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

[Bob Camp]

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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