Scientific statistics and graphics on the Macintosh

Conference · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994

OSTI ID:10118365

Grotch, S L

In many organizations scientists have ready access to more than one computer, often both a workstation (e.g., SUN, HIP, SGI) as well as a Macintosh or other PC. The scientist commonly uses the work station for {open_quotes}number-crunching{close_quotes} and data analysis whereas the Macintosh is relegated to either word processing or serves as a {open_quotes}dumb terminal{close_quotes} to a larger mainframe computer. In an informal poll of the author`s colleagues, very few of them used their Macintoshes for either statistical analysis or for graphical data display. The author believes that this state of affairs is particularly unfortunate because over the last few years both the computational capability, and even more so, the software availability for the Macintosh have become quite formidable. In some instances, very powerful tools are now available on the Macintosh that may not exist (or be far too costly) on the so-called {open_quotes}high end{close_quotes} workstations. Many scientists are simply unaware of the wealth of extremely useful, {open_quotes}off-the-shelf{close_quote} software that already exists on the Macintosh for scientific graphical and statistical analysis. This paper is a very personal view illustrating several such software packages that have proved valuable in the author`s own work in the analysis and display of climatic datasets. It is not meant to be either an all-inclusive enumeration, nor is it to be taken as an endorsement of these products as the {open_quotes}best{close_quotes} of their class. Rather, it has been found, through extensive use that these few packages were generally capable of satisfying his particular needs for both statistical analysis and graphical data display. In the limited space available, the focus will be on some of the more novel features found to be of value.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 10118365
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC--116492; CONF-9404237--1; ON: DE95006445
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPUTER GRAPHICS
DATA PROCESSING
MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTERS
PERSONAL COMPUTERS
STATISTICS