Interesting Comment re Mathematica vs Everybody Else
Subject: Interesting Comment re Mathematica vs Everybody Else
From: Bill Wood
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:46:52 -0600
On Mon, 2007-11-19 at 08:20 -0800, Daniel Lakeland wrote:
. . .
> The fact is that CAS systems ought to be the scratchpad/pocket
> calculator of choice in applied fields. Using them as such means that
> they must be do-what-i-mean enough. Maxima seems to have started out
> with this in mind, and it makes it very successful. The recent work of
> the maxima team has made it even more useful in this realm.
This is an interesting observation given my recent exposure to the
current line leaders in the scientific calculator arena. Texas
Instruments bought the company that sold the CAS Derrive, sold the
software for awhile, then discontinued sales this past summer. The
reason - it's built into the TI 89 Titanium calculator. Competitively
Hewlett Packard came out with the HP 50g (nee 49g++) that also has a CAS
built in. Both calculators go for around $150, and both are targeted to
the education market, specifically students preparing to take
standardized tests.
There are obvious limitations to both products, but still -- symbolic
solutions to systems of equations, solutions of DEs, choice of real or
complex domain when simplifying, ... . The HP has a Forth-like user
programming language (they call it RPL -- Reverse Polish Lisp :-).
Given that you can off-load code to a SecureDisk, you can have a GB
library all your own.
Wouldn't it seem that the education market would be a really good target
for the free CAS' given the calculator competition for the expensive
brands?
-- Bill Wood