I trade using Mac OS X and currently I am beta testing ProTA Mac OS X version. As I write this (07-Dec-06) the only version currently available is the classic version but this current beta version of the OS X version is very, very stable and very feature rich. I'd recommend ProTA heartily for the Mac especially once the OS X version is released (hopefully in January 07).

For data, I use Weblink (www.weblink.com.au), which is just a simple email of stocks at 5PM each day. Intraday information is available from their website. The advantage of using Weblink is there is no need to use one of the Windows data download clients just to get the data. Historical CDs are available from Weblink as well.

Other software includes the editions from Trendsetter software (www.trendsoft.com). Demo versions are available from their website and they are already OS X working. I believe the Trendsoft software isn't as good as ProTA - not by a long shot. But give it a try, it might suit you.

Fortunately for the Mac, trading software is much cheaper than on Windows but just as good to use. The OS X beta of ProTA has a new version of the Gold programming language that is much closer to Metastock than the classic versions currently for sale which makes it much easier to translate all the Metastock formulas and indicators out there. - Simon

Data suitable for ProTA Gold is available from Paritech. However you must specify a Mac history CD when ordering. David Mitchell suggests this is most effectively sorted out by ringing 1300 652 511 rather than using the internet order page.

Here is a current review of ProTA in an Australian environment.

I've been using ProTa Gold for a year now, with data from paritech. ProTA gold is simple fast and easy to use. It works like Metastock, only better and cheaper. I imported a 10 year history of ASX stocks in about 4 hrs with the Paritech cd. Paritech were happy to run me a cd in Mac format, too, although now I see that ProTA can import almost anything automatically. Only drawback is it cant handle live streaming, or hourly data. A great start until you are ready to upgrade to live data. - Andrew Knox

New Mac charting software has been released MacChart and MacChart Plus. You can download a free demo.

Mac users have two options.

Charting and analysis software designed for the Mac. Most of this is from the US. PERSONAL HOTLINE, ProTA and BEHOLD

Robert Sarafov tells us "I'm using Personal Hotline V8.0 and Paritech for theData. I found a contact at Paritech who is a little more committed to service and as a result feel more at ease in that regard. I have been receiving end of day data regularly and the system takes this text file with no problems."

METASTOCK ON THE MAC - It is possible

We have this comment from a user who is running Metastock 7.02 on a G3/400 with MACOS 9.0.4, Virtual PC 3.0.3, and he has no complaints about the speed.

He has 128Mb of RAM (with virtual memory set at 192Mb). He prefers to have Virtual PC configured to give a 64Mb PC as he runs other PC software at the same time as MetaStock, as well as running stacks of memory hungry MAC stuff.

MetaStock 7.0 lists the minimum RAM as 32Mb, so 96Mb would be enough if you don't run much else at the same time and either run a '32Mb PC' or bump your virtual memory a little. He runs Windows 95 within Virtual PC, with 1Gb of disk allocated for the PC's file system.

PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

Macintosh Australian Portfolio management is available. The excellent Mac Share Manager is now available. This is a portfolio management tool designed for Australian conditions. Holds multiple brokerage accounts, records full dividend details, handles bonus issues, stock splits and capital gains issues. This is a very smoothly executed program. The Mac Sharemanager software package for Australian markets has been upgraded. Changes include: Trust and other income.: Price and follow-up Alerts.: Accounts file for trading records.: Selector - now finds 'held' or 'sold' stock items.: What if? - Sale Projections.: Scrolling view windows in entry screen views showing all entries for Held & Sold stocks, Dividends & Trusts, with option to go to any specific entry.: Copying stocks and prices to spreadsheets for various investors simplified.: Capital Gains tax liabilities 

PERSONAL HOTLINE, ProTA and BEHOLD

Personal Hotline V8.0 Due in December
Personal Analyst 4.0 Ships!

While we are working on Hotline V8.0, we thought you might like to preview some of the exciting changes that are on their way. Personal Analyst V4.0 was released in early October. All of the new features in Analyst 4.0 will be in Hotline V8.0 plus more!

Analyst V4.0 and Hotline 8.0 are more than upgrades, both have been completely redesigned to produce products so smooth, so fast, so functional, so easy to use, we can't wait to share them with you. To read about the new features and down load a free demo,

Mac users should read the review of Trendsetters Personal Hotline charting and analysis package.Mac users can number-crunch price data and do systems testing with Behold!. Paritech now also includes charting and price data support for Macintosh Trendsetter software. Get details about the latest Trendsetter upgrade, or read a review of it along with screen shots. It is impressive. Browse the US manufacturers  site for more information and updates.

ProTA includes charting and analysis and a demo is available. The information below has been supplied by the manufacturer, Beesoft, and we provide it as a guide. We have not personally used this software.They have over 100 Australian customers, most of whom are using Weblink to collect data..

Australian ProTa user Glen Rowen writes:

I use ProTA for share analysis and find it an extremely effective package. I am using Weblink data, and they are currently customising a format to allow direct import of options and warrants data with additional fields I have requested. I have found Weblink very reliable and willing to meet my needs. ProTA can import almost any file, and is very flexible. It can automatically create new quote files for new companies and options/warrants series, as long as the data includes the information, which Weblink is now about to supply. Weblink with ProTA makes management of my charting data easy and efficient. ProTA is simple to use, yet extremely powerful. I was using it in minutes, and the manual; is clear and easy to follow. Help is a click away on any topic, and customization is simple. The program will be easily learnt by any mac user in very short time, which leads to quickertrading success. You can set up portfolios of shares, with management and location of charts, again only a click away. I have used metastock, and this has all the power, yet somehow seems easier to use. - Glenn Rowen (growen@shoalhaven.net.au)

Mac user Aiden Gibson-Hughes writes:

I've used ProTA Gold since it was released. Excellent charting with chart templates as per ProTA but with fully programmable database searches and programmable custom indicators. Also allows you to run trading simulations once you've written the criterion for one, using your data, choose your own dates to trial it from and too. Fast full choice of colours - chart templates, your trading info, Excellent hard copy manual. Fully compatible with G3 and G4's system 8.6 OK Downside is that to use weblink, their CD info had to be "manually imported" as you do for the daily updates ie one operation per date for all stocks. It took 14 hours to get 6 yrs of data in. No delection available for warrants so they get lumped in with the principals.

Mac user John Cockbill tells us that ProTa advised him that "most providers have created CD's in the MetaStock ASCII format which PC users call "PC only compatible", but us Mac-users can actually use that data as-is. If the CD data is in any sort of comma, tab, or space delimited ASCII formats, even if they are .zip files, we can use them and they will import into ProTA." ProTA software imports their data via drag and drop. Virtually any tab, comma or space delimited data is handled by the ProTA Universal Text Importer via simple drag and drop.  Email their support area for more information.