|
PureBytes Links
Trading Reference Links
|
My original comments about Y2K problems being easy to fix related to fixing
whatever problems exist in our own copy of TradeStation 4, Build 20. That
idea has been extended by others to the possibility of fixing problems in
other products, versions and builds.
There are much different considerations with that proposition.
1. Omega made big changes to the Omega Server historical database when going
from TS 3.51 to TS 4.0. The organization of data in the new database is
completely different. They also made big changes to other things.
2. I am intimately familiar with TS 4, Build 20. I am not nearly as
familiar with earlier versions of TradeStation or SuperCharts. Fixing
problems in earlier versions would be much more difficult, because I would
have to spend days learning details I already know about TS 4.
3. Neither TS 3.51 nor SuperCharts could not be safely installed on our TS 4
computer for the purpose of developing patches. We don't have a free
computer that could be used. One would have to acquired.
4. It would be necessary to have historical data in the old TS 3.51 database
format. We no longer have that, because the TS 4 upgrade program converted
our TS 3.51 database to the new format. Someone could provide it, but
additional time would be required to obtain and install it.
5. The actual sales potential is doubtful, even if a TS 4 patch was provided
. Whatever that potential actually might be, the number of people wanting
patches for various old products would be far less.
Even if there were no legal considerations, which I still think there could
be, it would not be economically feasible to provide patches for old
products. Our published rate for technical consultation and computer
programming is $150 per hour. Our time is always fully booked. We couldn't
acquire a computer, install old software, spend days learning details we
would need to know about it, and provide technical support to a limited
number of customers for the value of the software we would be patching.
I understand why some would like to be able to keep using old versions of
SuperCharts, but there is no reason to keep using old versions of
TradeStation. I wouldn't use TS 3.51, whether TS 4 was available or not,
because it has a very serious bug that cost me, and several others I know,
lots of money. I and someone else in our office each lost $12,000 on a
trade, where we would have each made $22,000, except for that bug. That was
just one trade. After discovering the bug, we found it had been the direct
cause of many losses before. TS 3.51 is not suitable for use in trading. I
wouldn't use it in actual trading under any conditions. I wouldn't even use
it in back-testing if there was any other option. I am not sure I would
even then. The bug is so serious as to make everything else about the
product irrelevant. The best use for old version TS diskettes is target
practice.
-Bob Brickey
Scientific Approaches
sci@xxxxxxxxxx
|