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Re: Performance of student version of Mathematica?

  • To: mathgroup at christensen.cybernetics.net
  • Subject: [mg726] Re: Performance of student version of Mathematica?
  • From: ianc (Ian Collier)
  • Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 16:15:54 -0500
  • Organization: Wolfram Research, Inc

[Please direct further questions on this subject to WRI. Ian's
 comment is clear. -moderator]
 

In article <3md0em$830 at news0.cybernetics.net>, jburne at connix.com (John
Burnette) wrote:

> My choice of language was intentionally confrontational, but by no means
> absurd. Point in fact, Wolfram REMOVED support for FPU for the 
> educational version. Secondly, they inserted code into UNIX licenses so 
> that they could restrict the number of concurrent sessions. Both were
> intentional EXTRA work which served only to artificially reduce the value 
> and usefulness of academic licenses. I believe my labelling of this 
> effort as an "intentional crippling" of their software is extremely 
> accurate. Suppose Wolfram had taken the approach that the student version 
> would use the exact software as the full version but a timing loop had 
> been added in order to quadruple the calculation time. Logically what is 
> the difference between such and approach and the one Wolfram took?
>  >

<<Stuff deleted>>

> Thanks for chatting. (BTW, are you an employee of Wolfram?) I believe I've 
> raised several pointed, direct questions. Perhaps I've been too strident 
> for some of you. I'd like to hear someone who will identify themselves as 
> a Wolfram representative answer the direct questions I posed.

Wolfram Research has not removed performance from any educational 
versions of Mathematica. 

The Macintosh and PC versions of Mathematica have always been
available in both Standard and Enhanced versions. The Standard
version is designed to run on computers that do not support 
hardware floating point instructions. The binaries in Mathematica 
for Students for Macintosh and Windows are identical to the 
respective Standard versions. The only difference between 
Mathematica for Students and the Standard professional version 
for either platform is in documentation and the way that technical 
support is provided.

What Wolfram Research has in fact done is to take an existing
product and make it available at a much lower price to full
time students. Any extra work went into creating more accessible
documentation.

Note that the full Enhanced version of Mathematica is available 
to educational institutions, faculty and students at academic 
discount prices.

I hope this answers your questions.

Best regards,

--Ian

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Ian Collier
Technical Sales Support
Wolfram Research, Inc.
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Tel (217) 398-0700        Fax (217) 398-0747        ianc at wri.com
Wolfram Research Home Page                   http://www.wri.com/
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