Version 2.0
MathSoft
One Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
1-800-MathCAD
Price: $349. Student version: $40
(sold through Addison-Wesley).
Requirements:IBM PC/XT/AT or
compatible. 512 K RAM (640 K
recommended). DOS 2.0 or later.
Math coprocessor recommended.
MathCAD has the simplest user interface of the six packages reviewed here. After booting up, you get a blank screen, except for a single “Command:” line at the top. It is a bit intimidating to the uninitiated, but the uncluttered screen is one of the most popular attributes among people who buy the package for its power and flexibility.
MathCAD offers maximum freedom in building models and formatting reports. You can move anywhere on what is for all practical purposes a limitless screen. And you can do anything, anywhere— list an equation, draw or resize a plot, add and edit text. As soon as you move the cursor off the expression, the equation is...