Apple Seeks Information From Real People For Mac OS X Apps

>Many of you will remember John Martellaro from his excellent writing at MacOPINION, Applelinks, and MacSimple. Mr. Martellaro now works for Apple as their manager for issues dealing with the scientific community. Through Mr. Martellaro, Apple is seeking help from Mac users and developers alike. As Mac OS X draws slowly closer to completion, Mr. Martellaro is seeking UNIX based science applications to port and use with Mac OS X. According to Mr. Martellaro:

Previously, I have asked for feedback on desired legacy Unix applications to be ported to Mac OS X.  That project is complete, and I have ample data. My sincere thanks to all of you who responded.

Now, I would like to ask all of you help me identify all the current and proposed Mac OS software applications that are of direct interest to scientists, researchers, and engineers. (This includes all the sciences: biology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, etc., all engineering: mechanical, electrical, etc., and health science research: genetics, medicine, etc.)  This would be Macintosh software, that you are aware of, that does things like modeling, simulation, visualization, instrument control, mathematical analysis, data crunching, prediction, design, and so on.  Also, some kinds of graphics, data management, and publication tools would fall into this category since the scientist must also catalog and publish the results.

An important element here is the move to Mac OS X.

If you are in doubt about the softwareis applicability to this class of user, send your input anyway, and Iill decide.

Naturally, I am aware of the major tools like NIis LabView and Wolframis Mathematica, and so on.  But it is a tremendous task to catalog all those other commercial items that might fall between the cracks, let alone University projects to port software to Mac OS X.  If all of you out there help, I can create a comprehensive list in mere days.

Donit worry about all your inputs doubling up. itis easy to eliminate duplicates, but I donit want to miss any.

Collect all your input in one e-mail. For each title you are aware of, format it like this:

  • Title, Publisher
  • Short description
  • Reference URL
  • Check any applicable box:
    • ( )  Legacy.  Runs under Mac OX 8.x or earlier. Development ceased or slowed.
    • ( )  Current. Runs under Mac OS 9.x. Development continues.
    • ( )  Announced for Mac OS X.
  • Notes on how you checked the boxes. For example: Iim a user, Iim the developer, I read it on their Web site, I saw the press release, my colleagues use this software, etc.

Send your response to [email protected] and make the subject line Mac OS SciTech SW so I can key on it.

Send as much data as soon as you can.  If you run across something new in the future, send it along as well.  Since this is a public list, after I collate the data, I will publish it for all to see.

Thank you,

John Martellaro
Senior Marketing Manager
Science & Technology Markets
Apple Computer, Inc.
1 Infinite Loop, MS: 111-HOM
Cupertino, CA 95014-2084
p: 303.573.5070
f: 303.573.5069
m: 303.888.3312
[email protected]

So think about it, and send Mr. Martellaro your thoughts.