# Re: Mac expt software

**URL:** https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/re-mac-expt-software/733
**Category:** Uncategorized
**Created:** [March 29, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/re-mac-expt-software/733 "2002-03-29T01:41:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Allen\_Ingling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Allen\_Ingling](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/Allen_Ingling)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/re-mac-expt-software/733/1 "2002-03-29T01:41:46Z")

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Hi Maryanne. I've been using matlab with Denis Pelli's and David Brainard's  
psychophysics toolbox (the toolbox is free although matlab, which is made by the  
Math Works isn't). See  
  
[http://psychtoolbox.org/](http://psychtoolbox.org/)  
  
for a vast amount of useful information.  
  
In addition, there's a psychtoolbox forum that I subscribe to (this message cc'd  
to it); you should join if you want to get serious about this. You can post  
questions to it that much more informed experts than I would be able to address.  
  
You should prowl about the above website to see what's what. Basically, the  
issues are these:  
  
1. The good news is that the psychtoolbox in conjunction with matlab is without  
question the best platform for running experiments on the mac.  
  
2. The bad news is that matlab stopped supporting the mac in 1998. Everything  
still works fine under system 9.x, but it would have to run in virtual mode  
under sys X.  
  
3. The intermediate news is that the toolbox is gradually being ported to the pc  
which runs current versions of matlab.  
  
4. There's a possibility (or at least a wish) that a version of matlab will  
appear for sys X (there's a unix version of matlab, so that would make sense).  
  
You might have a look at,  
  
[http://faculty.washington.edu/gloftus/Research/Publications/Manuscripts.lists/Do](http://faculty.washington.edu/gloftus/Research/Publications/Manuscripts.lists/Do)  
wnloadable.html  
  
and download Harley, E.M., & Loftus, G.R. (2000). MATLAB and graphical user  
interfaces: Tools for experimental management. Behavior Research Methods  
Instrumentation & Computers  
  
for some additional thoughts.  
  
Good luck!  
  
regards, Geoff  
  
Geoffrey R. Loftus, PhD Office: (206) 543-8874  
Department of Psychology Home: (206) 547-6969  
Guthrie Hall, Room 131 Mobile: (206) 605-1974  
University of Washington Fax: (206) 685-3157  
Box 351525 Web: [http://faculty.washington.edu/gloftus](http://faculty.washington.edu/gloftus)  
Seattle, WA 98195-1525  
  
  
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> \>From: Maryanne Garry \<[maryanne.garry@...](mailto:maryanne.garry@...)\>  
> \>To: [gloftus@...](mailto:gloftus@...)  
> \>Subject: Mac expt software  
> \>Date: Thu, Mar 28, 2002, 3:21 PM  
> \>  
>    
> \> Hi Geoff,  
> \>  
> \> Sadly, I have had to abandon Doug Chute's Power Lab for Mac to do my  
> \> experiments. To make things worse, HyperCard won't run under OS X,  
> \> PscScope is no longer being updated, so the writing is on the wall  
> \> for me. I'm going to have to learn a standard lab package like eprime.  
> \>  
> \> I'm wondering what you use, or if you know of good Mac expt software.  
> \> Eprime doesn't seem very friendly, and is not due out on Mac until  
> \> the end of 2002--even then it will be probably run only compiled  
> \> programs developed on a PC. My friends use Authorware, but it's the  
> \> same deal for Mac: runtime only. I guess I don't really want  
> \> something that's merely ported out to the Mac.  
> \>  
> \> I thought you'd have some ideas. Please tell me you do!!  
> \>  
> \> Hope you are well, and have a Happy Easter.