Scott -- Good morning. I'm a former Q-Charts user just so you know where I'm coming from. I've taken the liberty of pasting below a few posts made while searching around for an alternative to Q-Charts. They all pretty much have to do with Tradestation Pro tradestationpro.com
Since making these initial observations, I have become quite pleased with the program (have been using it for almost a month). The data feed, wherever it comes from, has been rock solid from day one. Also I never have a problem re-connecting during the day as I used to with Q-Charts. The data itself has been reliable as well (I don't follow any stocks, so my experience is limited there, only indices and QQQ). The charts are fantastic, and I've completely changed my mind as to my initial reaction. They are much better and more elegant than Q-Charts ;) I've also begun to play around with "Easy Language". Additionally, there are an awful lot of good articles with code supplied in TASC which I've been able to incorporate effortlessly.
So far, the only drawbacks are two: No futures data as yet, but have heard from a number of sources that they will become available by end of Q1, beginning of Q2, and two, its been such a rock solid performer that I no longer have an excuse to go to the Q-Charts message board for my daily entertainment <G>.
Sorry for the long-winded post, hope this helps. By the way, I was able to subscribe for $99 p/m as part of a promotion. Don't know what they will be charging for the addition of CME futures data, but even if its the full $60, it'll be well worth it for what IMHO is a great program.
From: Bo Maslanka
On another note since this seems to be turning into a forum for alternate charting systems, has anyone used TradestationPro yet? Received a fairly decent promotional offer from them last Thursday and so have only had it up and running since Friday. So far I like what I see (other than the fact that futures aren't available yet, although promised shortly. Oh well. For those who have absolutely given QCharts all they're prepared to give and think that E-Signal charts, as someone here said (and I agree) suck, you might want to take a look at TradestationPro. No, I'm in no way affiliated with them, just passing on what might be a useful alternative. Too early to tell about the reliability of the data feed having only used it for a day, and only scratched the surface of all that is available. FYI, the promo I was offered which I'm sure anyone can get with appropriate begging techniques was $99.95 per month w/ unlimited quotes and most major exchanges included as part of the fee. No seperate Island book, LII is $10.00 extra, and Futures data is promised real soon <G>.
To:Bo Maslanka who wrote (12171)
From: Michael Watkins Sunday, Feb 4, 2001 8:49 PM
I've been a TradeStation user (not Pro, but the charting interface is identical or improved) for some time. It is an excellent platform for analysis. Not only can you take your pick of a zillion different studies, but you can develop your own.
I used to drive TradeStation with Quote.com data but no longer, I drive it with eSignal. What a <positive> difference.
TS Pro with futures data, at those prices, would be a very competitive and compelling alternative to QCharts. However even with their acquired experience (they bought Windows On Wallstreet some time ago) in running data servers, it might be reasonable to expect that some issues come to the fore.
On the other hand, a friend has subscribed and I'm informed that it worked first time, 'straight out of the box' so to speak, which in itself is an amazing feat for Omega er TradeStation Technologies.
I think TS 2000i basically was the proving ground.
Agreed, its a viable alternative for some.
From: Bo Maslanka
Well, FWIW, today I ran Q-Charts and TradestationPro side by side and offer the following comments. Both feeds performed pretty much flawlessly :) With the exception of TRIN, TICK, and TIKI all other indices and one equity I ran as a test, pretty much ran in sync on both programs. I don't put too much meaning in the variances for TRIN, TICK, and TIKI since they seem to always be at variance depending on which data vendor one uses.
I don't use LII or Island so cannot offer any comments there other than Island Book is not an option with TSPro.
I like Q-Charts T&S better. (Just a personal preference for the way the data is displayed).
I also prefer the look of Q-Chart's charts. Don't know quite the best way to describe why other than to say that Q-Chart's just look more elegant <G>.
I also think the drawing tools, although fewer than what are available in TSPro are better in Q-Charts (especially the FIB retracements).
With regard to indicators, TSPro, if one likes diversity, wins hands down. There are literally a bunch more indicators and other analytical tools and studies available with the TSPro program than what is available with Q-Charts. Additionally, TSPro offers one the ability to program (in something called "Easy Language" one's own indicators, signals, etc.) For me this is not really something that would win me over since the indicators I have available through Q-Charts more than meet my needs (I am definitely from the KISS school of Technical Analysis.) Although TSPro does have something called TRIX which I found kind of intriguing along with Parabolic SAR. As for programming, I don't care how easy the "Easy Language" is, I couldn't program my way out of a pickle jar no matter how hard I tried <G>.
TSPro does not offer an easy way to simultaneously change parameters for a number of open charts and data sources like Q-Charts does (at least not as far as I was able to discern). At any rate these are a few of my initial observations in comparing the two programs.
To:Bo Maslanka who wrote (12198)
From: Michael Watkins Monday, Feb 5, 2001 6:22 PM
Bo,
Your message was a good comparison of the two products even though on a couple of points we'd probably agree to disagree.
For example, I have always preferred Tradestation's chart drawing, I like the look of its candles and bars better. But that's so personal.
I'm like you and don't use a ton of indicators, so for all intents and purposes I can use almost any charting package, as long as it supports ADX. Although I do make use of some of Tradestation 2000i's EasyLanguage capabilities for some very specific and proprietory things.
To:Bo Maslanka who wrote (5515)
From: Teresa Lo Thursday, Feb 8, 2001 12:07 AM
Well, first of all, getting timely and accurate data is ON topic, so shoot!
What do you want to know? My background is that I was introduced to it by the co-founder of my site, Micahel Friesen when we worked together in the brokerage office in 1996. At the time, I didn't know anything about Windows! LOL!
Anyway, I used TradeStation 4.0 with the BMI cablebox, and then switched to TradeStation 2000i when it debuted. Both were terrible products, but of course, lack of computing power back in 1996 was mostly the problem with TS4. With TS2000i, it was just simply not ready for release when they did, and I gave up on them and went to QCharts. Well, you know what happened...so I came back to TradeStation 2000i for Service Pack 2 and it's been OK. Now running Service Pack 5 with data from eSignal. I had been running it from QFeed with a product called Dynastore, but eSignal beats all.
When I received my introductory offer of $99 a month for life for TSPro, (presumably because I had endured the torture of the standalone products, to which I owe my amazing 7 ways to Sunday PC troubleshooting skills) I simply ignored it, because I had endured more than you can possibily even imagine with TS 4.0 and the various incarnations of 2000i. But QCharts really pissed me off, and while I don't trade stocks at all, I look at them for the people on my site, and it is impossible to keep charts on all of them. So I gave them a shot, since we could have the first 10 days for free.
Imagine my shock, when it actually worked on the first install. I was amazed and dazed. Last week, there was a new release of it, and it's even better. However, we did notice a couple of days ago, that it had bad ticks on JNPR and QCOM, exactly like QCharts, so suspicion now turns to the data vendor - and you know, eSignal was flawless...
Teresa |
