How to buy the materials for Distance Learning MATH 1342 (More details about the materials are here.)

These scenarios all presume you have a PC. If you have a Mac, ask me for details about MINITAB before buying anything.

Scenario 1: Buy the package for this particular section of this course from one of the ACC bookstores for about $145 that contains access to StatsPortal, a new hard copy of the textbook, and a perpetual use copy of MINITAB 14, student version.
Pros: It's all in one package, you have a hard copy of the book, and MINITAB 14 as long as you want to use it.
Cons: Once you open the package, it can't be returned for a refund.
MINITAB 14 doesn't claim to work with Windows Vista (because Vista was not around when it was released and the compatibility claims were written) but I have installed it on a new Vista machine and have had no difficulty.
If you make a mistake and buy the package for the classroom sections of this course, it costs less and doesn't include the MINITAB software. See Scenario 4 below.

Scenario 2: Buy StatsPortal online for about $52, and rent MINITAB for $30 for six months.
Pros: Least expensive option; MINITAB 15 lists that it is compatible with Win 2000, XP, or Vista; if you purchase StatsPortal from the publisher's website, you can get a refund for about 10 days under some conditions; if you use the 30-day free demo of MINITAB first, then you have 30 days before you commit to paying for it.
Cons: Your copy of MINITAB only works for six months; you don't have a hard copy of the book, so you have to be online all the time you are looking at any materials for the course.

Scenario 3 : Buy StatsPortal online for about $52, rent MINITAB for $30 for six months, buy a used copy of the book from the ACC Bookstore (in the fall, used books cost $50 at the ACC Bookstore and $80 at Bevo's bookstore.)
Pros: MINITAB 15 is listed as compatible with Win 2000, XP, Vista; if you purchase StatsPortal from the publisher's website, you can get a refund for about 10 days under some conditions; if you use the 30-day free demo of MINITAB first, then you have 30 days before you commit to paying for it.
Cons: Your copy of MINITAB only works for six months; used books may have markings in them; if you don't find a cheap used book then this will cost more than buying the package of new materials.

Scenario 4: Buy the classroom course package from a bookstore at ACC for about $120 that contains StatsPortal and a new hard copy of the textbook. Also rent MINITAB for $30 for six months.
Pros: You have new materials and your MINITAB 15 is listed as compatible with Win 2000, XP, Vista.
Cons: Once you open the package, it can't be returned for a refund. Cost is slightly more than buying the specific package for our course.

Scenario 5: Buy a copy of the fourth edition of the textbook somewhere else besides the ACC bookstores. Since it won't come with StatsPortal, then buy StatsPortal online for about $52, rent MINITAB for $30 for six months.
Pros: MINITAB is listed as compatible with Win 2000, XP, Vista; if you purchase StatsPortal from the publisher's website, you can get a refund for about 10 days under some conditions; if you use the 30-day free demo of MINITAB first, then you have 30 days before you commit to paying for it.
Cons: Your copy of MINITAB only works for six months. If you don't find a cheap used book then this will cost more than buying the package of new materials. If the bookstore sends you an earlier edition of the book, some of the explanations are different, it won't have the correct problems in it, and the pages and chapters will be numbered differently, so an earlier edition of the book will be pretty useless to you in this course.