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SPSS also does not claim to have a fully featured spread sheet. The GUI has 2 spreadsheet-like components: the "data view" which shows the data table itself and the "variables view" which is a table that has a row for each variable and columns for all the data definition. In the variables views the cells are un-spreadsheetlike (How's that for a neologism!) in that they use Windows drop down controls in the cells to define value labels and different kinds of missing data values. In the data view cells do not contain formulae. SPSS uses many of the Windows features derived from Xerox and DECWindows that speadsheets use such as menus to create syntax or to directly perform tasks. Dennis Roberts wrote: > >rse? > > > >This is an interesting discussion, but the line between a spreadsheet and > >stats package is not so clear-cut these days. If you look at how the major > >stats packages have developed over the last decade, you can see how they > >have copied more and more features from Excel. In fact almost all stats > >packages now boast of containing a fully featured built-in spreadsheet for > >data entry. > > certainly minitab makes no such claim ... their worksheet is NOT a spreadsheet > > >Looking at the situation from another angle, why can't a spreadsheet be used > >for statistical analysis? Granted, some of Excel's built-in statistical > >functions leave a lot to be desired and should be used with care. But the > >Excel spreadsheet package is still head-and-shoulders above any other > >similar product in terms of ease of use, data entry and collection, > >presentation, programming interfaces, and it's excellent integration with > >the other Office applications. > > so, i am not sure this has anything to do with statistical analysis > > >So if the basic spreadsheet component is sound, and almost all computer and > >non-computer literate users can use Excel without problems, why not just > >extend Excel's statistical capabilities with reliable accurate statistical > >add-ons? Many exist, and we develop a product called "Analyse-it" for this > >very purpose. > > i have looked at analyse-it and one other plug in (plus what comes with > excel) ... and, there just is no comparision between them (well there is > ... and it is not very good) and most of the popular stat packages > > >A reliable low-cost statistics add-on for Excel can easily bypass these > >problems. > > unfortunately though, it does not exist > > here are the major problems with using excel as a stat package including > 3rd party plugins (off the top of my head) > > 1. poor data MANAGEMENT capabilities > 2. poor and HIGHLY LIMITED graphics > 3. highly limited set of routines to select from > 4. inability to work with any/many random generation functions (for > distributions) > 5. limited access to important statistical tables > > from discussions like this on several lists, it is clear that no argument > pro or con will sway those who have opted for or agin using excel as the > statistical analysis tool > > but, each side keeps trying > > this kind of discussion, though interesting, pales in comparision to a > discussion we should be having about the over reliance and importance we > place in statistical analysis in the first place ... and even though i have > been in this sort of enterprise for more years than you can shake a stick > at ... the reality is that typical analysis that we do has limited > practical uses and benefits > > the entire area of statistical significance testing is just one case in point > > >_____________________________________ > > > >James Huntington, > >..Analyse-it Software, Ltd. > >......................................................... > >Analyse-it! accurate low-cost statistical software for > >Microsoft Excel. For more information & to download a > >free evaluation, visit us: http://www.analyse-it.com > > > > > > > > > >================================================================= > >Instructions for joining and leaving this list, remarks about the > >problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES, and archives are available at > > http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/ > >================================================================= > > _________________________________________________________ > dennis roberts, educational psychology, penn state university > 208 cedar, AC 8148632401, mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://roberts.ed.psu.edu/users/droberts/drober~1.htm > > ================================================================= > Instructions for joining and leaving this list, remarks about the > problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES, and archives are available at > http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/ > ================================================================= --------------141A87E6CFA8A75FBE4147FD Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="Arthur.Kendall.vcf" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: Card for Art Kendall Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Arthur.Kendall.vcf" begin:vcard n:Kendall;Art tel;work:301-864-5570 x-mozilla-html:FALSE adr:;;;;;; version:2.1 email;internet:[EMAIL PROTECTED] fn:Art Kendall end:vcard --------------141A87E6CFA8A75FBE4147FD-- ================================================================= Instructions for joining and leaving this list, remarks about the problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES, and archives are available at http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/ =================================================================
