what is the best firm for equities and futures?

I use RealTick through mastertrader.com. I love the platform. I love the service from mastertrader. Small. Excellent service.

 

TWS charting features are pretty weak compared to third party software, and I'm also not too sure about the quality of IB's datafeed - AFAIK they aggregate trades and for sure don't offer much historical data.

That said you can always try it out and see if it meets your needs. If not, there are plenty of frontends available.

 

How is lightspeed platform with options? All I've heard is "it sucks" but never seen it in action.

 

I manage Client $$$$, and don't need any problems from IB or a Lightspeed. Seems IB has miserable customer service, and that doesn't work when I need an answer to something that has to do with SOMEONE ELSE'S MONEY.

Lightspeed isn't loved here either. http://www.elitetrader.com/br/?action=view&R_FirmID=211

I'm getting tired of the costly ticket charges at my clearing firm, but am a little leery with IB. That old saying "you get what you pay for" may ring true with both of the above...