MathCAD 8.0 Review

“This was the last product of the good old days, when...”

Written on: 15/06/2007 by Tron4 (1 review written)

Good Points
Best symbolic math software to use. It has to be the best because there isn't anything else like it for the price. I like it because I can solve problems using normal math notation, rather than writing code syntax. That way, I can focus on the problem with less distraction translating to code.

Bad Points
The manual and help sections only go so far. Each feature works as described stand-alone, but when features are used in combination, problems come up. Advanced use of the features leads to errors that can be debugged only by trial and error. Error messages at this level become misleading. Support from Mathsoft is no longer available, since the company no longer exists, i.e., it is now PTC (acquired by?), and they no longer support versions prior to 11. Online help, books, collaboratory, etc., are all gone now.

General Comments
This was the last product of the good old days, when you could buy a useful Mathcad software package for a decent price, i.e., around $100. It did a pretty good job. But over the years, Mathsoft kept adding bells and whistles and jacking up the price, even for upgrades. And the more bells and whistles, the more cumbersome it becomes to use. They never again offered an entry-level, utility-sized package. What a shame for the little guy. Now it's "you gotta buy a monster CAD package" or go somewhere else. Before Mathcad 8, the product was even easier to use, and very inexpensive. I suppose those old versions could become collector's items; I'm keeping mine. The new versions will only run on the latest OS's, and that means an even bigger price jack, plus there's activation, etc. Things have definitely gotten worse over time.