MathCAD Prime 1.0 is a step back

[WalterSchrabmai]

Hi friends,

well I just must realize, that Prime is a step backward. One the one hand important functions are missing and on the other hand all the experts out in the communities who has Mathcad 14/15 can not work with the MathCad Prime worksheets as it is not backward compatibility.

I think PTC must improve PRIME quite a lot, as now the userbility is other but not better. Where is the useful collabsable region feature in Prime?

comments are welcome.

Walter

[mzeftel]

Hello all,

Actually there are a number of developers working on Mathcad Prime, with varying backgrounds in mathematics, physics, engineering, and computer science.

Mona

[ValeryOchkov]

Mona Zeftel wrote:

Hello all,

Actually there are a number of developers working on Mathcad Prime, with varying backgrounds in mathematics, physics, engineering, and computer science.

Mona

Sorry Mona!

But a good program as a good book can has only one author. The backgrounds is the World!

[DonC]

Surface plots in Mathcad 15 and Prime don't work. Even on the help pages sample calculations are blank. Meanwhile Mathcad 14 has been uninstalled by Prime.

[VladimirN]

Well,
1. 3D plots are displayed in Mathcad 15.
2. Support 3D plots is planned for Prime in version 2.0
3. On one computer programs Mathcad 14 and Mathcad 15 cannot be simultaneously installed. Therefore at installation Mathcad 15, the setup deletes MC14.

[MikeArmstrong]

3. On one computer programs Mathcad 14 and Mathcad 15 cannot be simultaneously installed. Therefore at installation Mathcad 15, the setup deletes MC14.

As Vladimir states above, when installing Mathcad 15, 14 is uninstalled, but I'm sure Mathcad 14 can be re-installed after the installation.

Mike

[VladimirN]

A quote from "Mathcad 15.0 Administrator's Guide" (https://www.ptc.com/view?im_dbkey=113901😞

[MikeArmstrong]

Surface plots in Mathcad 15 and Prime don't work. Even on the help pages sample calculations are blank. Meanwhile Mathcad 14 has been uninstalled by Prime.

Can you provide a screenshot. Surface plots seem to work fine in my Mathcad 15.

What version of 15 do you have?

Mike

[RichardJ]

Right click on the plot and uncheck "Border".

If that doesn't fix it, Mike is correct. You could uninstall 15 (which will not uninstall Prime) and resinstall 14.

[ValeryOchkov]

Have you seen this Mathcad road map?

[MikeArmstrong]

Valery Ochkov wrote:

Have you seen this Mathcad road map?

Where did you find this Valery?

Mike

[Loris]

Used for just 2 hours, and then a small list of good reasons for DELTING it from my harddrive:

- crazy license mechanism (just to say.. matlab license installed in 5 minutes, mathcad installed in 2 hours, (1hour to understand WHAT to do, 1 hour to obrain the license from onloine server.. assistance ticket opened has been aswered the FOLLOWING DAY!) )

- very slow

- crashed at least twice per hour

- NO AUTOSAVE

- the same find-nothing menubar as last microsoft programs (ok, you can like it or no.. I don't like it at all)

- NO 3d plots !!!

- help non showing shortcuts

after that I decided to move my work in mathcad 15.. YOU CANNOT (or is not clear how to do, that is almost the same).

final rating:

nice to see, but AVOID it if you have to work.

Lori

[RichardJ]

after that I decided to move my work in mathcad 15.. YOU CANNOT (or is not clear how to do, that is almost the same).

It's not possible. IMHO, a huge drawback to Prime.

[MikeArmstrong]

NO 3d plots !!!

Coming in the next version.

after that I decided to move my work in mathcad 15.. YOU CANNOT (or is not clear how to do, that is almost the same).

Was it created in Prime or 15?

Mike

[Loris]

I did it in Prime.

Usually a newer software version has backward compatibility and at least the same features of the older.. and I supposed also Prime did.

Is not the case, of course.

[MikeArmstrong]

I did it in Prime.

Usually a newer software version has backward compatibility and at least the same features of the older.. and I supposed also Prime did.

Is not the case, of course.

Yes, usually this is the case, but remember, Prime 1.0 is more like Prime beta or Prime 0 and that's why you received Mathcad 15 with it. I believe Mathcad Prime 2.0 will have the capability to save down to previous formats.

