Wow, Python much faster than MatLab

[gblais at cox.net]

R is the free version of the S language.  S-PLUS is a commercial version. 
Both are targeted at statisticians per se.  Their strengths are in
exploratory data analysis (in my opinion).

SAS has many statistical featues, and is phenomenally well-documented and
supported.  One of its great strengths is the robustness of its data model
-- very well suited to large sizes, repetitive inputs, industrial-strength
data processing with a statistics slant.  Well over 200 SAS books,for
example.

I think of SAS and R as being like airliners and helicopters -- airlines get
the job done, and well, as long as it's well-defined and nearly the same job
all the time.  Helicopters can go anywhere, do anything, but a moment's
inattention leads to a crash.