Hi All,
I'm keen to get into share trading but thought I'd pick your brains on the best online share trading experience. I'm interested in finding out what you think is a good share trading site for the following......

1. Mac friendly - I remember about 4 years back there was one online trading site that wasnt very Mac friendly. Certainly dont want to go there!
2. Good value for services offered
3. easy to use interface
4. good tips and guides on how to get started.

I know of eTrade and Commsec. Any others worth investigating?

Thanks for helping

1. Get a broker
2. Get them to recommend one
3. Sack the broker

Edit:

Bear in mind that considerations of useability etc should only be where all else is equal.

Note that this deviates from most norms.

It's your money - so get a site with low brokerage rates, good multi-trade deals, fast price data updating, low initial deposit requirement or margin requirements etc.

Usability, for once, comes LAST.

If you're into doing your own research, then you can't beat commsec. As for charting, well I'm pretty sure there is bugger all except for an old, unsupported, rather good but could be better program called iStock. I wish there was something on par with Metastock for PC in this field, but I never found any.

There are plenty of sites out there that will offer you lots of promises, for a price, but the best value is your own research. Use your ears and read and watch.

I use E*Trade, but dont use it for the advice or info, it's purely a way for me to make the transaction.

ditto

Another vote for E*Trade here also, but be warned that the current site doesn't play perfectly with Safari (evident from the moment you log in and get a 'This site does not support Netscape v6' error message).

They rolled out an updated site late last year that was a dramatic improvement, but pulled it shortly thereafter due to 'performance issues' and haven't restored it as yet. From what I saw though of that new site, it was very much Mac compatible.

I'm also reasonably happy with the performance of E*Trade's order fulfillment system (ie trades get made at the market prices I expected them to be made at) and their trading fees are reasonably competitive if you make a few trades per month.

Another vote for etrade.

In my opinion CommSec is much better value than etrade. Etrade seems good if you do a lot of transactions. Also check netweatlh (http://www.netwealth.com.au), commissions are pretty good.

As for charting software check out ProTA at http://www.beesoft.net/
Is really good.

Sebastian

Do you use ProTA? with ASX data? where from?

I was involved in the beta testing for the current OSX version, and got some small problems fixed that were unique to the ASX, I am very happy with the program.
I especially like being able to right your own indicators and trading plans.

I've used Westpac Broking for some time and found it excellent.

I use etrade (was with HSBC broking) just for trades. seems to work ok with firefox. Either Etrade pro or power etrade doesn't work on the macs because one uses activeX, which doesn't run on macs.

There has been a few big etrade system disruption in last 6 months though.

happy trading...

Brokerage Software ( CFDs, Options, Futures, Exchange ) would be SpectrumLive. The software is free but they take comission for each trade.
Charting Software would be ShareChart ( AU$1600 ) I just got it delivered to my house today.

Edit: They're both WIndows Software so you might need to get Intel *Mac*

I have been using Macquarie DirecTrade never had a problem with the mac

ANZ have today made a bid to buy out the rest of E-Trade (they currently own part of it).

I can't remember how much it was for (perhaps between $300m and $500m total??), but the owner's directors seemed to love it so recommended to the E-Trade shareholders that they accept the bid.

This means ANZ will probably own E-Trade in the near future.

I can't see them messing with it too much - they don't want to buy it as a profit centre but as a "string to their bow" and a leg-up into the transactional side of wealth management, so they can better plug their wealth management selling. It seems everyone nowadays is realising (albeit at the peak - not the cleverest time!) the massive dollars to be had in wealth management, private equity and superannuation. ANZ just want a chunk of the action too.

How will this affect E-Trade users?

Probably not at all.

(just thought it was appropriate trivia).