From: doberman!mike (Mike Panzitta)
Subject: Re: MATLAB (the missing piece)
Reply-To: doberman!mike@esunix.sim.es.com
Organization: Doberman Systems
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 03:52:16 GMT

In article <n9d1Hg#uta@atlantis.psu.edu> mek@guinan.psu.edu (Mark E.  
Kotanchek) writes:
> In article <1992Nov11.101423.4758@sol.ctr.columbia.edu>  
> gbrown@raven.ctr.columbia.edu (Glenn Brown) writes:
> > Personally, I think that considering the size of the NeXT market, we  
> > should be thankful that MATLAB will be ported to the NeXT at all.  The  
> > software companies are going to write for sun sparcstations (and  
> therefore  
> > X, the prefered windowing system for sparcs) before NeXTs as a matter  
of  
> > course, and the only reason there will be a port the small NeXT market  
> is  
> > that the NeXT also runs X on unix and is therefore easy to port to.
> > 
> > Obviously, NeXTstep is a far better windowing system than X:  It far  
> > easier from a programming point of view (though it is harder to  
> customize  
> > than the X window managers). NeXT has the right idea:  Get NeXTstep  
> > running on as many machines as possible and then more software will be  
> > ported to NeXTstep.  This is a big reason NeXTstep is now running on  
> > 486's.  Personally, I think that NeXTstep should be ported to sparcs,  
> > also.  That would be best for the world of users... though it might  
not  
> be  
> > best for NeXT.
> > 
> > --Glenn
> 
> I'm going to have to disagree on the contention, "Personally, I think  
that  
> considering the size of the NeXT market, we should be thankful that  
MATLAB  
> will be ported to the NeXT at all." If it is cost-effective for Maple,  
> Mathematica, FrameMaker, Illustrator, Improv, etc. to be ported to  
> NeXTstep, it should be cost-effective for MATLAB or MATRIXx to be  
ported.  
> NeXT IS losing sales because of the absence of numerical analysis tools.
> 
> On the other hand, maybe I AM out to lunch since NeXTworld doesn't  
include  
> such a product in their "10 most wanted" list. I guess number-crunching  
> isn't important to the liberal artsy/business types who rate with NeXT.
> 
> I may be out to lunch--but I'm STILL pissed off!
> 
> Mark.
> --
> Mark Kotanchek
> Guidance & Control Dept - 363 ASB
> Applied Research Lab/Penn State
> P.O. Box 30
> State College, PA 16804

I can't resist an opportunity like this...

---Shameless plug on---
First, there is not a complete absence of numerical analysis tools.  If
Mathematica does not provide enough capabilities (which in some cases it
does not), there are others.  A good example is the Simulation Kit, which
allows complex linear and nonlinear systems to be modeled and simulated.

Second, because NeXT offers such a unique and powerful development
environment, the door is wide open for talented developers to deliver
tools which fill the void.  On the NeXT, this can probably be done
easier and better due to the quality of the environment.
---Shameless plug off---

What I'm trying to say here is that the glass is not half empty, it's
half full.  As an engineering/scientific user and developer, I can
testify that the scientific and engineering community would prefer to
use and develop under NeXTSTEP rather than other environments; however,
the X window "inertia" is fairly difficult to overcome.  This must
be countered by persistence.

'Nuff said.

-Mike

--
Mike Panzitta
Doberman Systems
doberman!mike@esunix.sim.es.com (NeXT Mail)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.misc