This post is written by a mathematics teacher who usually views Maple’s new initiatives from an educational perspective, and I’m well aware that others may see things differently. A single user might be delighted by a new feature that fits their personal workflow. An advanced user might not care if something requires a workaround.

There are also many preferences when it comes to how the interface should look. I often consider whether something will work well for our high school as a whole. We have students who are not very mathematically or scientifically inclined, and others who are. That’s why user-friendliness is essential. Some packages have been developed to make things easier for students. We try to avoid too many workarounds, since these often create problems for them.

Now, on to Maple 2025’s new interface:

When Microsoft introduced tabs and ribbons instead of menus and toolbars in Word many years ago, I personally thought it was a good idea. I can imagine it working well in Maple too — especially if the different elements are placed logically on the tabs, and frequently used functions are easy to access.

However, I just returned from summer vacation, ready for a new school year, only to discover something surprising: the Windows version comes with the new ribbon interface, while the Mac version still has the old one! For any teacher, this is a nightmare scenario: teaching a class where the Windows and Mac interfaces look completely different. Has Maplesoft ended up caught between two chairs here?

I’ve heard that a Mac version with tabs and ribbons is under development. But since it’s not ready yet, we can’t use it. On Windows, I also noticed a strange extra application called “Maple 2025 Screen Readers”. If you open it directly, you get an odd mix of modern 2D notation and old 1D Maple notation, which is simply unacceptable. If you instead click “Screen Reader Mode” in the top-right corner, it looks more normal. But does that mean it’s fully functional? If so, we might be able to combine this with the Mac version that still uses the old interface — and then switch next year to both Windows and Mac with tabs and ribbons. Still, I must say that Maplesoft is providing far too little information on this! Around 75% of our students use Macs, while only 25% use Windows.

Another issue: When saving a Maple file on a Windows computer, you’re forced into Maple’s own “Save As” window. I’ve previously suggested that it should instead open directly in Windows’ native File Explorer, which is far more powerful. In File Explorer, you can quickly use Quick Access shortcuts to save the file in the right folder. In Maple’s “Save As” window, however, it often takes 6–7 extra clicks to reach the desired location. For students who aren’t very tech-savvy, navigating through a deep folder tree can be a real challenge. Why doesn’t Maplesoft just use Windows’ own File Explorer, which students are already familiar with? Most other programs do. Perhaps someone can explain why Maplesoft insists on keeping their own limited “Save As” dialog.

Finally: I do believe that tabs and ribbons can be a good solution, but there’s still work to be done in placing items on appropriate tabs. For example, although I personally use the F5 keyboard shortcut to switch between Text, Non-executable Math, and Math mode, I know many students prefer to click on these options in Maple 2024. In the new interface, it now takes two or three clicks to do so. Since this is a function used very frequently, that’s a drawback. Couldn’t users be allowed to customize the Quick Access toolbar — via the Options menu — so these items can be placed there if needed?