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

Re: Re: Opportunities and Player Pro

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg104423] Re: [mg104396] Re: Opportunities and Player Pro
• From: Daniel Lichtblau <danl at wolfram.com>
• Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:51:56 -0500 (EST)
• References: <hcbi0f$jn9$1@smc.vnet.net> <200910300719.CAA27741@smc.vnet.net>

telefunkenvf14 wrote:
> On Oct 29, 2:59 am, "E. Martin-Serrano"
> <eMartinSerr... at telefonica.net> wrote:
>> I wish to join the opinion already expressed here on that WRI should provide
>> the means to make available to people, in general, any products developed
>> with Mathematica,  allowing to manipulate all or most of the dynamic
>> graphics and other stuff in them. The lack of this free tool which would
>> make possible wide distribution of these materials severely restricts the
>> opportunities to use Mathematica for many purposes.
>>
>> It is true that Mathematica Player Pro is already available, and that it is
>> the professional platform for running interactive Mathematica applications
>> and documents and for interacting with reports and documents. It is also
>> true that, Player Pro is an application delivery system and that it can
>> be used to deliver tools, and so on. But, in the end, all this is
>> restricted to a closed and, to certain extent, comparatively tiny community
>> of already Player Pro users.
>>
>> But think about, say,  a book on some scientific and technical matter, meant
>> to be distributed in many countries, written in Spanish, English, Russian,
>> French, German, Arabic, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and others. Let us
>> suppose that it is an outstanding book targeted to a wide spectrum of
>> persons and institutions: including academics, professionals, and students;
>> plus people in general too.  And, let suppose that the authors are
>> considering including in the book, as an addendum, the sort of dynamic
>> graphics and some other computational material that Mathematica could
>> provide.
>>
>> Taking apart the fact that some potential purchasers of the book would
>> actually be current Mathematica users; does anyone really think that it
>> makes any sense including Mathematica as an important tool for the project
>> and tied it to a preexistent and closed community of already Player Pro
>> users?
>>
>> I would really like to be in a situation of defending the Mathematica way
>> since I believe it would be nearly the best one, both for readers (including
>> students) and lecturers; but I cannot. It seems that for projects like this
>> there is a long way to go yet.
>>
>> E. Martin-Serrano
>> [...]

Jon McLoone responded to this. I'll just briefly reiterate: it is quite 
likely that waht you want can be achieved via the free Mathematica Player.


> I just wish WRI would provide me with the PlayerPro licenses promised
> when I signed up for Premier service...
> 
> (Their response: Oh, well that's not included with *Student* premier
> service. My reply: You don't make any such distiction prior to
> purchasing premier service.)
> 
> Student buyers beware, I guess.
> 
> -RG

Player Pro is (at this time) targeted for business applications. A 
student savvy enough to  develop and market a business app surely should 
realize that Player Pro will not be provided at the low cost of a 
student license.

I realize there is debate as to what Player Pro should be, to what 
markets/audience it should be aimed, whether it should be free or sold 
at much lower cost than is now the case, what should be its availability 
to non-professional-premier-service customers, etc. I merely comment on 
the situation as it exists, not as it might be in a different scenario.

Daniel Lichtblau
Wolfram Research

• References:
  • Re: Opportunities and Player Pro
    • From: telefunkenvf14 <rgorka@gmail.com>