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Re: Work on Basic Mathematica Stephen!

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  • Subject: [mg130791] Re: Work on Basic Mathematica Stephen!
  • From: David Bailey <dave at removedbailey.co.uk>
  • Date: Wed, 15 May 2013 02:54:32 -0400 (EDT)
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On 13/05/2013 08:48, Murray Eisenberg wrote:> Well put: "ephemera in 
ephemera out."
 >
 > As a possible, simple-minded explanation of what WRI is up to: surely 
they're faced at any given time with a given customer base. To gain new 
customers, they need to add new areas of applicability, whether through 
adding them directly to Mathematica or by creating new Mathematica-based 
products.
 >
................................

 >> Mathematics and Mathematica are intrinsically difficult enough as it is.
 >> That makes it all the more important that WRI present users with a 
stable,
 >> robust, easy to use basic interface. WRI had not done the best job they
 >> could at this and not what one would expect for a relatively expensive
 >> product.
 >>
 >>
 >> David Park

I think there is a serious problem faced by many software developers who 
have a stable product evolved over many versions.

They simply have to go on innovating, even if the changes don't make a 
lot of sense - because otherwise, why should users pay for expensive 
upgrades?

Many people prefer earlier versions of Microsoft Office, and a great 
many people avoid Windows 8. I think there is a warning here for WRI.

I almost think there is a case for a clean-up version of Mathematica 
that sorts out a whole variety of irritations (everyone probably has a 
different list) such as:

1)      No multi-level UNDO!

2)      Glitches associated with the startup of Mathematica.

3)      A review of the Dynamic system so as to make it really robust.

4)      Not enough control of error messages (e.g. the cut off after 4 
messages of a particular type).

etc.

Perhaps WRI should create that list of cleanup tasks by consulting its 
user base!

After the cleanup version, it might make sense to pause for a while, and 
just do bug fixes.

David Bailey
http://www.dbaileyconsultancy.co.uk



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