Do I have to own Mathematica to use the Handbook?
Yes, you must have Mathematica on your computer before you can even download the Handbook.
What versions of Mathematica will it work with?
The MathematicaHandbook download works for Mathematica versions 4.2 and higher running under Windows, Linux or Macintosh OS X.
May I purchase the Handbook on one computer and download it on another?
Yes, you can buy your registration code (proof-of-purchase) from any machine, but you must get the $MachineID from the machine that you will be using the Handbook on.
I don't have internet access on my machine with Mathematica. What do I do?
The installer will not work without an internet connection.
I need to install the Handbook on a second computer. Can I use my old activation code?
No, your activation code is good only on the computer whose
MachineID it was generated for. However, your purchase of the Handbook
entitles you to three activation codes. You may use them on three
different machines, even if they run different operating systems.
I uninstalled the Handbook from my machine and now I want to reinstall it. Do I have to get a new activation code?
No, if you still have the old activation code (you saved the email we sent you, or you wrote it on a piece of paper), you can reuse it after you download the Handbook again. In fact, if you request a new activation code, it will be the same as the old one. The activation code is tied to the MachineID that you enter when you request an activation code.
How do I get another activation code?
You need to go to http://www.mathematicahandbook.com/support.htm, and choose the option for another activation code. This will require you to remember either the registration code or the email address you used when you purchased the download.
I changed my email address. I can't get my registration codes sent to that old address. What do I do?
Send an email to DBsupport@mathematicahandbook.com giving your name, address, previous email address, platform and version purchased and what you are trying to do. We will get back to you.
How do I determine what release of the MathematicaHandbook I have?
Open it and go to the Preface; the release number is to the right of the title.
I noticed that there is a new release of the MathematicaHandbook on the website. Do I need to pay again?
Your current version will continue to run for as long as you have it on your machine. Your current activation code may be used to download updated releases for 18 months from the time you received it. After that time, you will need to use another activation code to get updated versions.
I have a Mac, and I can't find MathematicaHandbook after I installed it.
There is a bug in the Mathematica 5.0 Mac help browser: the scroll bars do not automatically appear on the various columns in the browser unless you explicitly try to access a file that is not visible. This is not a specific MathematicaHandbook problem ; it is also a problem for the internal Mathematica documentation such as the Mathematica Book and the Master index. Two simple ways to get around this are:
- Click on Add-ons & Links in the first column of the Help browser; then Click on the last item you can see in the second column; then click on the down arrow. The appearance of the browser will suddenly change because scroll bars get added to the columns. Now you have access to all of the documentation. You may have to use the horizontal scroll bar to get back to the second column, and then use the vertical scroll bar to find the MathematicaHandbook entry.
- Click on Add-ons & Links in the first column of the Help browser; then type "Preface" or "Vector" or the beginning few letters of any notebook in MathematicaHandbook in the text box near the Go button and the browser will add scroll bars and take you to that notebook.
When I come back to Mathematica later, how do I find the Handbook?
- Launch Mathematica.
- Click on the Help button on the tool bar at the top.
- A menu drops down. Select "Help Browser..."
- A window will open. Select the "Add-ons & Links" tab
- Look for "MathematicaHandbook" in the left hand column. Click on it.
- A list of topics will appear in the second column which can be used to navigate through the ebook.