I was a member of iATN for a while and there was a lot of flatulent discussion about aftermarket scanners. It resembled a religious debate. Here's a condensed summary of the official doctrine:
1) If you're a professional you must use the proper factory scan tool, regardless of the expense. In fact, if you're attempting to fix cars without the factory scan tool, you are an incompetent hack and should be run out of the business. If you're a DIYer (God forbid) you should be prohibited by law from opening the hood of your car, much less owning a scan tool.
2) If you have the factory scan tool for every line you work on, you are allowed an aftermarket scan tool to use "as a backup." If another tech is using the factory tool, you're allowed to pull codes or look at live data with an aftermarket tool, as long as nobody is looking and you don't believe anything it says. Absolutely do not try to activate anything with an aftermarket scan tool (except a Snap on brand) as you may ignite the earth's atmosphere.
3) Solus Ultra is better than MaxiDAS, except when it's the other way around. The Solus Ultra can reprogram the steering angle sensors on a Gia Flexus, while the MaxiDAS can activate the shift solenoids on a Dodge Cyst. An on and on. Everyone agrees that both beat a Launch GDS, except the owners of a Launch GDS. The cognescenti recommend owning every aftermarket scan tool on the aftermarket, provided you never use them.
4) MaxiDAS is a clone of a clone of a clone and originates from the fount of all evil - China. Autel is being sued by all the major car makers, along with Snap on, mom, pop, and apple pie, for stealing software. They have been ordered by a court (somewhere, nobody knows where) to cease releasing updates. Should you own one, the authorities are monitoring your network traffic for evidence that the Chinese military is learning the precious secrets of the EcoBoost engine from your scan tool.
