As a software professional (and not an SPSS Employee) I can tell you that recompiling is NOT that simple. The compilers are designed for a specific operating system and unless you have an extremely simple program, there are always adjustments in code which have to be made in order for it to even compile. Further, code is usually optimized for a particular environment which often gets lost when code is recompiled for a different operating system environment.

JBL -----Original Message----- From: D.R. Wahlgren <wahlgren@MAIL.SDSU.EDU> Newsgroups: bit.listserv.spssx-l To: SPSSX-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU <SPSSX-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU> Date: Thursday, April 01, 1999 5:30 PM Subject: Re: From SPSS: Suggested solution for SPSS for Mac users

>>I know this suggestion does not help in the short term but I wonder if we all >>stopped supporting SPSS's VirtualPC solution if we would finally get the >>proper >>solution: SPSS v.9.0 for MacOS. I am tired of being forced to work in an >>operating system I detest. I appreciate SPSS's position but sometimes vision >>warrants some loses in the short term. I just felt this needed to be said. >> >>Sincerely, >>S. Kelly Harris > > >I was just chatting off-list about why SPSS doesn't just de-compile the >windows program and recompile it for the MacOS. I'm no programmer, but >from what I understand, it is a routine and automated practice among >software developers. Just beta test the translated version and slap a new >label on the box. What am I missing??? > >-Dennis > >```````````'''''''''''' >Dennis R. Wahlgren, M.A. > >Center for Behavioral Epidemiology and Community Health >Graduate School of Public Health >San Diego State University >http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/c-beach > > >"Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars--mere globs of >gas atoms. Nothing is 'mere.' I too can see the stars on a desert night, >and feel them. But do I see less or more?" --Richard Feynman >