Reviews of Maple, Mathematica, and Matlab: Coming Soon to a Publication Near You

In our introductory article to our upcoming review series on Maple, Mathematica, and Matlab, we asked for feedback. The letters to the editor we subsequently received deliver two messages: first, that this review series will serve a real need, and second, that we must be thorough in our treatment of each product. We didn't intend the introductory article to be an in-depth account in any sense. Instead, we tried to set a context for the future reviews by relating certain background information--histories and design principles--and a brief overview of current uses for each of the three productivity packages.At the time, we had more such information about Mathematica and Maple than for Matlab. Subsequently, Matlab's inventor, Cleve Moler, authored an article that addressed much of the points we were missing. In view of this information's emergence, and in response to the feedback we've received, we felt we should include some selections from Moler's article in this installment.