Vanderbilt employees and students qualify for a 77% discount off the Microsoft Store’s price for Windows 7 Professional Upgrade (32-bit and 64-bit) through the ITS Software Store.
Use your discount by shopping at http://its.vanderbilt.edu/softwarestore.
SPSS PASW 18 for Windows (including Windows 7) and Macintosh (including Snow Leopard) is available through the ITS Software Store. Current SPSS subscribers may download 18 for free by logging into the Software Store at http://its.vanderbilt.edu/softwarestore and clicking on “My Software” .
See http://support.spss.com/ProductsExt/Statistics/Compatibility.html and http://www.spss.com/statistics/ for information on system requirements and new features.
Features no longer supported include:
• There is no longer a separate chart editor for “interactive” charts. Charts created from the legacy “interactive” chart dialogs and from IGRAPH command syntax are created in the same format as all other charts and edited in the same chart editor.
• Some features provided in the legacy “interactive” chart dialogs and IGRAPH command syntax are no longer available.
• The Draft Viewer is no longer available.
• You cannot open Viewer files created in previous versions of PASW Statistics (.spo file) in PASW Statistics 18.
• The Maps option is no longer available.
• Dialog interfaces for the legacy procedures in the Trends and Tables option are no longer available. For Trends, this includes the following commands: AREG, ARIMA, and EXSMOOTH. For Tables, this includes the TABLES command. If you have a licenses for either of these options that includes the legacy procedures, command syntax for these commands is still supported.
Known problems include:
Graphics
• Using percentage as the statistic in charts created with the Chart Builder dialog or GPL syntax. There are several choices for the base count for calculating these percentages. If you choose the base to be the total for each legend category, the base is actually the grand total.
Data Access and Data Editor
• Using data files saved in SAS formats in SAS JMP and the SAS Viewer. Data files saved in various SAS formats from PASW Statistics should work in SAS. There are known problems using SAS files saved in PASW Statistics with the SAS Viewer and SAS JMP 5 - these applications have a different mechanism for reading files which isn’t the same or as stable as the one used in SAS.
• Filename limitations for data files saved in SAS formats. The following excerpt is from the SAS JMP 5 README: “Double-byte characters should not be used in filenames when writing SAS files [from within JMP]. This is a limitation of the SAS local data provider that is to be corrected in version 9 of SAS”. This holds true for SAS files saved in PASW Statistics.
• SAS formats and string length limitations. If you use PASW Statistics to open SAS data file types, you may not be able to get string values longer than 255 bytes. If your data contain values longer than 255 bytes, PASW Statistics will get only the first 255 bytes.
• Text Wizard data caching. The Text Wizard provides an optional setting that automatically caches the data that it imports. By default caching is on and the wizard creates a copy of the entire dataset. If you turn caching off, PASW Statistics does not have access to the entire data file — the original data source is re-read as needed — and the total number of cases is unknown. When the total number of cases is unknown, Go to Case, Copy, and Paste do not work as expected in the Data Editor. You can correct the problem by using the File menu to Cache Data.
• Using syntax to read data with ODBC. If you use syntax to read data from a database with ODBC, we recommend caching your data. Caching your data ensures that the data are in the same order each time that PASW Statistics needs to make a data pass. It also ensures that your analysis isn’t affected by updates to the database that occur while the syntax is being processed. To cache the data, add a CACHE command to the syntax immediately after your GET DATA command.
• Syntax files can be saved in Unicode or in the local code page (local encoding). In most cases, when you open a file in the syntax window, PASW Statistics automatically determines the correct encoding. Sometimes it will be wrong. If you see three funny characters at the start of the file, close it and reopen specifying Unicode. If the contents look scrambled, try a different encoding setting. If it still looks wrong, your PASW Statistics locale may be different from the way the file was saved. Use an appropriate SET LOCALE command to resolve this.
