For problems encountered installing the software, see the installation problems FAQ.
- I have a Macintosh and I'm not going to give it up. Can
I get STRATEGY for Windows to run on my computer?
- What about Windows NT 3.51? Will STRATEGY for Windows
run on that platform?
- Do I need training to use STRATEGY for Windows?
- STRATEGY for DOS prepared designs for mixtures as well as designs that included both
process and mixture factors. How does STRATEGY for
Windows handle this?
- How can I make STRATEGY for Windows run faster?
- When I try to run my application, it says:
"Can't find Wordpad" What is going on?
- It's difficult to read some of the text on the controls in STRATEGY for Windows. What's going on and how do I fix it?
- Why doesn't Help work on my computer?
- What's this annual subscription deal and why
are you pushing it?
- Why should I buy an optimal design when STRATEGY for
Windows contains such a large library of designs?
- Why are there so many updates?
- I have a Macintosh and I'm not going to give it up. Can I get
STRATEGY for Windows to run on my computer?
Actually, you can! We were surprised to learn that one of our beta testers was actually
running STRATEGY for Windows on a Power PC with SoftWindows95 from Insignia Corporation.
There is no Macintosh native version, and we have no plans to develop one.
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- What about Windows NT 3.51? Will STRATEGY for Windows run on
that platform?
We are not currently planning to issue a version for Windows 3.51 or Windows 3.1.
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- Do I need training to use STRATEGY for Windows?
Short answer -- Yes.
It is our intention to deliver a product that can be used by the average research
scientist or engineer who is willing to use the help files, and many of our testers said
that they used it without ever having to resort to the help files.
On the other hand, you'd have to go a long way to find a better use of a three day's time
than spending it with Bill Kappele and the people from Math Options. (We are sorry, but Dave
Doehlert's health keeps us from offering any classes from The Experiment Strategies
Foundation at the present time.)
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- STRATEGY for DOS prepared designs for mixtures as well as
designs that included both process and mixture factors. How does STRATEGY for Windows
handle this?
The old ways of computing mixture designs, mostly developed in the 1970s, have been
replaced by three types: Scheffe Simplex Designs, "Process-Like" Mixture
Designs, and I-Optimal (Hardin-Sloane) designs. See the Knowledge Base article Creating Mixture Designs with STRATEGY for Windows
for a complete explanation.
Note that STRATEGY for Windows can analyze well-designed experiments of all types and
sizes no matter what origin the design has.
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- How can I make STRATEGY for Windows run faster?
As you may know, we're willing to give up a little speed to make sure that you are getting
the best answer, but the program can be made to run faster. We are actively working on
some initiatives in this area, but there are a few things that you can do.
Getting a faster computer will always help, but short of that, the best way to speed up
STRATEGY for Windows is to add more memory to your computer. If you are running other
applications at the same time you are running STRATEGY for Windows, you can use up a lot
of memory fast.
If STRATEGY for Windows seems to run slower some times than others, try rebooting the
computer (AFTER you save your work!). It can't hurt, and it might get rid of something
pesky hanging around in memory. After you have restarted, run STRATEGY for Windows with no
other applications open.
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- When I try to run my application, it says: "Can't find
Wordpad" What is going on?
This should only happen now if you have an obsolete version. Wordpad has not been used as
the text editor since the beginning of the year.
It could be that you don't have it installed. It only comes with NT 4.0 and Windows 95,
and it is an optional installation item. Even if it's loaded, we might not find it. If
that happens, please let us know and we will be glad to help you figure out what is going
on.
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- It's difficult to read some of the text on the
controls in STRATEGY for Windows. What's going on and how do I fix it?
We thought it was a system property but we are now in the process of changing all of the
backgrounds to a lighter color/
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- Why doesn't Help work on my computer?
There could be several reasons. First, does the Window Help engine start when you call
Help? It always should even if there is no help file at all, and the most common error
message indicates that the Windows help engine can't find the Help file for the particular
application. Is the Help file actually there? You should find Strategy.hlp in the
main STRATEGY directory.
If the Help engine doesn't open, Windows is probably mis-installed or you are trying to
run STRATEGY for Windows on an operating platform earlier than Windows 95. If you are on
Windows 95 or NT 4.0, and you get the message that you need a newer version of Help, it is
most likely that the Help file has been corrupted in some way.
- What's this annual subscription and why are you pushing it? I want to just buy my
software like I always have.
Yes, we are pushing the subscription deal. You save almost 50% compared to the full
purchase price, and all of the updates are included.
What we prefer to sell you is a continually evolving tool rather than a product with a bow
and ribbon around it. Quite frankly, the only reason that outright purchase of the
software is still available is because several customers indicated such a such preference
for software ownership that they might not continue to be customers unless purchase was an
option. Ideally, all of our customers will always be using the latest version. It's
actually much more expensive for us to figure out what is going on in the software you
bought six months ago than it is for us to send you new software. Disks, postage, Internet
costs, etc. cost a whole lot less than the time of our already over-worked and underpaid
software engineers.
And it is better for you. No matter how nifty a new feature is, it takes time to adapt to
it. The more new features in any upgrade, the fewer that you are going to learn. Skill
with software is built by accretion; it is definitely not a satori experience.
Early in the project, it became apparent that Dave Doehlert has many more ideas than we
are ever going to be able to implement, and we get lots of great ideas from our customers
and beta testers. DOE is a continually evolving discipline STRATEGY for Windows was
designed with evolution in mind. Our design decisions, our coding standards, and our
business plan are all designed with an eye on adaptability to change. Customer needs
change, our knowledge of the discipline grows, and we can incrementally change the
software so that it continues to fit with those needs.
- Why should I buy an optimal design when STRATEGY for Windows
contains such a large library of designs and I have books full of even more designs?
The short answer is that you can find out more information for less money. For the
complete answer, check out Dave Doehlert's
comprehensive answer in the knowledge base.
- Why are there so many updates? Is STRATEGY for Windows a stable
product?
STRATEGY for Windows is in a constant state of change because our customers are trying to
make it do so much. Every day we get many suggestions about how to improve the product,
and we implement appropriate suggestions as quickly as our resources allow. The product is
rebuilt and re-tested daily, but new versions are made available only when we have made
some significant step forward.
The versions that are available here on the Internet are versions with new features that
we are testing out, and those versions are not distributed to our subscription customers
until they have gone through considerable testing. STRATEGY for Windows is a robust
product that has been in development for more than two years, and it has received nearly a
year of intensive beta testing. It is based on STRATEGY for DOS, a program that has been
battle-tested in industry for more than a decade.
Note that the structure of the data files does not change with new versions. In fact, data
files from the original STRATEGY can be used in the latest version of STRATEGY for
Windows. We know how important your experiment data is to you so that it always remains
useful in its present form.
STRATEGY for Windows Home Page