Customer Reviews (case 22515)

[David McFarlane]

After all the glowing reports above, a note of dissent is in order. Let's see if Empirisoft dares to keep this in here.

Shortcomings of DirectRT include:

• Cannot do loops. E.g., cannot repeat a stimulus or trial an indefinite number of times until the subject gives a correct response (see forum threads support.empirisoft.com/showthread.php?t=975, support.empirisoft.com/showthread.php?t=698).
• Cannot do arithmetic. E.g., cannot halve a stimulus parameter on response success, and double it on failure, in order to derive a threshold value. (And do not even imagine using anything like Maximum Likelihood Estimation for adjusting stimulus parameters during the experiment.)
• Cannot process strings.
• Cannot draw. E.g., cannot draw a circle of arbitrary diameter calculated during the experiment.
• Cannot stop sound playback once started (User's Guide 3.12, p. 30).
• Displays a blank, black screen during every intertrial interval (see forum thread support.empirisoft.com/showthread.php?t=37).

Shortcomings aside, DirectRT clearly remains a superior platform for a select class of experimental psychology researchers engaged in a select subset of psychological work. But for many others, DirectRT will not do at all. Fortunately, plenty of other products will. Despite the banner on Empirisoft's web site, DirectRT is *not* THE way to do computer research. If your experimental designs by their nature entail any sort of computational complexity, you will need to look beyond DirectRT.

David McFarlane, Systems Designer
Dept. Psychology, Michigan State University

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of my employer or anyone else associated with me.)

[jarvis24]

David, thanks for taking the time to provide a thoughtful review. And although I altered the formatting here and there, your review has not been censored in any way. Fwiw, we are working on adding the kinds of features you have mentioned--all great ideas. And thanks for the kind words--I did find them!!

[sanspeur]

I have been using DirectRT and MediaLab for several experiments, and I have had a very positive experience. Thank you for putting together these excellent pieces of software. The main thing that stands out to me is the intuitive interface (particularly for MediaLab) combined with flexibility and functionality. I hope to continue using your products for many more years. Thank you!

[shomam]

Overall, I have been quite impressed with MediaLab. I have only had experience with one other software package for conducting experiments (xxxxxxxxx) and I have to say that MediaLab is a much more sophisticated software package and extremely user friendly. http://#e##o#.com

[Note from moderator: With some regret, The URL here has been edited and the poster has been banned for spam content. But with some joy, the post will remain. After years of deleting 1000's of spam posts this is the first I've ever seen where the spammer was so polite as to actually include (ok, plagiarize) a positive review of MediaLab. Thank you Shomam--if only all SPAM were as pleasant as yours ]

[sam78]

I find the software (both MediaLab and DirectRT) to be extremely user friendly. The software has been instrumental in reducing the amount of time required to program complex experiments. Customer support is exceptional. Blair is strongly committed to producing a quality product that is both user friendly and readily meets the experimental needs of his clients.

[Sanders]

I found a great review of Winsol here and the software (both MediaLab and DirectRT) to be extremely user friendly. The software has been instrumental in reducing the amount of time required to program complex experiments. Customer support is exceptional. Blair is strongly committed to producing a quality product that is both user friendly and readily meets the experimental needs of his clients.

I just wanted to say that MediaLab and DirectRT have been big timesavers for me. They run flawlessly every time and I have never encountered any bugs. Plus I find MediaLab very user friendly. I was able to get started with my experiments in no time at all. I am very please with both MediaLab and DirectRT!

[jason_reed]

Thank you for the kind words, Sanders!

[jason_reed]

Thank you for the feedback, somer234! We are happy to hear that MediaLab is meeting your needs.

Please let us know if you need assistance by posting here on the forums or emailing us at support@empirisoft.com

I just want to say I have been using Medialab only since few months and found it very useful.

[kelukaliya]

MediaLab and DirectRT are programs that clearly have been designed by a psychologist for psychologists to use. Compared to other similar software I have used, the programs meet all of my needs, from the way trials and questionnaires can be randomized to the type of stimuli that can be presented and the varieties of responses that can be collected. The many facets of the program have on occasion even prompted me to come up with study ideas I might not have otherwise. Also, the customer support that Empirisoft offers is unparalleled. They have without exception responded to my queries promptly and patiently, and do an excellent job of troubleshooting from afar. Furthermore, when DirectRT once did not meet the needs of a study I was designing in terms of the type of responses it would accept, he was able to rewrite the program for me very quickly so that it would. Getting custom-made software was definitely a new experience for me.

[jason_reed]

Thank you for the nice review, kelukaliya. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance to you.