MathGroup Archive 2004

[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

Search the Archive

Re: Re: Newly Released Mathematica 5.1 Delivers Unmatched Performance for Handling Data

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg52323] Re: [mg52302] Re: Newly Released Mathematica 5.1 Delivers Unmatched Performance for Handling Data
  • From: "Blimbaum, Jerry AA R22" <jerry.blimbaum at navy.mil>
  • Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 02:12:41 -0500 (EST)
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Steve and Tim.....

You mention something that has always bothered me about software, i.e.
All new stuff yet 'bad' things still not fixed.  My previous math
software irritated me so much by that , that I dropped them and went to
Mathematica.   But with them I see many of the same things.   I think as
a sales ploy, it just duzznt sound right, i.e. fixed bugs, improved all
the things you didn't like, etc. rather then  'brand new algorithsm,
etc..etc...etc..."....sometimes I wonder whether Wolfram realizes what
an enormous service they are getting from Mathgroup and the people who
write Packages...and it duzznt cost Wolfram a dime!!

Jerry blimbaum

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Gray [mailto:stevebg at adelphia.net] 
To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
Subject: [mg52323] [mg52302] Re: Newly Released Mathematica 5.1 Delivers Unmatched
Performance for Handling Data


On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 09:03:31 +0000 (UTC), timetime at gmail.com (Time E.
Time) wrote:

>New features and better algorithms are great, but does anyone know if 
>they've fixed any bugs in this release?  Things like
>
>The rotated text bug on Macs where labels on the y-axis of frames are 
>garbled.
>
>The instability in large eigenvalue calculations, which sometimes make 
>it impossible to interrupt the kernel and other times cause the kernel 
>to unexpectedly quit.
>
>The "feature" where Mathematica uses a non-standard character encoding,

>so that text in graphics is garbled when imported into some other 
>programs, like Illustrator.
>
>I'm excited about cluster analysis, but I can't bring myself to fork 
>over any more money to Stephen Wolfram until simple problems which have

>existed for years are fixed.

Tim is right but he does not mention the many bugs in the interface I've
reported for the last year or two. One simple example is that in-line
comments don't work right. (Could anything in Mathematica be simpler?)
Word wrap is a joke. You can't highlight parts of your code without
risking bizarre bugs.  Things in the code randomly change their
alignment so it's difficult to maintain neat-looking code.  I have many
other complaints, all in the interface or documentation, both of which I
regard as mediocre (but with excellence here and there). The math itself
is generally excellent, but I don't want to fork over any more $ either
until all simple and obvious bugs are fixed.


  • Prev by Date: Re: Martin Map (a.k.a. hopalong).
  • Next by Date: Re: Re: Piecewise symbol in 5.1
  • Previous by thread: Re: Newly Released Mathematica 5.1 Delivers Unmatched Performance for Handling Data
  • Next by thread: Re: Newly Released Mathematica 5.1 Delivers Unmatched Performance for Handling Data