Now you know - produce the work in M15 and then convert to Prime if required.

Mike

[RichardJ]

I believe Mathcad Prime 2.0 will have the capability to save down to previous formats.

Have someone from PTC actually told you this?

[MikeArmstrong]

Have someone from PTC actually told you this?

No, but I believe that it's imperative that PTC implement this. They cannot alienate old versions of the software.

Mike

[RichardJ]

No

Then I am sorry to say that I think you will be disappointed.

I believe that it's imperative that PTC implement this.

I agree, but the question is, do they?

They cannot alienate old versions of the software.

Would you like to make a bet on that?

[MikeArmstrong]

I believe that it's imperative that PTC implement this.

I agree, but the question is, do they?

That's a very good point. Perfect way to make users upgrade I suppose.

They cannot alienate old versions of the software.

Would you like to make a bet on that?

I've just got married - the wife won't let me waste money on betting !!!!!!

Mike

[RichardJ]

That's a very good point. Perfect way to make users upgrade I suppose.

I think it's as likely to stop people from upgrading. Maybe even more likely. If I have to send a file to someone that only has an earlier version of Mathcad (which, in the case of at least two of my clients, happens to be the case) then that totally precludes me from using Prime.

[MikeArmstrong]

I think it's as likely to stop people from upgrading. Maybe even more likely. If I have to send a file to someone that only has an earlier version of Mathcad (which, in the case of at least two of my clients, happens to be the case) then that totally precludes me from using Prime.

Same here. We have muliple users of Mathcad within the company and most need access to all calculations on the servers. If they cannot open Prime in previous versions that will force me to stick with M15.

Mike

[VladimirN]

loriano galeotti wrote:

...

- very slow

- crashed at least twice per hour

...

In what operating system you are running?

[Loris]

Win xp pro, SP 3, intel T9600 @ 2.8GHz, 3.8 (4) GB ram .

FYI, the sheet was very basic, just a couple of excel spreadsheet import, 3 very easy functions and some contour plots.

The autosave is present in almost every software, I cannot understand why PTC can think to not implement it, in particular releasing a buggy software!

I suggest ptc to hire also somone hith a minimum knowledge about user interface and related issues. Or, easily IMPLEMENT the requests that are posted in the forum, it is free!

also, in addition to the why-not-prime list:

-right mouse button, WHY does nothing????????

Loris

[MikeArmstrong]

loriano galeotti wrote:

Win xp pro, SP 3, intel T9600 @ 2.8GHz, 3.8 (4) GB ram .

FYI, the sheet was very basic, just a couple of excel spreadsheet import, 3 very easy functions and some contour plots.

The autosave is present in almost every software, I cannot understand why PTC can think to not implement it, in particular releasing a buggy software!

I suggest ptc to hire also somone hith a minimum knowledge about user interface and related issues. Or, easily IMPLEMENT the requests that are posted in the forum, it is free!

also, in addition to the why-not-prime list:

-right mouse button, WHY does nothing????????

Loris

Your clearly not happy with Prime 1.0, so why not use M15 until Prime meets your requirements?

Mike

[Loris]

Mike Armstrong wrote:

-right mouse button, WHY does nothing????????

Loris

Your clearly not happy with Prime 1.0, so why not use M15 until Prime meets your requirements?

In facts I'm using M15.

But since I would like to use mathcad in next years, I hope PTC will start considering also these aspects instead just thinkin about making a "so cute bar".

At the moment, the positive things I found in prime are:

- something different in the shortcut/keyboard behaviours that make slightly natural / easy writing formulas/functions.

- the scale-bar in contour plots.

- the row extraction funcion

Loris.

[MikeArmstrong]

In facts I'm using M15.

But since I would like to use mathcad in next years, I hope PTC will start considering also these aspects instead just thinkin about making a "so cute bar".

I'm sure it will happen in the next release.

At the moment, the positive things I found in prime are:

- something different in the shortcut/keyboard behaviours that make slightly natural / easy writing formulas/functions.

- the scale-bar in contour plots.

- the row extraction funcion

While I sound like I'm fully behind Prime 1.0, I'll assure you I'm not. But IMO there are a lot more new features that I like in Prime.

• Multidimensional arrays
• Mixed Unit arrays
• Mixed Unit tables - as inputs, would still like to see them accept results.
• 2D plots look a lot more professional.

