Minitab

[Frisbetarian]

Has anyone used Minitab? I'm looking to both teach some students how to perform fairly elementary simple and multiple regression analyses, and to run some myself with a fancy looking output that will be easy to explain to non-math types. If you have worked with Minitab, I'd love to hear about your experiences with this program. I can rent the education version for short $$, but will start with the free 30 month trial.
 
Thanks. 

 

[Cumberland Blues]

I used a unix version in college in like 1987...that's probably not helpful.

 

[Saints Rest]

Has anyone used Minitab? I'm looking to both teach some students how to perform fairly elementary simple and multiple regression analyses, and to run some myself with a fancy looking output that will be easy to explain to non-math types. If you have worked with Minitab, I'd love to hear about your experiences with this program. I can rent the education version for short $$, but will start with the free 30 month trial.
 
Thanks. 

We had to use it in my Stats class at NYU when I was in the EMBA there. Seemed easy to learn, gave decent output. Haven't used it since (10 years)

 

[JVglove2face]

Minitab will make you wonder why people ever bother to perform statistical analysis using Excel. Graphical output is excellent. It's ridiculously powerful if you know how to apply it.

 

[Frisbetarian]

Thanks, guys. JV - Will it be easy for me to teach non-stat guys correlation and regression? Also, if I have any questions, are you an expert? If you're willing to help, it would be worth a night of tequila tasting to me, and tequila tasting with me is a special experience

 

[JVglove2face]

What is the age group and technical ability? If you are just looking for a neat tool to help you to visualize the concepts then I think its an expensive and overpowered option. 
 
If you are trying to teach them how to use Minitab as an actual problem solving tool then I think its a great choice once you have laid the theoretical groundwork.
 
I am certainly no expert. Like Saints I learned how to use it in college 10 yrs ago but I do have experience applying it practically in a professional environment. I don't have access to a license anymore but I may have an old textbook stashed away that might help. Try me, but no promises. I am sure there are statheads around here who are far more qualified.

 

[Frisbetarian]

  Holy shit! I just tried it with a simple 2 column spreadsheet I put together last year looking at the effect of a pitcher's pace on his WOWY BABIP relative to team, and in about a minute I got:
 

 
along with 5 other awesome output pages!!! JV is right, I'll never use Excel again. 

Also, JV, I'm going to take our discussion to PM if that's OK with you.

 

[Billy Jo Robidoux]

FYI -- there's a free version of Minitab available online.  If you know where to look.
 

 

[mt8thsw9th]

Where might that be?

 

[derekson]

Interestingly I just took a Biostatistics course this summer and for the course we use some of Excel, Stata, and/or R but looking at even just the preview pages and that quick sample output Fris posted, Minitab looks far better than any of those. That Minitab Express version they link to on the academic part of the site isn't really all that expensive either. I'm sure you can generate all of the same data with Stata or R but it won't print visualizations that simply or give you a nice summary with all of the correlation and regression results like the one Fris posted.