JMP 9 Mac vs. Windows

jjrr

As a long time SAS user looking for a personal software package to run on my Mac, I choose JMP 9. The connectivity to R was a big draw for me.

Using JMP 9 Mac for a while now I've discovered:

- The new interface with multiple windows is an MS Windows feature only
- I cannot read standard SAS (.sas7bdat) data sets in the Mac version, thought this can be done in the MS windows version
- The Excel integration capabilities are only available in MS Windows.

I find these limitations to be both surprising (the "M" in JMP does stand for Mac, I'm told) and disappointing. Are there more limitations to the Mac edition people are aware of?

Thanks,
Joe

ms

I am a long time JMP and Mac user and there are more things than those you mention that's Windows only. But the new multiple windows "feature" is not really relevant for the Mac. We have enjoyed multiple windows since forever.

Some more windows only features:
- System wide automation (Apple Script support disappeared some versions ago)
- real-time data capture
- Menu customization
- Working with projects
- Database connect by JSL
- JSL debugger
- Save display box as MS Word file

I have observed how the Mac version has lagged a little bit more behind the Windows for each major revision. However for JMP 9 for Mac was released simultaneously as JMP 9 for Windows which is a good sign of that SAS Inst. is still committed to the Mac. And JMP 9 works very well on Mac, with significant performance enhancements.

So, even if I miss some of the Windows only functionality, I am very happy that SAS Inst. still offers a descent Mac version, especially in the light of the long term negative trend for scientific Mac software. And to be honest, Apple's secrecy and sudden technology shifts, in combination with modest market share, have not always made life easy for third party mac developers.

But I still hope that future versions JMP will embrace more modern Mac OS X technologies to improve both performance (Grand central, Open CL... ) and usability (Services, Spotlight, Quicktime supported graphics formats, Applescript,...).