On Tue, Oct 28, 2008 at 01:25:50PM +0100, ?iga Lenar?i? wrote:
>
> The user spends most of the time figuring out strange maxima's quirks
> and inconsistencies, functions with strange names. Most potential
> users don't want to deal with downloading maxima and it's gui
> wxmaxima separately. The command line maxima makes the user feel like
> it's some ancient DOS program and inherently inferior to Mathematica
> or any other CAS.
There are some fossils like me who feel that the command line is "infinitely
superior" over gui's and the like, and, though fossils, but nevertheless
users, the above statement (like the whole argument) needs to be rewritten,
taking into account the various types of users.
After all, one of the (several) reasons for me to use Maxima is that
it is command-line based.
Until Maxima isn't packaged into one application
> with a proper gui and proper help it won't get any use from anyone
> but the most hardcore geeks and old strange mathematical profesors.
oh, I see, perhaps I qualify for an "old strange mathematical profesors"
(though actually one might call me a "middle-age computer science
professor" :-)).
> Implementing a proper help, gui and consistent functions with
> noncryptic names is much more inportant than implementing new
> functions for some obscure mathematical uses and fixing some special
> buggy integral. That's the truth.
for whom?
Oliver