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Re: Word - Mathematica connection

• To: mathgroup at christensen.cybernetics.net
• Subject: [mg712] Re: Word - Mathematica connection
• From: tobridg at lerc.nasa.gov (James Bridges)
• Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 02:59:27 -0400
• Organization: NYMA Inc @ NASA Lewis Research Center

In article <3m564k$gm7 at news0.cybernetics.net>
tgayley at wri.com (Todd Gayley) writes:

> 
> We appreciate user input on issues like this. A show of support for
> WordPerfect could be very influential on our development plans.
> 
> 
> Todd Gayley
> MathLink Applications
> WRI

NASA Lewis has de facto gone with Word Perfect on Macs, PCs and Unix
workstations because of cross-platform issues. I don't know about other
NASA centers. Not that we're a MMa heavyweight of course.

Have you considered what adding MSWord's hardware requirements to the
already sizeable appetite of MMa would do to the number of users who
could use your product? Granted, Mma is not for 'home users' (except
frustrated amateur physicists like me:), but in most institutions it is
very hard to deck out a computer with enough RAM to really work with
Mma because of the lack of perceived price/performance for the added
cost. Justification becomes nearly prohibitive when added to the price
of Mma. You're sure to cut off a sizeable tail of marginal customers
for whom Mma is not their main axe if you add the need for MSWord and
its overhead.

It's a business decision on your part. But I sure hope that you find it
possible to avoid indebting yourself to Microsoft. Seems like a rather
Faustian approach to me.

James Bridges (electronic identity: tobridg at lerc.nasa.gov)
Working for NYMA Inc. at NASA Lewis Research Center, speaking for
myself.