Bonjour,

Why Metastock 12 cannot be updated without $25/mo ?

The Downloader was a good system.
Anybody could update freely his Metastock database.
Now we have to pay for a free information.

What do you thinl about it ?

Best regards

Carmichael.

I hate this move by Equis with their MetaStock 12. I've been seriously thinking switching to Amibroker.

One of the reasons that I chose MetaStock when I just started trading 8 or 9 years ago was that MetaStock was the industry standard, and the parent company Thomas Reuters was a large company and thus I perceived that it would provide stability in the program. I didn't want to spend years of my time and effort in one program and then the company goes out of business and I then have to spend time learning another program. Now, I did not expect that this curve ball from Equis was coming!

Well, now I have been a trader long enough and this is my trader's mentality at work: it is like you can't control the market and you can only control what your responses to whatever the market handles to you. It is up to Equis to do whatever they wish, but this is my plan, I will give Equis a year to correct this problem of MetaStock 12 not being able to read offline data, if they correct it, I will be gladly upgrading to MS 12 and future versions when it is time. If they don't correct this serious flaw, well, there isn't anything I can do to correct them except that I will vote with my wallet and switch to Amibroker or any other program that I think that will fit my needs (and tell everyone who seeks my opinion on a charting package not to use MetaStock because it can't read offline data).

In my opinion, Equis really made a bad move, yes, with this new policy, they lock a few customers to their datafeed, but they have abandoned many customers who just use the charting ability of MetaStock to do whatever technical analysis on their own databases! Equis, you have abandoned your platform! Can you imagine Microsoft all of a sudden declares that only Microsoft applications can be installed on Windows? Yes, you may get more revenue for a while, but it is a matter of time that someone else sees this unmet need and will be gald to fill the vacuum, and then it will be too late for you. Don't be a fisherman who eats his bait, don't kill your goose that lays the golden egg, come on, keep your charting package an open platform so that other people develop stuff based on your standard and publize your platform for free, think Facebook!

Wake up! Equis! Are you listening! Do not act childishly!

Hello,

Perhaps MS is slowly moving to the upscale market, traders with accounts of at least $200,000 who do not mind paying a yearly data subscription.

Beginners might want to start making money with cheap software as a test of their abilities and switch to MS when serious cash from profits in the markets is in their wallet.

Hi John,

I wonder if reducing the data subscription fees will bring the small traders who want cheap data back to MS.

On another line of thought, many beautiful charts could be created in Downloader for viewing in MS. One can input data for numismatic coins, real estate, art, etc.
Now we are left to make do with Excel spreadsheets.

I'll stick with MS v11 (The Downloader version) but I am aware that in 2-3 years as Microsoft drops support for Windows XP in 2014, Equis will make new changes and that I shall have to get other charting software from software makers who do not sell data.

Things always have to change. What to do? [:(]

Hello John,

That will be nice!

In the meantime I wonder how all the users who bought MS v8 or v9 for $100 at pirate web sites are faring ... [:D] Did they make those millions of dollars in profits or not because something bad held them back? [:P]

Hello John,

I am an ultra-liberal person. People may steal everything at any time, but not when taking up trading. Put it this way: books, software and laptops should not be lent, borrowed or stolen for learning how to trade. [;)]

Thieves from all civilian professions coming to trading must change their mindset to have a glimmer of hope for successful trading.

In 2002 I have been offered a copy of TradeStation and other software costing US$2,500 for free and I refused. Simply put, I do not want to know that I stole. I have lots of bad memories from what other persons did but I do not want to have something bad I did to remember. [:O]

It's OK not to have luxuries at home, but at least the person who wants to learn how to trade should save enough to buy the software which they so badly want to save their life through private trading, especially now with rising unemployment and all the problems of an overcrowded world.

While I perfectly understand and agree to every company’s concerns in combating, reducing and eliminating piracy, how about Equis considering special prices on data and upgrades for MS users with at least 10 years purchase history?

Loyalty to the markets pays off. How about Equis, will it reward its loyal customers?

Hello Henry,

I agree with every line you wrote. [:D]

As for me, I own a collection of TASC from 1995 - 2007 worth US$2,000 as you can see on the picture at http://s20.postimage.org/jt3lutw25/100_1012_s.jpg (pic avalable only for the next six months from today).

I am sure Equis staff does all their best to improve MS their way, but the missing genius of Steven B. Achellis, the founder, is sorely felt. [:'(]

I wish we could meet one day and exchange s.