I tried to access http://www.ncss.com, but their server is apparently down. Any ideas?
Thomas Gatliffe wrote:
> Ken wrote:
>
> > I am a big MINITAB fan, but I'll be as unbiassed as I can be. . .
> >
> > When I was looking for a general statistics package to provide for engineering
> > use (basic stats, regression, GLM, reliability/survival analysis, DOE, etc) the
> > only packages that had the tools I needed were Statistica, JMP, MINITAB, and
> > StatGraphics. I spent a lot of time playing with each of these.
> >
>
> NCSS has had all these capabilities for the last 10 years. You must have been
> looking a long time ago.
>
> >
> > I VERY seriously considered Statistica, it has a very good graphics engine, but
> > I found it much too hard to use. I found it could do everything, but I was
> > always struggling to get it done. It made my brain hurt. I seriously encourage
> > you to download their demo - although it is probably so hobbled it may be hard
> > to use.
> >
> > StatGraphics has a very old windows environment, so I ruled it out pretty early.
> >
> > JMP 4 is a pretty good stat package, but I've always found JMP to have an odd
> > environment, especially for someone who knows what they want to do (what tests
> > to run, etc). Their Fit Model tool drives me nuts. JMP 4 is slightly improved,
> > esier to find stuff, but not much better. It does have a slightly better
> > survival tool, but it is limited - right censor only - no interval censoring or
> > plots that I can find. Do download the JMP 4 demo - it is hobbled, so you can
> > only use their data, can't print, etc - at www.jmpdiscovery.com. It makes it
> > hard to evaluate fully.
> >
> > As I said, I really like MINITAB, and strongly recommend it. It has very
> > powerful GLM, , time series, regression, Survival, and basic stats tools. It
> > also has good graphics, although not as nice as Statistica. They have a fully
> > functioning demo (the only "hobble" is it stops operating after 30 days - and
> > they can even extend that if you call them) at www.minitab.com.
> >
> > If your objective is to do statistics with less sweat, then MINITAB should be
> > looked at.
> > If your objective is to get slick graphics, but work hard, then check out
> > Statistica.
> >
>
> If your objective is both low-sweat statistics and good, fully-customizable
> graphics, check out NCSS.
>
> >
> > I think both JMP and MINITAB are about the same price - I think Statistica will
> > be quite a bit more expensive.
> >
>
> I'm a big fan of NCSS, although I had to use Minitab and SPSS when teaching an
> established curriculum which used the school's mini-computers. I own personal
> copies of all three as well as S-Plus and earlier versions of Statistica and
> Statgraphics Plus. I have not found many problems that NCSS could not handle with
> usually greater speed and much more versatile graphics. At a price of around
> $300(US), it is a super-bargain and, I believe, a superior product. (Anecdotal
> story: A few years ago the NCSS probability calculator disagreed with SAS's
> hypergeometric probability routine output. We contacted SAS and they found they had
> a programming error - since corrected.)
>
> Often, personal preference boils down to that which one is most used to using.
> However, I have found that the NCSS help files, which include an integrated tutorial
> for every procedure, are extraordinarily clear and helpful (as help files should be
> but often aren't). Additionally, there are no add-on modules, the basic package is
> complete (although it does interface directly with PASS - Power Analysis & Sample
> Size - program.) You can download 30-day fully functional trial at www.ncss.com
> (where else?).
>
> Tom Gatliffe
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