Date:         Wed, 5 Aug 1998 14:21:04 GMT
Reply-To:     Joel Winter <s994299@UMSLVMA.UMSL.EDU>
Sender:       "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         Joel Winter <s994299@UMSLVMA.UMSL.EDU>
Organization: University of Missouri - St. Louis
Subject:      Re: Urgent improvements of Data Entry needed

I'm a bit shocked that someone actually trusted SPSS to release a good,
up-to-date DE program.  I still use their old DOS program, figuring that if I
needed something fancier, I would go with MSAccess.
 
I hope SPSS takes some of these criticisms to heart.  For every "improvement"
since v6.1, there are two irritating "bells & whistles".  I can't believe SPSS
has gone through 3 "enhancements" and still not given us back the old
ASCII-text output format.  Their biggest limitation (compared to SAS) is the
inability to open multiple data files.  Seems like a simple and obvious
feature to include in an upgrade to me.  But I seriously doubt they'll ever
tackle it (or at least it would take 3-5 upgrades to get it halfway right).
 
As a hard-core, every-day user, I've wished SPSS would really begin to
innovate with their program.  Problem is that they keep getting worse.  I
don't know who their core customers are (ie, the people who like output
navigators and pivot tables), but I'm beginning to feel like I'm not
one of those people.
 
I recently witnessed SAS's fully customizable GUI, the ability to work with
files on a networked unix machine through an X-window interface, and highly
advanced macro language.  It's pretty obvious which program is suited to
skilled data analysts and which is catering to consultants who collect and
analyze data once every couple years.
 
I'm sorry to anyone reading this who has heard the bitch and is tired of it,
but I needed to get it off my chest.
 
 
In article <35C7AF8B.B2046888@nettally.com>, jstachura@nettally.com wrote:
>We have been more disappointed in the new Data Entry/Builder program than
> almost
>anything we have purchased from SPSS in almost 10 years. Frankly, it stinks,
 
snip snip
 
================================
Joel Winter
jpwinter@umsl.edu