Re: Software products that you think are really good
 

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anyone know a user friendly stats program? By user friendly, I mean not R.

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stata.

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I should have specified that it must be free.

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How big of a dataset? I think you mentioned excel - if you are doing anything on your own I trust it isn't much data and can just use excel.

Pretty much everything like STATA is going to cost and arm and a leg because they're commercial products. We use SAS here at work and I think it's a LOT better than STATA, more "project friendly" but it also costs a lot.

For any gifted developers an open source stat analysis package seems like a cool idea. If anyone is interested my statistics knowledge is vast, though I can hardly say the same for my programming skills.

Re: Software products that you think are really good
 

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anyone know a user friendly stats program? By user friendly, I mean not R.

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stata.

[/ QUOTE ]

I should have specified that it must be free.

[/ QUOTE ]

How big of a dataset? I think you mentioned excel - if you are doing anything on your own I trust it isn't much data and can just use excel.

Pretty much everything like STATA is going to cost and arm and a leg because they're commercial products. We use SAS here at work and I think it's a LOT better than STATA, more "project friendly" but it also costs a lot.

For any gifted developers an open source stat analysis package seems like a cool idea. If anyone is interested my statistics knowledge is vast, though I can hardly say the same for my programming skills.

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Stata's like a badass Origin?

Re: Software products that you think are really good
 

I'm a budding ecologist. There's loads of stuff Excel doesn't do, e.g. GLMs.

I agree that Open Source stats program would be very popular, and a very worthwhile project (think of all the 3rd world countries that can't afford $100+ programs).

While we're on the subject (new thread?), I had a great idea during dinner - a poker hand analysis tool that can calculate EV of various different moves if you provide hand ranges, b/r/c/k % etc. How sweet would that be? Perhaps it could even do game theory of certain situations. I'd play $15 for it.

Re: Software products that you think are really good
 

My must have windows apps, most of which are free:

Firefox (drag de go and adblock are most important non-developer related extensions for me)
Thunderbird
EditPlus (very powerful text editor, also runs on Linux with wine if you aren't a VIM fan)
Gaim with the windows plugin. I use it for AIM, IRC, Google Talk, and a SILC server.
Gimp
Paint.net
Open Office
Winamp
Putty (ssh client)
CuteFTP Pro
Password Safe
Search and Destroy
AVG

And a bunch of developer tools.

Re: Software products that you think are really good
 

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For those mentioning AIM/messaging clients like

GAIM, Trillian, Meebo

which of these have logging as a feature? I still use an old AIM version with DeadAIM because the logging feature is so great. I highly recommend using logging -- it makes it so easy to go back and remember what movie you were talking about, what link you sent a few days ago, etc.

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I use Trillian and it saves everything you typed with someone (right-click the person in your list and click 'View Contact History')

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It's decently searchable, too. I'd consider switching from Trillian, but Meebo or whatever would have to have this feature.

Re: Software products that you think are really good
 

Does anyone have any good Microsoft Word alternatives in Windows??

Re: Software products that you think are really good
 

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Does anyone have any good Microsoft Word alternatives in Windows??

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http://www.openoffice.org/

Re: Software products that you think are really good
 

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Does anyone have any good Microsoft Word alternatives in Windows??

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http://www.openoffice.org/

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Open Office is really really good, at least for a casual user.

Re: Software products that you think are really good
 

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Does anyone have any good Microsoft Word alternatives in Windows??

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Writer, part of open office. I've only used the Mac version, but they do have a windows version.

Edit: Beat to the punch. I lose.

Re: Software products that you think are really good
 

VLC media player

firefox

Mplayer (not to be confused with mediaplayer), harder to use than vlc, but for the rare occations when vlc fails mplayer can play a ham sandwich.

fulDC combined with the knowledge the begins at whyrar opens a world of possibilities.

mIRC with nn script rocks the socks off all other IM appz if you learn to use it.