Forwarded message by list manager: From: Pedro Aphalo <Pedro.Aphalo@metla.fi> Subject: Re: statistical programs for scientists To: forest@nic.funet.fi Message-id: <01H2Z1I56AKY90MTZV@palmu.metla.fi> Anneli Jalkanen wrote: >Hi, >There was a request about programs which can make scatterplot matrices. >I've been using a statistical package called Statistica (Statsoft Inc.). >It can make the mentioned plot but otherwise I don't regard the >program highly recommendable. The user interface is clumsy and so is the >performing of analyses. I haven't found a good package yet that is good in >all aspects of the work: handling of data, performing the analyses, and >making the graphics. Of the competitors, I have the impression that Systat >is more clever with the graphics but I can't recall if it makes scatterplot >matrices. Comments or recommendations, anyone else? Yes, Systat has many options for graphics, but it is inflexible in some respects. In the Windows version of Systat there are many bugs, and it has a very clumsy user interface (e.g. some options that one can select from the menues generate errors when the commands are executed, two runs of the same .cmd (=command) file can generate different output!, the quality of the graphics files exported (.wmf) or postcript in the DOS version is very bad (compared to the free program gnuplut in any of its versions, including windows): they are so huge that programs like Corel Draw get stuck, making afterprocessing imposible. Systat supports True Type fonts, but if one uses these fonts the labels are misplaced (to a different extent on the screen and in exported files, or on the clippboard metafile). Error messages are uninformative, and some errors are quietly ignored. There is a bug that hungs the PC and requires rebooting if one prints more than two graphs without restarting the program. The cut and paste in the worksheet is a "text" operation on what is DISPLAYED on the screen (=the numbers change as non displayed decimals are lost!!) etc, etc, ... (All these bugs are still present in the mainteinance version 5.01, there were a few more in release 5.00!). So DO NOT BUY Systat for Windows, at least not before they release a new version. So, I am still looking for a GOOD scientific graphics program... Any suggestions? Has anybody any experience with Sigmaplot or Fig.P? Pedro Aphalo Finnish Forest Research Institute Suonenjoki Finland > >Anneli Jalkanen, U of Joensuu, Finland > >PS: It would be nice if people writing to this mailing list would put >their name and country in the message. Sometimes it is hard to guess >where the message comes from based on the Internet addresses.
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