V. 6:3 (84-86): Letters To S&C

LETTERS TO S&C

Profit Taker

Editor,

In the August 1987 issue of Stocks & Commodities magazine (pages 42-45) you reviewed the software program Profit Taker but did not provide an address or telephone number.

I would like additional information on this program. Would you please send me their address and telephone number?

RONALD FINKBEINER

La Crosse, Wl

More about Profit Taker can be had from developer Louis Mendlesohn's company: Investor's Growth Corp., 50 Meadow Lane, Zephyr Hills, FL 34249 (813) 973-0496. - Ed.

Not so quick Quickbasic

Editor,

I just received my Quickbasic 4.0 update. QB3.0 is fantastic. A great editor, unbelievable speed. On it my optimization program takes 27 seconds (11 to compile, 16 to run). On QB4.0 that program takes 83 seconds! I average about 100 programs run every day. Losing 56 seconds on every run for 100 runs would cost me about 1 hour 33 minutes every day. If speed is your #1 priority, as it is for me and most of my friends, I would advise against ordering a QB4.0 update and for hunting up a QB3.0 if you buy a new one. This is my first bad experience with Microsoft. QB4.0 must have new advantages that offset the loss of speed for some people.

CHARLES M. LARSON

Whittier, CA

Yes, Quickbasic 4.0 does have new advantages. Whether or not they offset the loss of speed depends on your application. QB4.0 uses the new IEEE standard floating point, which enables much higher precision. Thus, while the number-crunching programs tend to drag their feet with QB4 .0, you will not likely experience the sort of errors that could result from "loose" decimal rounding in QB3.0. With some iterative programs, this improved accuracy can mean the difference between success, and failure in the real world of trading -Ed.