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Design Software Giants Target the Unemployed
avishere writes "People are losing their jobs, but for some execs the economic meltdown seems like the perfect time to get their software into the hands of those who can't afford their multi-thousand-dollar price tags. Software giants Autodesk and SolidWorks have each latched onto the worst-economic-disaster-since-the-Great-Depression meme and released free versions of their flagship computer-aided-design brands before their potential users are forced to sell their laptops on Craigslist. 'In these uncertain economic times,' Autodesk coos sympathetically, it will give away temporary licenses of AutoCAD and other software to those unemployed in the fields of architecture, engineering, and design. (They are also developing a Mac version, two decades after abandoning the platform.) SolidWorks was quick to respond with its subtly titled Engineering Stimulus Package. So if anyone out there has their weekdays free, jumpstart your hardware and design projects for cheap. Legally, too."
Read this sort of thing along the lines of: "Since you're now low on dough and high on time, we're giving you our stuff for free so you dare not move to open source in general and Blender in specific to refocus your skills there, because that little Project is closing in on us in leaps and bounds and frankly is scaring the living piss out of us."
I sold my Lightwave 8.5 Licence (+ books 'n stuff) and forfeighted the right for cheap upgrades of this very neat Hollywood Grade 3D Kit because Blender has gotten so good, there are only very few features missing that LW has, and quite a few that LW (or any other closed source kit) doesn't have. Oh, and btw., Blender 2.5 is coming closer with a complete architectural redo that will boost its developement even further. The 3D market is tough as it is and Blender is a scaring thing to watch for SideFX, AutoDesk, NewTek and the likes, you can believe that. The 3D tool market allways was tough, but these days its even more so - wouldn't wanna swap with any of those companies still asking upwards of 3000 Euros for their software.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
This actually makes sense. The most important thing for a software company to be successful is to have people who know how to use their software. Which is why student prices and Learning Editions exist. And there have been reports that some laid off workers are starting their own companies, so getting your software into the hands of those people would be a smart move, too.
My local Solidworks distributor is a moron in this regard. He insists that students pay $400 for a license. And the company won't sell to me directly. I don't think that SW even has our local language support, so I will probably buy the $99 student version from a foreign vendor.
I should also mention that when I went to my faculty's computer help desk to ask about a student version, they gave me two options:
1) Pool with 9 other students who would be willing to share a license (I have no idea how this would work).
2) Pirate it. The student assistant was even willing to give me the disk.
It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
Well... Those "pirates" (ARRR) chose to download and use specifically Adobe product for a reason. When everything is free, you take everything, and keep only what you like.
If only others would realize the marketing potential of file-sharing networks.
Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
Of course marketing through pirate software only helps if you can get the people to pay eventually.
Thats why theese companies tolerate piracy by individuals who aren't yet making any money out of them but form organisations like the BSA to scare companies out of running pirate software.
note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register