Software
What Else Would You Need from a Technical Graphics Package?
Origin Microcal Software One Roundhouse Plaza Northampton, MA 01060 800-969-7720; fax 413-585-0126; www. microcal. com Version 5.0; $595
Origin 5.0 is the newest version of Microcars technical graphics and data-analysis software. As dedicated Sigma-Plot users, we approached learning and reviewing another graphics package with some trepidation. We were surprised, however, by the ease of use and power of this program. In fact, we found learning to use Origin easier than other similar high-end graphics software. In addition, the manual was well-organized and complete. We could look up answers to all of our questions quickly something we wish other scientific software programs would emulate. Installing Origin was straightforward and flawless on three different computers all of which used the Windows 95 operating system Origin has many powerful lools not found in other packages. Microcal claims Origin ii she fastest technical graphics package available. This claim may be true because a medium-sized data array (500 x 500 points) loaded effortlessly and plotted quickly, and the resulting graphs had flexible scaling and labeling features. The matrix worksheets are straightforward to use the first time and provide numerous nice features other packages lack, such as the 200 A
ability to assign X and yvalues to the colgraphs as BMP or WMF files and then conumns and rows. verting them to GIF files result in betterquality images for the Internet. Many new features and improvements have been implemented in Origin 5.0. The Origin comes complete with a 3-D moduser interface has received a dramatic ule that works well and is one of the facelift, including a multitabbed dialog box strengths of this program. The 3-D data for editing plot features. This setup and the handling is not as complete as MATLAB new right mouse button pop-up menus for Unix workstations (i.e., for an IBM RS/ make customizing graphs an easy task. 6000), but it is better than anything we The addition of an OLE 2 compliant editor have used in the Windows snvironment. A allows graphs and data to be linked or emcomplete graphics redraw for the 500 x 500 bedded in other applications such as Mimatrix on a 66-MHz Pentium takes less crosoft PowerPoint. In our opinion, the most than 1 min. However, fast redraws are imattractive new feature is the ability to exportant as it redraws all graphs frequently, port graphs directly to JPEG, Windows Bit- even when moving a window, changing a map (BMP), TARGA, PCX, and Windows label, and so on. As each redraw takes a Metafile (WMF) image files. Although Miminute this feature can be frustrating crocal promotes she JPEG ,xport foo use in One of the best features of Origin is its publication on the Internet the resulting easily used, powerful data-analysis rouimages are grainy and contain numerous tines, including built-in smoothing (boxcar, extraneous pixels We find that exporting Savitsky-Golay, FFT), fitting (Gaussian,
Origin's toolbars generate professional-looking graphs (left) and perform basic data analysis; 3-D and Contour modules, combined with matrix-handling features, for2-D data (right).
Analytical Chemistry News & Features, March 1, 1998
Lorentzian, sigmoidal, line, nonlinear with SOFTWARE RELEASED hundreds of built-in functions), statistics (ANOVA, t-test, histograms), data sorting, Boolean data extraction (e.g., peaks PHoEBuS can be selected using a statement such SEDERE as: if X(I - s) < X(I) > X(( + 1))) and devBox 528 eral peak find algorithms. If a particular Franklin, MA 02038 statistical test is missing, you can create it 508-528-6145; fax 508-528-6145; using Origin's complete scripting lan105032.3504 @ CompuServe, com guage, which also allows control of all $750 Origin functtons. One minor complaint involves standard- PHoEBuS ii a Wiidows-bbaed application ized hot keys in the Windows environment, program for determining chemical, electrisuch as using the mouse to select a graph cal, and electrophoretic characteristics of and ctrl-C for copying ii to the cllpboard. .n buffer solutions for capillary electrophoreOrigin, ,his conventton is not tollowed. .n- sis, as well as buffer properties for use in stead, one has to go into a menu and pick ion chromatography. Users need only en"copy page", a much slower alternative. ter the concentrations of various buffer components to determine different properThe data-importing features contain some inadequacies. The data types that can ties or the desired pH and ionic strength to determine reagents for a buffer. be imported are limited to ASCII, Lotus, Excell dBase, SigmaPlot, Symphony, LabTech, Mathematica, Kaleidagraph, .DIF.IR ViewMaster Standards and and .WAV. Importing binary data is not Raman ViewMaster Basic possible, unlike several other applications Monomers & Polymers (Spyglass Transform has menu entries for Bio-Rad Sadtler Division importing binary files, the scripting lan3316 Spring Garden St. guage in MATLAB has a binary fiie read Philadelphia, PA 19104-2596 function, and Grams386 comee with a acn- 800-977-8437; fax 215-662-0585; version utility that accommodates commerwww.bio-rad.com cial instrument file formats). This defi$990 for Standards ViewMaster; $500 for ciency limits the applications for which OriRaman ViewMaster gin can be used. The IR ViewMaster Standards contains Overall, Origin 5.0 is s powerful pro10,000 spectra of organic chemicals. The gram that should satisfy most scientists reference includes software designed to perrequiring a complete high-end graphics form "look-ups" such as chemical name, moand analysis package. It appears to have lecular formula, molecular weight, and peak. addressed many of the shortcomings described in the previous version (Anal. Raman ViewMaster offers spectra ao Chem. 1995, 67,424 A-25 A), as well as more than 1650 basic monomers and polyadded numerous enhancements. We are mers. Compounds have not been modified confident that this program will be used in with additives but may be copolymers or our laboratory extensively in the coming terpolymers. (Raman spectra were reyears. corded with a Nd:YAG 1064-nm laser; spectra are referenced to an internal light Reviewed by Kurt E. Oldenburg and source and are baseline corrected. Data are Jonathan V. Sweedler, Department of Chemcollected in the region of 150-3600 cm'1.) istry, University ofIllinois, Urbana
ViewMaster software requires at least 486/33 MHz, 16-MB RAM, 2X CD-ROM drive, and Windows NT or 95. ChemWindow Suite Bio-Rad Sadtler Division 3316 Spring Garden St. Philadelphia, PA 19104-2596 800-977-8437; fax 215-662-0585; www.bio-rad.com Version 5.1; $799
This new version of ChemWindow Suite offers publication-quality structures, molecular models, 3-D AVI animattons, JCAMP spectra, ANDI-protocol chromatograms, laboratory glassware diagrams, and process flow illustrations. Graphics and data can be created and edited inside OLE applications, such as Microsoft Office. Software includes a programmed database in Access. ChemWindow Suite requires Windows 95 or NT, 486/66 CPU or faster, and 16-MB RAM. SampleManager LabSystems 700 Cummings Center Suite 407J Beverly, MA 01915 800-719-1853; fax 978-524-1244; www. labsystems. com Version 4.0
SampleManager LIMS runs on Windows NT supporting DEC, UNIX, OVMS, HP-UX, and IBM-AK. The software operates on an Oracle database and provides a three-tter cllentt server that can be configured for secure Web access. A new Explorer interface has been added for navigating through the LIMS. The new version of SampleManager offers scalable configurations, added trees and tab dialogues, improved report writing, and enhanced controls such as right mouse button support and scalable grids. Documentation is available in English, French, German, and Spanish.
Analytical Chemistry News & Features, March 1, 1998 201 A
