R, Numpy, and Pandas are all FOSS. Probably not much of a practical concern, but it might be preferable in some cases.

I don't know anything about Minitab/JMP scripting myself, but my understanding is that R is generally the most intuitive of all the aforementioned (although that would basically boil down to individual preference).

Here's a review including Minitab and R that might be of interest: http://www.prostatservices.com/statistical-consulting/articl...