FASTAT, SYSTAT, Inc., 1800 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60201. (312) 864-5670. $195 suggested retail. Runs on any Macintosh with I megabyte of RAM and a hard disk drive.

FASTAT is a powerful and inexpensive statistics package for Macintosh computers. It makes full use of Macintosh graphics capabilities to allow adaptation for presentation of its many graphics outputs as well as data sets. Its data handling capacity is 50 variables and as many observations as a hard disk will hold, and it offers a solid array of data transformation, statistical, and graphics techniques.

FASTAT is not as powerful as its MS-DOS parent SYSTAT, but most researchers will find that it fits their needs. It is far easier to use than SYSTAT. Prospective purchasers can get a sense of what FASTAT is like to work with by ordering a free copy of MYSTAT for the Macintosh.

PC Datagraphics and Mapping, Version 1.0. Written by Kenneth E. Hinze, Louisiana State University in Shreveport. Distributed by National Collegiate Software Clearinghouse, Duke University Press, 6697 College Station, Durham, NC 27708. (919) 684-2173. $35. IBM or IBM compatible with at least 256K and color graphics card. Can take advantage of as much as 640K.

PC Datagraphics and Mapping (PCDM) is one of many bargain priced programs distributed by the National Collegiate Software Clearinghouse. This program's emphasis is on the creation of maps with subdivisions and the shading of the subdivisions in accordance with data, a choropleth map.