Other
• Installation directory and SET LOCALE
In Unicode mode, SET LOCALE specifications of the general form SET LOCALE=language (e.g., SET LOCALE English) will not work if PASW Statistics is installed in a directory path that contains anything other than 7-bit ASCII characters. There are two alternative solutions for this issue:
1. Uninstall PASW Statistics and reinstall in a directory path that contains only 7-bit ASCII characters.
2. Use SET LOCALE specifications of the general form SET LOCALE=language_country, where “language” and “country” are two letter abbreviations. For example, SET LOCALE=en_us or SET LOCALE=ja_jp.
Two-letter language abbreviations adhere to the ISO 639-1 standard:
http://wikipedia.cas.ilstu.edu/index.php/ISO_639
Two-letter country codes adhere to the ISO 3166 standard:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-1
• Temporary Folder Location
On Macintosh, PASW Statistics checks SPSSTMPDIR and then the macro P_tmpdir, which is defined as the local default temporary file directory.
PASW Statistics uses the first of these that has a value and creates one or more directories within it for each session. That directory and its contents are deleted at the end of the session.
• Double byte characters aren’t properly displayed in PASW Statistics-generated PDF files.
• If you use the Browse button in the Menu Editor to select a syntax or script file for a custom menu item, the value displayed in the Filename field will be enclosed in quotes. You should remove these quotes, otherwise the file will not be found when you use the custom menu item. For syntax files, this problem manifests as an alert of the general form “Cannot start ['filename'].” For script files, you will see this message in the Viewer window: “No language is configured to execute this script. Cannot run the script.”
• Double-clicking on an .SPV file in the finder on slow PowerPC-based Macs when an PASW Statistics session is not running will launch PASW Statistics but fail to open the .SPV file. In this scenario, PASW Statistics thinks that the file is open. The workaround is to make sure than an PASW Statistics session is running prior to double-clicking on an .SPV file (or to open the .SPV file from within PASW Statistics).
Please contact software.store@vanderbilt.edu if you need more information.
ScienceSlides has been added to the ITS Software Store per request by the Medical Center. ScienceSlides may be used to enhance PowerPoint presentations. It features an object and slide library and slide templates for disciplines such as biochemistry, pharmacology, signaling, biology, methods, botany, molecular pathology, medicinal chemistry and nutrition.
• Eligibility: Vanderbilt University and Medical Center departments and students may purchase licenses for ScienceSlides through the ITS Software Store. Departments that purchase ScienceSlides for an employee may install the software on the Vanderbilt owned computer used by the employee as well as the employee’s home computer. A student may install the software on a computer he or she owns.
• Renewal Date: Licenses are perpetual and do not require a renewal.
• Permitted Use: Licensed users can use ScienceSlides objects for PowerPoint presentation and lecture purposes. Faculty may use the objects in handouts distributed as part of the courses they teach. Faculty may also use the objects in papers they submit to scientific journals and in book chapters they publish, as long as the use is acknowledged and at least one publication author is a licensed user. Licensed users may post ScienceSlides material in public places, such as posters or web sites, under the condition that the material cannot be copied or downloaded in a reusable form. Un-authorized use of ScienceSlides objects, distribution of graphical objects and slides to third parties, allowing the use of ScienceSlides by third parties, or using the software for any commercial purpose is not permitted under the license agreement.
• Maintenance Policy: Licenses do not include maintenance. VisiScience releases two major upgrades per year (one during March and one during September). VisiScience may also release updates when new versions of Microsoft Windows, the Mac OS and Microsoft PowerPoint are released. Customers who need access to the new content are required to purchase an upgrade.
• Documentation: A download for the ScienceSlides manual is included with each purchase.
• Distribution: The software is distributed by download.
• Technical Support: Technical support may be accessed by sending an email to contact@visiscience.com or calling 919-493-8906. Online support resources including free slides, tutorials, demonstrations, and FAQs are available at http://visiscience.com/support.php.
Please contact software.store@vanderbilt.edu if you need more information.
SPSS 17 does not support Windows 7 or Snow Leopard (http://support.spss.com/ProductsExt/Statistics/Compatibility.html), Version 18 does support these operating systems. SPSS, Inc. estimates it will ship version 18 to Vanderbilt sometime during the second half of October. Version 18 will be a free upgrade to current subscribers.
