I've started using Stata 7 because I needed to analyze a data set from the
CDC that used design variables on a national survey to handle
stratification. SAS couldn't do it, CDC recommended either SUDAAN or Stata.
We had Stata at work, so I went that route.
I'm an old SPSS jockey. I've been impressed with Stata's speed for most
things (though I'm shocked that it took 10-15 minutes to run an ANOVA on an
800 observation data set on a G4 titanium), and the command structures is
pretty easy to get used to. It seems to do a lot that other sw can't, or
does it in a more straightforward way. Except the graphs, maybe ;-).
Here's the real seller to me: Stata's documentation is by far the best
included documentation you will find. SPSS's is just a syntax guide with bad
examples. SAS's is... Well, you'll need to buy other books. JMP's is pretty
light, in my opinion, though it's a fine piece of software. Stata's goes
beyond the software operations and actually helps you learn about what
you're doing, and know what your alternatives are. Then there are the easy
online updates...
I've been impressed enough that I just bought my own copy for "home" use
(Work's a network license). Work's is version 7 on a PC, home's is version 8
on Mac OS X. Looks just the same, except of course for 8's added features.
The cross-platform nature of it makes it attractive to me too, largely
because I want to support companies that support all platforms
even-handedly. Stata does that and as far as I can tell, always has. Officer
thinking, in my view.
Good luck with your decision.
On 1/23/03 5:09 PM, "David Vaughan" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hello
>
> Please excuse my interruption of the statistical flow :-)
>
> I have subscribed to this list because Stata 8 is on my short list of
> possible statistical packages for use under OS X 10.2 and I wanted to
> get a feel for what the users are finding about the product. I have
> used Data Desk (versions 4 to 6) for eight years but must either wait
> ages for a new version under OS X, continue using Data Desk in Classic
> mode (unhappy) or choose something else like Stata or JMP or the like.
>
> I am not a professional scientist or statistician (although the field
> was part of my tertiary education) but use a stats package and
> modelling tools from time to time in both consulting-related analysis
> of large-volume data communications logs, performance and transactions
> data and in academic analysis of financial market notions. (Don't worry
> trying to work out the moonlighting.)
>
> My uses may be limited in that I tend to use basic scatterplots,
> histograms, box plots and rotating plots to get a feel for the data,
> then (after transformations and summary statistics) linear models and a
> little cluster analysis in testing hypotheses, or extracting factors
> for entry into models for simulations. High-quality scientific (not
> "marketing") charts are important in presenting findings because in the
> consulting area much of my work is problem management where I often
> find I have to disprove current pet theories and later convince people
> about real causes and solutions. You could say I am oriented to
> language and diagrams rather than to mathematics and formulae.
>
> My impression of Stata 8 is that is is considerably more powerful than
> I might exploit and also that it may not have the ease of use for a
> semi-casual user. I would expect to use menus rather than a language
> simply so I do not have to learn by rote a product which is used in
> bursts rather than daily or weekly. I want something which does not
> unduly limit what I can achieve but is exploitable without first
> requiring I become a high priest of the faith. It should give me the
> opportunity to extend my statistical learning rather than make it
> pre-requisite for every step.
>
> Would anyone like to comment on Stata 8 in relation to my needs as I
> have expressed them? Can you offer comparative experience with other
> packages (especially Data Desk, JMP or SPSS)?
>
> thanks
> David Vaughan
> Director
> DVK Consult Pty Ltd
>
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>
*
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