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

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg52376] Re: [mg52358] Re: Newly Released Mathematica 5.1 Delivers Unmatched Performance for Handling Data
  • From: Selwyn Hollis <sh2.7183 at misspelled.erthlink.net>
  • Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2004 05:49:49 -0500 (EST)
  • References: <200411240732.CAA28874@smc.vnet.net>
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

On Nov 24, 2004, at 2:32 AM, Kevin J. McCann wrote:

> I don't know firsthand that Wolfram said something like
>
> I think WRI have said that this is a Mac problem due to the apple
> implementation of postscript/PDF.
>
> However, they did report to me that a similar problem under Linux is an
> X11 problem. As I have before, I note here that we are buying
> Mathematica to do a job, not to be told that it is X11's fault or Mac's
> ps/pdf implementation fault. All that may in fact be true; however, if
> Mathematica doesn't work properly then it is broken and there is a bug.
> The sort of comments I have heard are really irritating, and I wish the
> developers would just accept the responsibility for a bad choice on
> their part, and then fix it. This rotated-text problem has been with us
> for at least two years. I second the thought that new features are 
> fine,
> but how about putting a similar effort into fixing the old problems.
>
> Kevin


To that I can only add a hearty AMEN! There are few things as 
frustrating as hearing "it's not our fault" in response to complaints 
about a bug, particularly the long-standing one you describe here, 
which has never appeared in any other software that I know of. I don't 
doubt that there are quirks in Apple's postscript implementation, but 
it's obviously possible to deal with them. Not doing so is inexcusable. 
Blame-shifting is even worse.

-----
Selwyn Hollis
http://www.appliedsymbols.com
(edit reply-to to reply)


>
> Mike wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> From: Time E. Time [mailto:timetime at gmail.com]
To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
>>>
>>> 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.
>>
>>
>> I think WRI have said that this is a Mac problem due to the apple
>> implementation of postscript/PDF. Eg. If you use Apple's 'save as 
>> PDF' the
>> text is garbled but if you use Acrobat it comes out fine.
>>
>> Mike
>>
>>
>>> 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
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
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>
> begin:vcard
> fn:Kevin J. McCann
> n:McCann;Kevin J.
> org:University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC);Physics/JCET
> adr:1000 Hilltop Circle;;Physics Building;Baltimore;MD;21250;USA
> email;internet:kmccann at umbc.edu
> title:Research Associate Professor
> url:http://alg.umbc.edu
> version:2.1
> end:vcard
>
>
> --------------070707040700070006040907--
>
>
>


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