Free Stats from Dell

“It is the mark of a truly intelligent person to be moved by statistics.” ~ George Bernard Shaw.

Meta-analysis. Correlations. Binomial distribution. Marginal probability of error. For those of you who love numbers, you’re in familiar territory. Those terms may even make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. If they don’t, though, you’re not alone.

A statistic is a fact or piece of data obtained from a large quantity of numerical data. They’re everywhere. You’ll hear statistics in the news—in weather predictions, for example. You’ll be persuaded by them in advertising: “75% of people sleep better when they take this new drug.” You might even look to them when making decisions. Ever look up vehicle safety ratings before buying a new car?

So why do so many people get glassy-eyed when the subject of statistics is brought up? It may be because they just don’t understand them. Dell is setting out to change this.

PC Portable Occasion

Dell recently announced that they are offering a free version of Statistica to all U.S. college students and professors. Statistica is an award-winning, advanced-analytics software program that seeks to embed analytics everywhere, empower more people, and accelerate innovation. In layman’s terms, it’s designed to improve decisions, collaboration, and creativity across a variety
of occupations.

Jeff Bullas

The Dell Statistica Free Academic Program seeks to boost interest in and preparedness for data-analytic careers. Dell recognizes a nationwide shortage of data scientists and other professionals who are able to analyze data effectively. The free program includes a host of support materials such as an online textbook, how-to videos, and access to the users in STEM community. In short, it should make learning statistics easier for everyone.

If you can use Excel, the site suggests that you’ll have no problem with using Statistica. Getting the free version is a no-brainer for students and professors; they can get hands-on practice and use the software on their own research endeavors. The purchasable version starts at $795.00. Statistically speaking, you’re better off getting the free one—and that’s a proven theory!