Architosh Staff (info@architosh.com)

6 Oct 00

John Martellaro at Apple seeks "sci/tech for OS X" assistance

Architosh was contacted by John Martellaro, new Senior Marketing Manager for Science & Technology Markets with the following request:

Previously, I have asked for feedback on desired legacy Unix applications to be ported to Mac OS X. That project is complete, and I have ample data. My sincere thanks to all of you who responded.

Now, I would like to ask all of you help me identify all the CURRENT shipping Mac OS software applications that are of direct interest to scientists, researchers, and engineers. This would be Macintosh software, that you are now aware of, that does things like modeling, simulation, visualization, instrument control, mathematical analysis, data crunching, prediction, design, and so on. Also, some kinds of graphics, data management, and publication tools would fall into this category since the scientist must also catalog and publish the results.

An important element here is those apps that have been announced to move natively to Mac OS X.

If you are in doubt about the software's applicability to this class of user, send your input anyway, and I'll decide.

Naturally, I am aware of the major tools like NI's LabView, Wolfram's Mathematica, TMI's MatLab, and so on. But it is a tremendous task to catalog all those OTHER commercial items that might fall between the cracks, let alone University projects to port software to Mac OS X. If all of you out there help, I can create a comprehensive list in mere days.

Don't worry about all your inputs doubling up. it's easy to eliminate duplicates, but I don't want to miss any.

Collect all your input in one e-mail. For each title you are aware of, format it like this:

1. Title, Publisher

2. Short description

3. Reference URL

4. Check any applicable box:

( ) Legacy. Development CEASED or SLOWED. Runs under Mac OX 8.x or earlier.

( ) Current. Development CONTINUES. Runs under Mac OS 9.x.

( ) Announced for Mac OS X.

5. Notes on how you checked the boxes. For example: I'm a user, I'm the developer, I read it on their Web site, I saw the press release, my colleagues use this software, etc.

I am especially interested in those status boxes, so don't leave that out.

Send your response to martellaro@apple.com and make the subject line: Mac OS Science SW.

Send as much data as soon as you can. If you run across something new in the future, send it along as well. Since this is a public list, after I collate the data, I will publish it for all to see.

Apple is incredibly fortunate to have John in charge of these efforts. The response to the first request for strictly Unix apps for OS X was hugely successful. It is clear there are many in sci/tech who love the Mac.

To help these efforts along further, Architosh has created a Sci/Tech: Mac OS X Forum in its Architosh Forums. Click here for the full story.