[hs]

for plotting, matlab is a bit 'lower level' where you map a function over a range and then plot the list of return values

for linear algebra, matlab is more succinct, it has "'" transpose and "^-1" for inverse, so you can type x = A'(AA')^-1*b

[mhartl]

You can do that in Mathematica, too: http://documents.wolfram.com/mathematica/functions/Transpose

Mathematica has an extensive set of typesetting shortcuts. You just need to know where to look.