Please contact software.store@vanderbilt.edu if you need additional information.
Wolfram Research provides free online Mathematica related seminars to the education community. The 30-60 minute seminars are presented by senior Wolfram Research technical staff, provide an easy way to learn from Mathematica experts, and include live Q&A. Seminars scheduled for October 2009 include:
• Applied Parallel Computation with Mathematica
• A Brief Overview of Mathematica
• An Overview of Mathematica for Education
• Got Manipulate?
• Import and Export Data Formats in Mathematica
• Discrete Calculus with Mathematica
• Creating Demonstrations
• Overview of webMathematica
• Statistics and Data Analysis with Mathematica
• Working with Data Collections
• College Calculus with Mathematica
• Image Processing with Mathematica
• Working with Imported Data in Mathematica
To view the complete seminar catalog, see http://www.wolfram.com/services/education/seminar.cgi. To register for a seminar, visit http://www.wolfram.com/services/education/seminars/.
Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade 64-bit, in addition to Ultimate Upgrade 32-bit, is now available for sale to students and employees for personal use through the ITS Software Store. Each order includes one license and one media kit.
Ultimate is the most feature-rich version of Windows 7, and includes BitLocker for protecting data against loss or theft. See http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/compare-editions/default.aspx for a comparison across editions.
Please contact software.store@vanderbilt.edu if you need additional information.
For several years, the ITS Software Store has offered departments a large discount off academic retail pricing for Endnote and Reference Manager. Now, we’ve negotiated an agreement with the manufacturer that enables us to offer the same discount to employees and students.
Start saving by shopping at http://its.vanderbilt.edu/softwarestore.
PowerISO v4.5 is available to the Vanderbilt community for free. Employees and students may install on their home computers and departments can install on Vanderbilt owned systems.
Version 4.5 supports Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista/Windows7 along with the 64-bit versions of Windows XP/2003/Vista/Windows7.
The software can be used to:
• Open and extract files from ISO files
• Burn ISO files to CD and DVD discs
• Make bootable CDs
• Copy a CD/DVD-ROM to an image file
• Convert image files between ISO and BIN
• Compress ISO and BIN files
• Password protect image files
• Split an image file into multiple volumes
• Open files in an image file without extracting
• Extract and burn Apple DMG files
• Extract, edit, mount DAA image files
• Supports image files as large as 256GB
To order and download, go to http://its.vanderbilt.edu/softwarestore.
Quest Software is providing a free on-site demonstration of its TOAD software to Vanderbilt’s Database Administrator and Developer community.
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 5 p.m. CST
Location: Room 238 Hill Center (1231 18th Avenue South)
Agenda:
2:00 p.m. – Introduction to Quest Representatives
2:05 p.m. – Quest Overview, Introduction to the day’s agenda
2:10 p.m. – TOAD Tips and Tricks
2:50 p.m. – Application Performance Reliability and Quality as it relates to a Developer
3:30 p.m. – Break
3:45 p.m. – TOAD DBA Tips and Trips; Spotlight on RAC and Performance Analysis
4:45 p.m. – Prize Give Away Session
If you have questions prior to the event, or wish to suggest a topic, please contact Dan Groveman at 301-820-4827 or dan.groveman@quest.com.
Windows 7 Upgrade is available for pre-order by college and university students for $29.99 through http://windows7.digitalriver.com. Each student may purchase one copy of Windows 7 Home Premium. 32-bit and 64-bit versions are available. Students can download the software or order a disk for $13. Downloads are expected to become available through the program on 10/22/09.
Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade (32-bit) is available now to Vanderbilt students and employees for personal use through the ITS Software Store. The price is $86.85 and each order includes one license and one media kit.
Ultimate is the most feature-rich, and includes BitLocker for protecting data against loss or theft. See http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/compare-editions/default.aspx for a comparison across editions.
Please contact software.store@vanderbilt.edu if you need additional information.