Just to name a few. If PTC carry on down this route, implementing features such as the above and including all the missing features that M15 had, I can only imagine how good Mathcad will be by about Prime 3.0/4.0.

Mike

[mzeftel]

Loris,

If you are running Mathcad Prime 1.0 on XP, then make sure you have installed the Microsoft hotfix. Mathcad Prime 1.0 is very stable and should not be crashing as much as you are seeing. This is caused by a Microsoft problem on XP for .Net 3.5. For Mathcad Prime 2.0, which is in progress, we have fixed this problem by using .Net 4.0.

The instructions for installing the hotfix are in Read This First:

Microsoft Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) has a major memory leak that may cause your computer to stop responding. Follow these steps to apply a hotfix provided by Microsoft. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2425534.

1. Check whether the memory leak affects Mathcad Prime 1.0.

a. Start Mathcad, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, and select Task Manager.

b. Open the Processes tab and locate MathcadPrime.exe.

c. In Mathcad, type a single character and keep the pointer on the worksheet.

d. In the Task Manager window, check whether the number under Mem Usage increases consistently. If the number does not increase, you do not need to install the hotfix.

2. Fix the memory leak.

a. Run the hotfix.

Note: Restart your computer when requested.

b. Run Mathcad Prime 1.0 and verify that you do not have a memory leak. Wait at least a minute after you type the character. The memory usage increases for a moment, but returns to its normal value after that.

3. If the memory leak continues, follow these steps:

a. Click Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.

b. Uninstall Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1.

c. Uninstall Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 SP2.

d. Uninstall Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0.

Reinstall Microsoft .NET 3.5 SP1 from this link: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ab99342f-5d1a-413d-8319-81da479ab0d7&displaylang=en.

f. Check that Mathcad Prime 1.0 runs properly.

g. Rerun the hotfix.

Note: Restart your computer when requested.

h. Start Mathcad Prime 1.0 and repeat the memory leak check. Wait at least 1 minute after you type the character in the worksheet. The memory usage may increase for a moment, but it returns to its normal value.

i. If you still have issues, contact Mathcad Support Center at http://www.ptc.com/support/mathcad.htm.

Mona

[Loris]

Dear Mona,

If you are running Mathcad Prime 1.0 on XP, then make sure you have installed the Microsoft hotfix. Mathcad Prime 1.0 is very stable and should not be crashing as much as you are seeing.

On this machine the only thing that crashes is prime.

Probably your concept of "stable" is different from mine.

In 2011, from any commercial software that you pay hundred / thousand $ i expect that at least it works without crashing, or if it happens should be very rare and under heavy loads. period.

If there is a know issue with any version of SO .net or wheteverelse that might cause malfunctions, I expect that at least the installer procedure can detect it and solve it or at least instruct me on how to fix it, not to have to go on the forum ask and wait 2 days for the fix.

When I use free / opensource software I can accept to have to ask in the forum to solve a bug, or when I try an alpha/beta version. But it is not the case.

However a found another solution, and prime stopped crashing:

start-> Add or remove programs -> search Prime then doble clik and yes

Loris

[VladimirN]

The solution of a problem with memory leak in WinXP is described in a guide "Mathcad Prime 1.0 Read This First": https://www.ptc.com/view?im_dbkey=121273

I hope that Prime 2.0 version do not need any hotfix for all of Windows .

P.S. Licensing issues Mathcad Prime 1.0 are considered here ("Mathcad Prime 1.0 Installation and Administration Guide"): https://www.ptc.com/view?im_dbkey=120741

[ValeryOchkov]

I probably worked most with Matcad Prime 1.0 - my team and I moved for Knovel (see here) more than 20,000 sheets (!!!) from Mathvad (6-11) into Mathcad Prime (see http://communities.ptc.com/docs/DOC-1964).
What can I say about Mathcad Prime?!

It is a Software as each software in FIRST release!

Do You remember FIRST releases Word, Excel (CuperCalc), Mathcad etc.

Many things are missing in Mathcad Prime, but we must view it evolving product!
I am most annoyed by the following:
- more slow work compared with Mathcad 15
- no text indexes, hyperlinks, areas
- lack of an insertion of the old file name when the I wand to do to save as command
The rest - it's teething problems!

PS

We do not need 3D-Plots! Why!?

20,000 sheets is REAL not education task!