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Re: matlab .vs. octave: how to choose


From: Johan Kullstam
Subject: Re: matlab .vs. octave: how to choose
Date: 10 Nov 2004 09:56:15 -0500
User-agent: Gnus/5.09 (Gnus v5.9.0) Emacs/21.3

Joao Miguel Ferreira <address@hidden> writes:

> Hello all,
> 
> I'm new to this list. I have a problem, maybe someone can help me.
> 
> I would like to understand better what could be the limitations of using
> Octave instead of Matlab and, vice-versa, the limitations of using
> Matlab instead of Octave.
> 
> In my ideia (and probably I'm wrong... and that is why I'm searching for
> information) there could be limitations, like:
> 
> a) in Octave in the availability of diferent toolboxes for all the
> cientific and engineering areas covered by matlab, and
> 
> b) in Matlab maybe in openness and, obviously the price.

The openness can be huge.  Here where I work, I'd like to have some
sort of matrix math utility wherever I go.  I have my desktop machine,
but I also use various laptops and there are many machines in the
lab.  I can convince my bosses to buy one copy of matlab, but not 14
for all the computers I might use.

Even if you do get matlab, there is no problem in having octave too
you know.  It's not either/or; it's "I get octave, do I want to buy
matlab?"  (Ok so octave does have its quirks that you'll need to learn
but that is rather small.)

> Getting to the point: are there equivalents in Octave for the following
> packages of Matlab: ???
> 
> - Simulink

no

> - StateFlow

no

> - StateFlow Coder

no

> - Signal Processing Toolbox

some but certainly not all of it has been implemented

> - Statistics Toolbox
> - Symbolic Math

no

> - Neural Networks
> - Communications

some

> - others ?

I find that octave is much better in scripts than matlab.  It is
easier to fire off an octave from bash.  Doing so with matlab was
always forced and required cludges last I tried (about 8 years ago).
I presume that with the (imho stunningly awful) IDE that matlab uses
and the whole windows way, that it is now worse than ever (someone
chime in and prove me wrong -- I can't be bothered to find out since
octave covers my needs).

> I really would like to work with Octave. I'm a free-software and gnu
> fan. I would like to be sure before making a decision. Right now the
> school were I work is starting a process to eventually buy matlab, and I
> would like to know the alternatives.
> 
> Thank you for any 'light' on this matter.
> 
> João Ferreira
> jmf
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------
> Octave is freely available under the terms of the GNU GPL.
> 
> Octave's home on the web:  http://www.octave.org
> How to fund new projects:  http://www.octave.org/funding.html
> Subscription information:  http://www.octave.org/archive.html
> -------------------------------------------------------------
> 

-- 
Johan KULLSTAM



-------------------------------------------------------------
Octave is freely available under the terms of the GNU GPL.

Octave's home on the web:  http://www.octave.org
How to fund new projects:  http://www.octave.org/funding.html
Subscription information:  http://www.octave.org/archive.html
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