infected. I could go on and on about how Mac OS X - especially with its unix underpinnings - is way better and more secure than XP. If anyone should ever take the trouble of working on a OS X system for over a year, they would come to the same conclusion. It even includes free development tools and the wonderfully elegant AppleScript. Plus it runs practically all the Unix apps out there. Interactive Brokers TWS works also like a dream on OS X. In short: next year I will buy a Mac again!
Hi all, I am looking for real-time streaming charts to be used with mac. I am now downloading the IRT demo and will try it, but I was wondering if something has changed since these posts were written. I am using IB TWS for trading. Has any of you using it managed to pull the new streaming beta-charts with a mac?? I haven't. Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated.