From: hshlswe1@w222zrz.zrz.tu-berlin.de (Hilmar Schlegel)
Subject: Re: Mathematica machineID problem
Reply-To: hshlswe1@w222zrz.zrz.tu-berlin.de (Hilmar Schlegel)
Organization: ZRZ/TU-Berlin
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 17:22:14 GMT

In article <robt-150992100837@robt.agsm.unsw.edu.au>,
robt@agsm.unsw.edu.au (Rob Trevor) writes:
> In article <1992Sep14.235259.6309@usage.csd.unsw.OZ.AU>,
> mcba@newt.phys.unsw.edu.au (Michael C. B. Ashley) wrote:
> > 
> > Hi folks,
> > 
> > I have a major problem with Mathematica that is preventing me from using
> > it easily. When I run the "mathinfo" program to obtain my machineID, I
> > get one of two different numbers returned (2406-58617-78759 or
> > 2306-58617-78759). Wolfram Research have given me the password for one
> > of these numbers but not the other. Sometimes I have to try 30 or more
> > times to start up Mathematica before the right number comes up.
> > 
> > ...
> > 
> > Sorry if I sound a bit jaded, but I have been trying to get some help
> > from Wolfram Research about this problem without any luck. Specifically,
> > I sent them faxes on August 13, August 17, August 24, and September 3
> > concerning this problem, and have not had a reply. I also e-mailed
> > register@wri.com on September 14 and have not had a reply.
> > 
> > It seems that having spent $2500 on Mathematica, and $375 on a
> > subscription to Mathematica Plus, that Wolfram Research has delivered
> > defective software that it refuses to fix. I have no objections to
> > paying a reasonable price for good software, but object strenuously when
> > I have a valid licence and the manufacturer's faulty security code stops
> > me from using it. I have been teaching an undergraduate course in
> > Classical Mechanics based partly on Mathematica, and now I find that I
> > have to rewrite large sections since Mathematica is no longer usable.
> > 
> > I would certainly caution against anyone buying Mathematica and relying
> > on it being available. 
> > 
> > ...
> > 
> > I would be interested in hearing if other people have had similar
> > problems with "machineID". Incidentally, my machine is a DECstation
> > 5000/200 running Mathematica 2.0.3.
> > 
> > Yours sincerely,
> > Michael Ashley (Lecturer in Physics, University of New South Wales,
> > Sydney Australia) mcba@newt.phys.unsw.edu.au
> 
> Michael
> 
> We have also had numerous problems with Mma's security mechanisms - and
> lack of quick response from Wolfram - on one of our RS6000's.  It seems
> that every time I go to use it for something important, its down -
> sometimes because a minor system upgrade (which I can't control) has
> changed the magic number Mma looks for, and sometimes for reasons I can't
> fathom.  By the time its back up again, I usually solved my mathematical
> problem using some other method.
> 
> I would certainly never contemplate using it for a course until they change
> this and/or their level of support.
> 
> Rob
> 
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Rob Trevor  Associate Professor, Australian Graduate School of Management
>             University of New South Wales
>             PO Box 1, Kensington, NSW, AUSTRALIA    2033
> 
> Internet:  robt@agsm.unsw.edu.au  or  R.Trevor@unsw.edu.au
> 
> VOICE: +61 (2) 931-9274    FAX: +61 (2) 662-7621  or   +61 (2) 662-2451
> 
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi,
We had similar problems with Mma on a MS-DOS PC. I already mentioned
this here but
it seems that a lot of users spent a lot of time in "research work" to find out
the hidden or obvious features of probabilistic behaviour to have a successful
Mma session and a correct solution. It seems to me that this arises from the
temptation of the nice graphics surface and the lack of information about
other products. Comparisons like in the PC-Magazine give facts to decide
what one needs for a certain problem. It is a pitty that such a lot of valuable
software is developed for such an unrelaiable system.
The facts: We purcased the program almost two years ago.
- Then Wri announced a free of charge update for our conditions
- There was no response for 1 1/2 year from Wri
- Mma 2.0 was sent but doesn't run with QEMM (same problem with
shielding cf. 2. from Michael Ashley)
- The one and only response from Wri says that Mma has its own standards
and one has to 
  reboot the machine for use of Mma (may be that is valid for Unix
systems too .......
- The Dos version hangs the PC if the Ethernet driver is loaded
- The Windows version we only tested shows the same problems with
password protection

I can from practical experience recommend the usage of MapleV. 
The facts: - open system (code of basic algorithms is accesable)
- stable operation, bugs are reproducible and not statistical
- Memory consumtion: several parrallel sessions can be run under Ms-Windows
- Fast! 
- with X-Windows interface (xmaple)
- lot of help from developpers and contributers
- very generous licency  policy for multi-cpu and campus wide and even
country wide
- qualitative improvement in new version
- distributed service on several continents which indeed responses
(sometimes not that what one 
   wants-but this is normal)
 As a consequence I would recommend if you have the budged try both and
use each for 
the problems it can handle and if you are short of money and must decide
for one product
:write your applications in Maple and you save a lot of work!

Hilmar Schlegel
(hshlswe1@w250zrz.zrz.tu-berlin.de)
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