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.