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Wolfram Language and Mathematica Free on Every Raspberry Pi

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Re: Wolfram Language and Mathematica Free on Every Raspberry Pi

#21
post #5

IIRC, this has been the case for a while. I seem to recall getting a Raspberry Pi ~5 years ago which had Mathematica on it. Admittedly it was quite slow, but as far as I can recall it did work.

10 years now. Found post that was first announced: https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2013/11/putting-the-wolf...

9 full years.

Re: Wolfram Language and Mathematica Free on Every Raspberry Pi

#22

I use Mathematica frequently and, within the niche that it serves, it is starting to remind me a lot of Excel. Both are commercial software, have a low barrier to entry, are powerful enough to run the software for a nuclear power plant, have enough footguns to make this a terrible idea, and are so overused that it might be happening anyway. But I do not think we will get rid of it any time soon.

Could you illustrate some footguns of Mathematica/Wolfram Language?

Re: Wolfram Language and Mathematica Free on Every Raspberry Pi

#23
post #17
post #16

I feel about this the way I feel about "free" Windows when you buy a computer from a mainstream retailer. It's not worth the price, it's not a gift, it's just an adverstisement and a gateway to the walled garden. I have a normal Mathematica license and for the few times it's the right tool for the job I find myself reaching for something else anyway. I can almost always get things done with FOSS (usually within the p…

While I understand what you are saying, using Windows as an example is bad because Windows is not a walled garden. If you want examples of a walled garden, look at MacOS/iOS, Android (kind of), and arguably even the Linuxes (question of practicality).

If Linux is a "Walled garden" the phrase has no meaning.

Re: Wolfram Language and Mathematica Free on Every Raspberry Pi

#26

I use Mathematica frequently and, within the niche that it serves, it is starting to remind me a lot of Excel. Both are commercial software, have a low barrier to entry, are powerful enough to run the software for a nuclear power plant, have enough footguns to make this a terrible idea, and are so overused that it might be happening anyway. But I do not think we will get rid of it any time soon.

Could you expand on, for a person who only dabbled with Mathematica some time back, what that niche is?

A good niche for mathematica is finance: type in your equations, tell it what "type" your variables are, let it solve them. Let the machine get it right.

Re: Wolfram Language and Mathematica Free on Every Raspberry Pi

#27
post #17
post #16

I feel about this the way I feel about "free" Windows when you buy a computer from a mainstream retailer. It's not worth the price, it's not a gift, it's just an adverstisement and a gateway to the walled garden. I have a normal Mathematica license and for the few times it's the right tool for the job I find myself reaching for something else anyway. I can almost always get things done with FOSS (usually within the p…

While I understand what you are saying, using Windows as an example is bad because Windows is not a walled garden. If you want examples of a walled garden, look at MacOS/iOS, Android (kind of), and arguably even the Linuxes (question of practicality).

Linux is more like a walled garden than Windows? Maybe you have a different definition of walled garden or something...
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