Yes, my post was a slightly cheeky way of pointing out that the answer is in the page linked to by the very post that poses the question :) As for weakening fr

Yes, my post was a slightly cheeky way of pointing out that the answer is in the page linked to by the very post that poses the question :) As for weakening free competition, that's plausible, though I think it more likely that the chap was hired on the basis of his work than as a strategic move. Mathematica seems pretty entrenched and comprehensive (though I do admit that it's not something I've used a great deal), and probably as impervious to attack from open source equivalents as is Excel. (While MS seems currently troubled, and I bet they're finding it harder and harder to persuade people to upgrade to Office each year, Excel's position looks pretty unassailable.)