SPSS Remodifies SPSS 10.0
In SPSS 10.0, SPSS's business statistics powerhouse, the underlying file architecture has been totally revamped. Part of the revamp is a new client/server architecture, which lets SPSS run as a client to an industrial-strength server running Microsoft Windows NT Server. Server versions are promised but not yet available for IBM's AIX and AS/400, HP's HP/UX, and Sun Solaris. Though a client/server model is now supported, one can still run the program in stand alone mode on a single machine without an explicit server.
As usual, SPSS requires a base system that includes the most important analytical and graphical tools with optional specialized modules like Regression Models, Trends, and Categories. The stand alone product, which can also act as a client to the server, costs $999 (list) for the base system and $499 per optional module. The server costs $9,990 for the base and $4,990 per optional module.
Besides the ability of the server to transfer processing and file handling to more powerful centralized resources, there are changes in SPSS's data-handling model that expand the ability to work with large data sets. SPSS 9.x made an on-disk copy of a file before one could process it, kept changes in that file, and later copied the changed file back. The new version only tracks differences between the active data set and the original, for more efficient operation.
The new version also adds the capability of opening additional SPSS windows. Processing a large data set can be a lengthy operation; this new capability allows analysis of other data sets in situations in which that was impossible in older versions.
SPSS has one new optional module -- SPSS Maps. With this module, based in part on technology licensed from MapInfo, one can make thematic, color-coded maps based on the value of geographic data and/or embellish these maps with links, pie charts, or bar charts. This module includes the most basic map data--for example, enough to draw U.S. states. But one would need to purchase additional map data to create more detailed maps -- for example, one would need to purchase county boundaries to map states county by county.
SPSS 9.0 introduced the ability to save its output of mixed tables and charts to an HTML document. This version improves this capability with the addition of XML support. The biggest interface change is a revamped data editor, which allows direct editing of data in a spreadsheet-like grid (rather than displaying the data in a grid and then editing the data in awkward dialogs). Also, the new version adds a separate Variables tab to the Data Editor, which makes manipulation of data types and other variable attributes easier.