i know a lot of people bitch about TS for executions, etc. my interest is in the quality of the data/charts: could those who use/have used TS comment on speed with which the charts update. is the tick movement (both price AND volume) fast enough to scalp stocks and futures (ES and ER2)? i'd be using the TS charts/data and mostly trading on another platform/broker. i've heard enough about how good TS charts are for backtesting and analysis, haven't really read about how good they are for trading- especially in times like this where the volatility is ramped up. thanks.
I had IB side by side with TS before and TS was fine. TS gives you every tick, I think IB gives you bundled quotes every 1/4 second or so iirc? I trade on TS now, and it's fine for my purposes. don't know how tight you scalp the ticks. I love TS, except their interest rate sucks.
I just started using TS about two weeks ago. I have kept my IB account as well and they both appear to give me the same information at the same speed. when i pop us SPY or DIA on TS it did appear to bog down a little but I am unsure if that was my computer or the feed from TS. (computer is my first guess actually) Cant agree more about the interest rate. I am thinking of keeping TS just enough to make my monthly share requirement for the free platform and move the account to another that offers money market rates from dollar 1. (IB pays ZERO for the first 10K also)
TS has good fast data generally speaking but is very computer cpu intesive--if you don't have a fast machine, you will definitely get lags. If you've got a smokin system, usually a most excellent feed/platform worthy of anything you want to do with it.
Or maybe because they offer one of the best charting packages around. But seriously, I have been using TS for the last 4 years, and my machine is more than 2 years old - a very basic Dell with 1G memory, and never had problems with their software. I even had multiple TS desktops open at the same time, with hundreds of symbols updating real time, and it never looked like the machine was slowing down.
I trade nat gas, crude, and sometimes heating oil intraday using TS and its fine. If your looking to scalp, its fine
TS seems to get a lot of stale quotes on their Level II from past experience. Also, the interest they give you on your cash balance is around 1%, compared to around 5% for IB. You are getting robbed on your money there basically.