Mathematica might have been first, to the Symbolic Processing scene. However, Maple is keeping up with the field.
The field of symbolic Algebra, numerical processing, and computational software goes back for decades. However, it was not until the PC Era, the average person could afford one.
This review is written in 2009. A lot is happening on the
Scientific Processing front. Your average PC is faster, than ever. [Actually,
most people are saying, computers are fast enough, even though Moore’s law is
still climbing.) Multiple cores are now the new processor standard, with eight
cores to occur, soon. Microsoft is switching us all to 64-bit systems, if we
want it or not. Math software, Wikipedia, the universe inside the Internet or
OF, computers with multiple monitors, advanced graphics for everyone, speech
recognition getting closer
Digression: I remember when a computer could not even show colors. Let alone, if it did 16? It was far more expensive.
Even I will admit, Maple (version 5) was not as nice, as Mathematica, at the same time. However, now, this has changed. Maple 12 has quite revealing. Plus, the newest release promised soon, will introduce several Graphic Interaction extras.
Issue: There seems to be a lot of push, for cataloging the learning space in Mathematics. Maplesoft and Wolfram are both, offering, selling, and filling demonstrations of equations, graphs, charts, 3-D objects, and live visual interactive scenes.
Mathematica has the M. Player and Maple does not. = However, from my perspective of being an independent Mathematician wanting to share documents. Maple has the universal option.
· The MaplePrimes web site lets me publish my Notebooks on it.
· It runs with Java and utilizes a special MapleNet server from Maplesoft. (This is a free service, to let the public access your Maple Worksheets via MaplePrimes. [Yes, I use Notebook as the same term, for Worksheet.])
· Maplesoft is a community-driven company. Money you send to them, goes for Research, also. = It is not just a Corporation.
·
Maplesoft follows a more open tradition. They
use YouTube for videos, as shown here.
Link: http://www.maplesoft.com/blog/view.aspx?sid=32980
· There is even a Maple Channel on Youtube. Link: http://www.youtube.com/user/Maplesoftvideo?loc=1018youtube_story&P=TC-1018
· In fairness, Wolfram has these on Youtube. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIE9wcrQ0Ps
· Plus, the Maple community is just as vibrant, also. See the Maple Application Center - http://www.maplesoft.com/applications/
· Wolfram Demonstrations Project: Link: http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/topic.html?topic=Version+7+Features&limit=20 (Odd, it shouldn’t named the Wolfram …, it should be Mathematica. Now, you know why people call Mr. Wolfram egotistical.)
·
Which, my problem with WDP is? You have to
“download and install” this M. Player
(*) I’ll admit, not every Maple Document has a View HTML
Version
There are actually animations in HTML, there! Of course, this is not on the MaplePrimes service, yet. However, Maple is switching to the Web and it’s standards. Mathematica is ardent to resist sharing on the Web, letting Math exist on the Web. = Everyone prefers to see things, with the least amount of effort. [1]
As for where is my Maple page? See - http://www.mapleprimes.com/user/glnritchie = It would be nice, if I could show you a link, to my public Notebooks? Well, later on, it should appear, unless I am missing something?
· Lastly, what I like is the Application Center. What I like even more, is “being able” to make a far richer / visual space on my own web site.
· Sure, we have all had “publish to PDF” for years. However, outside of; showing pictures, creative ways of combining text, and many nested layers of tables upon tables. Web-based HTML has been stagnant for almost a decade.
·
This is why Flash
· It still comes down, to one thing, the displaying of Rich-Media, in particular of vector graphics, with animation abilities, and beyond.