What is the best matlab version for an engineer?
You could get a free license version of MATLAB such as Octave or
FreeMat. You can find it very easily by a WWW search. Personally I
do use MATLAB from the Mathworks, although you would have to
purchase it from the Mathworks. Octave and FreeMat are essentially
the same as MATLAB, except a few differences in syntax. If you are
a student, you could purchase it at a low cost from the Mathworks.
It is slick and simple to get into, and I think worth the cost.