warren@pluto.UUCP (Warren Burstein) (01/21/86)
A friend who needs a computer to write her dissertation in clinical psychology is planning to purchase a PC or a Macintosh and wants to know if there is any statistical software running on either. I have heard that SCSS or something similar exists on the PC. Please send mail if you have any suggestions or want to hear the results, no need to clutter up the net with the replies. thanks warren -- The Maxwell R. Mayhem Institute for Quandary Requiem and Maternal Sciamachy Accept no substitutes.
shulman@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Jeff Shulman) (01/23/86)
Having to take one Statistics course as a part of my business
management curriculum last semester, and having accessibility to a
Macintosh, I researched suitable statistics package for use in the
course. I found one that I was (and am) satisfied with:
StatView
by
BRAINPOWER
24009 Ventura Blvd., Suite 250
Calabasas, CA 91302
(818) 884-6911
StatView is a pleasure to work with and is well supported (one
aspect of which is whenever I speak to anyone at BRAINPOWER, they
always call me back in a timely manner if I could not speak to anyone
right away) --- they answered my questions clearly and courteously.
I inquired whether they would be willing to let me return Stat-View
for a refund if I really didn't like it, to which they said, "yes."
They seem to be willing to do so even if I had bought it from a
distributor. This is a rare and valuable asset --- most firms re-
fuse to back their product by giving a refund of the actual purchase
price. The BRAINPOWER management seems to realize that it is not in
their best interest to have disgrundled customers walking around
saying that BRAINPOWER is not a reputable firm to deal with. It is
my opinion that BRAINPOWER really *DOES* try to satisfy customers
Mac/stat needs and desires.
StatView has superb graphics. The inputting and altering of
data is easy. * THERE IS A LOT MORE TO THE PROGRAM THAN I CAN
COMMUNICATE TO YOU HERE *
If you do get a Macintosh, be aware that StatView *has* a
"Mac user interface" which means the program is "Mac-like" --- it
utilizes those qualities that make the Macintosh different from other
computers such as the IBM PC.
The cost of StatView is around $189.85 (retail.) But I bought
it from a discount mail-order firm called:
MacConnection
14 Mill Street
Marlow, NH 03456
800-622-5472 or (603) 446-7711
I have dealt with MacConnection a lot, and they *BY FAR* have
the fastest service,the most up-front, knowledgable, honest and
courteous employees [no, they're not part of the Boy Scouts.) Out
of about 5-6 similar distributors of Macintosh software, I can
recommend only MacConnection. I tried some of the other firms, and
for various reasons were not satisfied with what they had to offer.
In September 1986, the price of StatView was $119.00 --- since then
MacConnection's advertisements have said that they charge $99.00, a
low price for a high quality program.
The other two statistics packages for the Macintosh that made
it to my semi-finals were:
a) StatFast by StatSoft, 2831 East 10th Street, Suite 3, Tulsa, OK
74104 (918) 583-4149. They advertise it for $119.00. It has a
Mac user interface.
b) Number Cruncher Stat Sys by NCSS-Mac, 865 E. 400 N., Kays-
ville, UT 84037 (801) 546-0445. I don't remember much about
it, only that it had some advanced functions that I would never
use. I also seem to recall that it did NOT have a Mac user inter-
face. If it is the one written in FORTRAN, it is very fast.
[Of the original 4 to 5 programs I investigated, one was written
in MicroSoft BASIC. I rejected that one because the program runs
VERY SLOWLY --- unfortunately I can not recall which package it
is. It will say in its promotional material that it is written in
MicroSoft BASIC.]
BRAINPOWER is coming out with a better version of StatView
around March1986; individuals who already own a prior version of the
program pay $40.00 (a fair price) for the update. I suggest that
you write to them (or call) in order to ask them to send you their
promotional literature and/or demo immediately. After you have
analyzed the attributes of each company's program from the litera-
ture, if you have any questions at all, at least in regard to Stat-
View, call BRAINPOWER rather than write --- that way you'll get the
feed-back you may require!)
Your needs are not the same as mine --- my needs were those of
a novice. You obviously will require more advanced capabilities.
One thing about the Macintosh vs. non-Macintoshes: I worked on
an IBM PC during the course using a statistics package for that
machine --- I discovered that after having used the Macintosh, I was
spoiled. It was really a drag trying to get the PC to do what I
wanted it to do (and it was NOT because I don't know computers.)
The Macintosh is so much more fun (as well as PRACTICAL) when you
have to spend lots of time sitting at a keyboard!!! I hated the PC
and couldn't wait to get back on the Mac.
Look into the Macintosh's capability to generate detailed
graphics. In regard to statistics, besides the Macintosh's ease
of use, the graphics CAN be very strong assuming the software
was programmed to do hotshot graphics. (I seem to recall that
Number Cruncher had no graphics.)
Laura Jarrard Shulman