[time-nuts] OT: Eagle PC CAD now Autodesk, $500/year

[Chris Albertson]

It could be what they are doing is purposely trying to "blow off"
their less desirable customers.

I explained this to someone I know who was upset at a large bank she
deals with.  She said she would move "all her money out of the bank"
all $5,000 of it.    I explain to her that was EXACTLY what the bank
wanted and the reason for the policies she experienced.   Small
customers with $5K deposits are not profitable.    So Autodesk is
selling subscriptions for $500 and offering "one on one" sport.

Apple has a neat business model too.   They have like about 18% of the
world's cellphone market but make the MAJORITY of the profit.  What
they do is take the one in five most profitable customers.

Maybe Autodesk is looking to do the same thing, take only the most
rich customers and let the others go elsewhere.

In the end nicad might be the best for the hobby market.

Autodesk is looking to offer the integrated solution where the PCB and
case that it lives in are designed together by a team that is
geographically distributed.

On Fri, Jan 20, 2017 at 8:58 AM, Bob Camp <kb8tq at n1k.org> wrote:
> Hi
>
> I completely agree that their spin at acquisition and the reality of what just came out
> is completely amazing. They said they would never do this and that. What they are doing
> is exactly what they said they would not do.
>
> It’s a rare board that I do in < 4 layers. It’s also quite normal to have designs above
> 160 CM^2. If I have 4 layers, there *will* be signals on all those layers. That puts me
> squarely in the $500 / yr subscription. A month ago that put me in a perpetual license
> that I paid < 1/2 that for.
>
> It is not just that the cost has gone up. A number of license “categories” have vanished.
> The free version is still there, and just as useless for what I do. That’s about the only
> one that is rational at this point.
>
> So yes, I’m at least as bothered by this as anybody else. What I would suggest is to
> take a deep breath, sit back, yell at them a bit (along with everybody else that has
> a license) and see what they do. It is abundantly clear that they have a major disconnect
> between this and what they have said. There is a lot of explaining for them to do. Part of that
> could easily be another couple license categories. I’m certainly in no hurry to switch
> packages.
>
> Right now Fusion 360 is something I use a LOT  more than I use Eagle. This week (month .. year)
> it is free for me to do that. Why is Fusion free to a basement guy and Eagle pay?
> That’s not at all clear. Fusion is buggy as can be. Eagle needs some updates. Both
> have a lot of development $$$ that they will be sucking up. Yes that has to get paid
> for. It’s not clear that a revenue stream based on hobbyists paying $500 a year
> is rational. My guess is Autodesk will figure that out. They may abandon the whole
> basement thing, they may not …. we’ll see.
>
> Bob
>
>
>> On Jan 19, 2017, at 10:52 PM, Richard (Rick) Karlquist <richard at karlquist.com> wrote:
>>
>> Off topic, but probably a lot of disgrunted Eagle users on this list.
>> Its official, you will now have to pay $500 per year for a
>> professional license from Autodesk.  The spin meistering of the
>> announcement would make George Orwell proud.  I don't see any way they
>> can keep me from just using the license I currently own, at least
>> on the OS's it supports.  (Parenthetically, like many users, I
>> am also digging in my heels in terms of staying at Windows 7).
>>
>> Still, the question arises:  are there any affordable alternatives?
>> Don't have to be entirely free.  I am looking for any trends out
>> there as to what tool will attract a critical mass of users in
>> the future.  There is strength in numbers.
>>
>> Comments?
>>
>> Rick N6RK
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-- 

Chris Albertson
Redondo Beach, California