As a keen MacFormat reader and Macintosh user I feel that I have to write to you to air my views on the subject of science and engineering on the Macintosh platform.
I am currently studying for a degree in electronic engineering at Greenwich university. Everyday I meet people who think "The Mac is for DTP and graphics, you can't use it for anything else". I struggle to enlighten them that there is so much more, even more than PCs could ever dream about. The problem is even Macintosh dealers, software resellers and even its users don't help the matter.
I attended Apple EXPO, an event I had waited all year for (14 months infact) since last years exhibition, only to find that the main subject on everyone's mind was presentations. Surely there is more to Macintoshes than this ?! Well, I know there is. I am a great fan of shareware, the world wouldn't be the same without it. Whenever I come across any scientific, mathematical or engineering software, I analyse the potential the programs might have. Unfortunately most of them are very limited, such as electronic reference HyperCard stacks hardly treading further than Ohm's law and Kirchoff's current and voltage laws. Conversion tables or mathematical programs barely explaining integration and differentiation. And please don't say "Well there's always Kid's Maths" or something like that. The world doesn't revolve around presentations and entertainment.
On the IBM compatible PC platform there are tons of (serious) mathematical and technical programs such as MATLAB etc. And yes they are often shareware. I already have the following applications: EngineeringAssistant, MacP12, Aromatic Chemistry, MacElementUtils, Periodic Table, AutoFlow, MacConcept, CircuitMaster, Circuits, CPU structure, CrossOverDesigner, DigitalSimulation, Dr.Circuit, Electrical fonts, Electricity/NuclearFis., LinearNetworkAnalysis, OHM, OpAmps, PadDesign, PCB CAD, RadiatingDipole, xLogicCircuits, CalConvert, ConcurrentGraphPlot, GLMStat, GraphToolz
But I am looking for something more involved. Mathematical programs that will solve complex numbers and determinants with having to program it all in yourself. I seek electrical programs that will design printed circuit boards and not just simulate logic gates (I can do that on paper just as quickly).
I know there are companies like Koala in Bristol with "McCAD" and Robinson Marshall in Coventry with "Electronic Workbench", but not everyone has £ 250 + to spend on these sort of applications, especially students.
So if anyone out there has anything of interest, I would be very pleased to swap or buy. Or if you at MacFormat know of any great applications. By the way, I keep in touch with most of the shareware houses around the country even if I'm not on-line (yet).
