[comp.sys.mac.apps] Help in Selecting Software Sought

kevinb@wrc.unr.edu (Kevin Brewer) (11/02/90)

I am getting a new Mac IIsi (w/ 13" Apple RGB) and am going to need to
'stock it' with some software.  In researching what I could/should get, 
I came up with some options and questions.  Being how the readers/posters
of this group have a lot of experience, I thought I'd ask for some 
opinions/commments before I spend the 'big bucks'.

Here is my situation:

- Grad student (i.e. limited budget :-( but educational prices :-) )
- Grad student (i.e. need to write thesis and lots of reports for classes)
- Grad student in Hydrology/Hydrogeology (i.e. deal with numbers, deal 
with spacial data, and do simulations)
- I need a _great_ graphing/charting program (3D surface,3D scatter, etc)
- I would like to be able to perform basic (and possibly not to basic -
Correspondence Analysis comes to mind) statistics sometimes. 
  
This is what I have come up with...
  Word 4.0 and Expressionist 
  Excel 2.2 and DeltaGraph -or- just Wingz
  Extend (for simulations)
  Desk Paint and Desk Draw (for graphic stuff)

[All the statistics packages I know of (which aren't that many) cost more 
than I am willing to spend (<$100) for now.]

Specific questions:
  Do I need Expressionist? Does it work well with Word? Anything better?
  Is there a better charting program than DeltaGraph?
  Is there a cheap stat package I don't know about? Will either Excel or
Wingz to the basics?  

Please e-mail and let me know what I am doing right and (especially) wrong.
I'll post my final call if there is an interest...

thanks in advance - KEVIN
kevinb@wheeler.wrc.unr.edu
Kevin Brewer
kevinb@wheeler.wrc.unr.edu
  "When water chokes you, what are you to drink to wash it down?" -Aristotle