Getting Data

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Getting data with Unfair Advantage is usually a simple process. The required settings for downloading quotes depend upon your desired method of access. Unfair Advantage is shipped configured for Internet access using a recent Internet Explorer as identified in Hardware Requirements. If you are a regular Internet user with Microsoft Internet Explorer, you can probably get online without any additional customization as described below. If these instructions are insufficient for your Internet applications, or if you wish to use Direct Dial or Browser access, please see the detailed instructions in the Downloading Data chapter.

For fast-track Internet access:

With your web browser online* and the Unfair Advantage screen displaying, click the "Get Data" icon on the toolbar at the upper left portion of your screen. (It looks like two computers connected by a telephone handset.)

The Download/Distribution Selection screen displays:

This screen allows you to download and distribute everything in your retrieval category or a subset that can be defined through a list. For your initial retrieval session, simply click [Run] to download everything.

Next, the Download Data Communication Settings screen will display with an "Internet Download" confirmation box as shown:

Assuming you entered your User ID and Customer Number correctly and you have not waited beyond the time window for updates since the database was shipped, then Unfair Advantage will bring your full database current. You can monitor progress with the counter in the lower left corner.

Under normal circumstances, each update session retrieves the most recent day and a refurbished repeat of the previous day updated to assure completeness of the prior day's information. All missing days of trading activity since your last update, for a period covering up to two months, will also be included. An update transmission can also include automatic error corrections and new information to be added to the factsheets. Updates of the commodity database typically take no more than two minutes per day of data. Stock updates may take significantly longer. For your first update, everything will be brought current from the date of shipment.

* Depending upon your communications software, you may have to click "Connect" or "OK" to initiate the Internet connection, or this may happen automatically. Either way, once the connection is established, the "Internet Download" screen will display, but it may be hidden behind your home page. Feel free to minimize the home page screen to view the full Unfair Advantage process. If your web browser is not configured to automatically connect to the Internet whenever a URL address is requested, you'll need to add the step of manually getting online before attempting a download.

UA automatically proceeds to data distribution after a retrieval session.