Prime 4.0 features worth upgrade?

[bbond]

Hello,

I am currently running Mathcad Prime 3.1 non-subscription.  I am considering the upgrade to Prime 4.0.

1. In your opinion are the updates worth the update cost.  It does not appear to me that there is much in the way of updates this time. 

2. What are the advantages of using the subscription set up versus buying the full update?  What does subscription get me?  I am only aware of this update in the last year or so.  My structural analysis program I have is subscription based and they send out updates multiple times per year and many are substantial additional functions. 

3. Will the Roark's worksheets that are supposed to come out work with Prime 3.1?

Just curious about other opinions.

[LucMeekes]

Next to Update with not Much Prime 4.0....:

So far I haven't seen enough justification to buy any version of Prime,.... that includes 4.0.

You should be able to install Prime 4.0 express next to your existing Prime 3.1. I have express versions 3.1 and 4.0 running side by side.

Prime 3.1 doesn't read Prime 4 sheets (fair enough), and you cannot save as Prime 3.1 sheets from Prime 4 (a shame).

Luc

[Raiko]

Hello Brandon,

the very consise "what's new in prime 4.0" answers your topic 1; no it's not worth it.

As to your topic 3, the same "what's new in prime 4.0" says that Roark's library can be purchased to work in MC 4.

All in all, sad.

Raiko

[Fred_Kohlhepp]

Note that Roark's workbooks are available in Mathcad 15 and you could translate each one into Prime one by one.

Not the most elegant solution; but then, these aren't particularly elegant sheets (plotting from vectors rather than functions.)

[bbond]

I have not seen the Roark's workbooks to know what to expect.  I was hoping they would be quite useful, but I am sensing from your post that may not be the case.  Is there anywhere to see what the layout of one of the workbooks is?  I'm thinking a screenshot or something at least would be nice before dropping that much money for the sheets.

[Fred_Kohlhepp]

From Mathcad 15 version:

The files are set up so you input your values (the three-legged equals is a global definition)

And the sheet calculates values for that case.  No functions are defined--if you want to investigate a sensitivity you will need to create the function.  The only real benefit is that the expressions are already written and are (almost always) correct.

Note that Knovel also has live Mathcad files if you can get access.

[bbond]

Thank you Fred.  Those do appear to be pretty elementary.

[Fred_Kohlhepp]

Don't let me mislead you; if there's a table in your copy of bound Roark it's probably been replicated.

My major gripes are:

• The files use the global assignment values.  (IMHO the global assignment should be avoided if possible), and
• Each file is one case.  It would have been just as easy (and a lot more useful) to write functions.  These are not usually a "stand alone" problem.  I almost always wind up copying the expressions into another file, then have to convert to functions to view the effects of a changing variable.

These are very useful when I can look up an expression that would take fifteen minutes to enter manually (and heaven knows how long to find what I did wrong!)