Tablets and IB

[crwood 4]

The TWS app for the IPAD is pretty useless in my opinion for trading options especially for creating combos. It can be done, but it's way too cumbersome.

 

Same holds true for the TWS app for Android. Now, it's fine for stock watching, but not if you're into more sophisticated trading.

 

Does anyone know of a tablet that allows you to have the full functionality of the TWS desktop?

 

I don't even use a desktop. I use a Mac Book that is four years old and I have all the functionality on it as I would any desktop setup. Which is ironic, because the latest Ipad's don't allow you this full functionallity. Doesn't make much sense to me considering the operating systems are so similar, and because IB isn't just a broker for stocks, but if you try to open up TWS on the Ipad it will just sit there and do nothing. With IB's clientele that's focused on futures, forex, options, etc., why did they create a mobile solution that's better for stock traders?

 

I would love to be able to ditch the laptop and get a new tablet, but the way IB currently has their system setup it is not ideal for what we do here.

 

Any other suggestions out there I'm missing?

[RobertB 5]

Have you tried running IB's WebTrader browser-based program on your tablet's browser? Although nowhere near extensive as the full desktop TWS app, I believe you can still setup most combos within it. If when trying this your tablet's browser attempts to revert to mobile mode, which may present reduced functionality, there is usually a browser option to force it to seek the desktop version of a web site instead, regardless of the fact that you are coming in on a mobile device.

 

I haven't tried this for a while, so I can't vouch for this at the moment. But it seems like it might help you.

[crwood 4]

Yes, I have tried it, but again the functionality of it is really a fraction of what you can do otherwise. For example, you have to create new orders to close a combo position. That is to say you can't close a spread unless you create a new combo. You can only close individual legs.

 

That problem is magnfied because ask bid prices are static. Might as well be using delayed quotes. Obviously not ideal.

 

I guess there isn't a tablet out there right now that can do this. IB really needs to step up their game on this front. We're now over three and a half years since the Ipad was launched and it's pretty clear tablets are here to stay.

[Gary 20]

Have you tried a windows 8.1 tablet running on intel architecture? I haven't tried it, but it seems like you should be able to download the standalone TWS installation file for windows and run it on an IA tablet. Maybe one of the big box stores (e.g. best buy) would let you test it before you buy.

 

Seems like you could get it to work on an android tablet somehow as TWS is a java program and java is supposed to be cross-platform... I just don't have any practical knowledge of how to accomplish that (or if it is even possible).

[Victor 5]

There really are no viable tablet options available that would satisfy your requirements of having a full blown desktop IB TWS, except a windows 8.1 PRO tablet, which is more like a laptop, really, because it runs a full version of Windows on it.

 

The android tablets, even though they run java virtual machine, they won't run desktop java apps natively.

 

There is a workaround of having a home PC set up for remote access, run the full TWS on it and access it via a tablet through screen sharing. However, depending on your internet uplink it could be extremely slow.

 

Another option is something called ONLIVE. Which is basically a Windows Desktop in the cloud, where you could run an in-browser TWS. This could be faster than the previous option. I have never tried this Onlive for TWS, but it worked well for other apps and just as a desktop in the cloud.

 

Good luck.

[RobertB 5]

Good suggestions, Victor.

 

I haven't tried it myself, but my guess would be that ONLIVE would provide performance similar to VNC-type programs (such as RealVNC and Windows Remote Desktop). ONLIVE's implementation would be very similar to those sorts of apps, although perhaps optimized in some fashion.

 

Sharing your Windows Desktop to your tablet is very simple. On the Windows side run RealVNC or Windows Remote Desktop. On the tablet (or Smartphone, for that matter), run AndroidVNC, which you can download from Google Play Store. If your tablet runs iOS, the Apple store probably has a similar ap.

 

I use AndroidVNC all the time on my Galaxy S4 smartphone (five-inch screen) to access and run Windows apps throughout the day on one of my home Windows machines. It works really well. I'm sure the user experience would be even better on a tablet with its larger screen.

Edited November 30, 2013 by RobertB

[Gary 20]

VNC is very popular and works well most of the time. I usually opt for Windows Remote Desktop when I have a choice... the latter's protocol is based on sending high level rendering instructions, while VNC is based on sending changes in graphical images. Sending the rendering instructions consumes a lot less bandwidth than sending changes in pixels. The good thing about VNC is that you can get client and server for free on just about any platform. With Windows RDP you usually need a "pro" version of Windows on the machine you want to control (but RDP clients are easy to get for the controlling machine).

[crwood 4]

Gary,

 

I got mixed info from IB. In email, they told me the Surface Pro 2 would work, because it runs on Windows 8, but when I talked to them on the phone to ask further questions I was told by the rep he didn't think that was true. Haven't found a place where I could demo it, but I'm looking for one. Also, thanks for the other tips on using a remote setup.

 

That actually made me think of Virtual Firefox, which is supposed to run Java on IOS devices. Have any of you tested this before or had any luck with it or is just a gimmick?

 

Thanks again for all the feedback and suggestions.

[Gary 20]

Hmm I haven't tried Virtual Firefox, but I think TWS runs on the Java virtual machine that is intended for desktop applications (independent of any browser).