SPSS 8.0: Statistics Get Down to Business

SPSS 8.0 simplifies survey analysis and forecasting with improved graphics and new Web support.

SPSS Inc. continues to help its flagship statistics package get down to business. The newest arrival, SPSS 8.0, looks as good as it works. It offers three main enhancements over the previous version: better graphics, a utility to simplify e-mail distribution of reports, and options for Web publishing. I tested a preproduction copy.

SPSS 8.0 has a hefty $795 list price, but it%squots worth the money for managers who need statistics for survey analyses, quality control, and forecasting. If you need only basic statistics, you can probably make do with a less expensive package or even a spreadsheet.

The statistical-test content of SPSS has been tweaked a bit; for example, you%squotll find improved tests for survey applications. But the main enhancements suit a business audience rather than the mathematics crowd. SPSS now lets you drag and drop variables into tables and then pivot any table, so you can see with a quick bit of mousework which elements in a business model will have the biggest impact on results.

The program%squots fancy new 3D graphics are presentation-worthy (and can be saved in JPEG format for use on Web pages), but you%squotll have to crawl through many more dialog boxes than you would with Microsoft PowerPoint. SPSS 8.0 is an excellent next step for managers who have outgrown basic stats.

For the complete story, see Charles Seiter%squots %dquotSPSS 8.0: Statistics Get Down to Business%dquot in February%squots PC World magazine.

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