IBM SPSS Statistics for Mac

IBM SPSS Statistics for Mac offers in-depth analysis of data and provides suggestions and reports based on the given criteria. This premium product comes with a free trial and features extremely powerful data analysis tools. On the downside, the user interface is poorly designed, with an overabundance of options, which may overwhelm the casual user.

The software comes with an intuitive interface that allows you to handle data without needing to code. You can drag and drop items to manage your data easily. Simplified data management is a key feature, enabling you to import, clean, and organize data all within one platform. This makes your analytical projects more streamlined and integrated.

With SPSS, carrying out a comprehensive analysis is straightforward. You can perform simple statistical summaries or dive into more advanced regression analyses. The software is equipped to deal with missing data and helps you understand the behavior of different variables in your study.

For those looking into the future, SPSS offers advanced predictive analytics. These tools allow you to create models that predict trends and outcomes, enhancing your ability to plan and conduct research effectively. You can customize your reports too. Customizable output features let you design charts, graphs, and tables that meet your specific needs, making your presentations and findings clearer and more impactful.

Another great benefit is the ability to integrate open source tools like R and Python. This flexibility allows you to extend the software’s capabilities, providing a more personalized analytical experience.

Pros

• Powerful capabilities: After you input your variables into IBM SPSS Statistics for Mac, you can perform complex analysis, including actions such as changing all variables to meet a certain goal, or in the case of direct marketing, identify clients who are most likely to buy your product or the general geographic area that sees the most purchases. Other analysis types include correlation, forecast, regression, and classification in clusters.
• Add-ons support: The app's core functionality is enhanced by add-ons such as text analysis for surveys and data collection.
• Excellent output options: When it comes to saving your work, you can either export your entire database, or save the data, itself, as one of more than 30 formats, including Microsoft Excel.

Cons

• Lengthy setup: In order to install IBM SPSS Statistics for Mac, you need to register and create your own IBM ID and install Java and Python.

If you run a company and need software to help you make the most informed decisions, a product like IBM SPSS Statistics for Mac can be worth its weight in gold. Although it may be overwhelming at first, the app easily handles multivariable decisions. If, on the other hand, you don't need this much analytical potential, a more basic offering like Excel's Solver might be a better fit.

Editors' note: This is a review of the trial version of IBM SPSS Statistics for Mac 19.

• New offerings
  • The IBM SPSS Bootstrapping module will make it easy for analysts to use this valuable technique
  • The IBM SPSS Direct Marketing module will enable marketers to run key analyses on their own
  • A new product, IBM SPSS Statistics Developer, will make it easy to work with R and share procedures with others
• Improved automation
  • The Automated Data Preparation feature (in IBM SPSS Data Preparation) detects and corrects quality errors in one efficient step
• New analysis and reporting
  • New nonparametric tests (in IBM SPSS Statistics Base)
  • Post-computed categories (in IBM SPSS Custom Tables)
  • Significance tests (in IBM SPSS Custom Tables)
  • Rule checking in Secondary SPC Charts (in IBM SPSS Statistics Base)
• Improved architecture and technology
  • Improved performance and display for large pivot tables for all modules
  • Enhanced Model Viewer allows for interactive visualizations for Two Step Cluster analysis and Nonparametric tests (in IBM SPSS Statistics Base), and Automated Data Preparation (in IBM SPSS Data Preparation)
  • Improved performance of commonly used procedures such as Frequencies, Crosstabs, Descriptive statistics (in IBM SPSS Statistics Base Server)
  • Additional support of 64-bit hardware on Windows and Mac platforms