In memory of Robin Edwards, the statistical analysis suite !1st has been made available to download from the Midlands User Group (MUG) website.
The software was previously sold by Robin through his company, Serious Statistical Software, and provides a comprehensive set of tools to provide statistical analysis of data fed to it, with facilities that cover all levels that may be required, from elementary analysis through to more advanced levels. It offers a number of ways to display and edit data, using a spreadsheet-like user interface, and the ability to import and export data as comma separated value files.
As well as a comprehensive set of statistical procedures and tests, it features a range of plotting facilities, the results of any of which can be exported as standard RISC OS Draw or sprite files.
This release has been made with thanks to Audrey Edwards and Colin Turnbull, who have allowed its distribution by the user group under the Creative Commons licence BY-NC-ND version 4.0.
Robin was a founding member of the group, and their very first meeting was held in his home in Blackwell in February 2006, at which his wife, Audrey, provided refreshments, and continued to do so when the group moved to the Blackwell Methodist Church Hall. To the members of MUG it wouldn’t be a proper meeting without Audrey’s flapjacks, cakes, and biscuits.
Robin regularly attended Acorn and RISC OS shows over the years, where he demonstrated the extensive features of the software – and one of his own uses of it was for analysis of climate data; he had been working with a researcher for a few years to stress test the current assertion on climate change and the models used.
With a claim to fame that, as a research scientist, he invented the formula that causes the bubble effect in Fairy washing up liquid, Robin’s background in chemistry began in his youth, when he could often be found trying to make the loudest and biggest explosions he could.
In his time, he’s lived in places such as America, Holland, the Wirral, and of course Blackwell – and I’m sure the other members of the Midlands User Group are glad he finally settled there, to help form a group that continues to meet on a regular basis, and the friendships that go with it.
