191 lines
7.6 KiB
HTML
191 lines
7.6 KiB
HTML
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
|
|
<HTML>
|
|
<HEAD>
|
|
<title>LinuxCAD LG #41</title>
|
|
</HEAD>
|
|
<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#0000FF" VLINK="#0000AF"
|
|
ALINK="#FF0000">
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|
|
|
|
<H4>
|
|
"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
|
|
</H4>
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
In our July 1998 issue, we printed an article called <A
|
|
HREF="../issue30/wuest.html">LinuxCAD Impressions</A> by Robert Wuest. In the
|
|
interest of fair play, here is the official response to that review from
|
|
Software Forge, Inc.
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<center>
|
|
<H1><font color="maroon">Official Reaction of Software Forge Inc. to "LinuxCAD Review"</font></H1>
|
|
<H4>By <a href="mailto:Unixguy@aol.com">Robert Weaver, President Software
|
|
Forge Inc.</a></H4>
|
|
</center>
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
|
|
To put this in context let us briefly answer the question "What is
|
|
LinuxCAD?":
|
|
<P>
|
|
LinuxCAD, <A HREF="http://www.linuxcad.com/">http://www.linuxcad.com/</A>,
|
|
is an AutoCAD for Linux for all practical purposes it implements
|
|
all major features of ACAD in such a way that new users (who had ACAD
|
|
experience before)
|
|
do not need any additional training to start working with LinuxCAD).
|
|
<P>
|
|
But more then that LinuxCAD is a general purpose visual modelling system
|
|
that runs on
|
|
all Unix platforms (Linux, LinuxPPC, Solaris x86, RS/6000, BSDI, FreeBSD,
|
|
Solaris SPARC,
|
|
SCO UNIX) and on Windows NT.
|
|
<P>
|
|
LinuxCAD can be used in:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li> Software Development Flowcharting
|
|
<li> Entity Relationship Diagramming
|
|
<li> Network planning
|
|
<li> System Administration Diagramming and you actually can start
|
|
your sysadmin tasks from inside LinuxCAD
|
|
<li> Mechanical Engineering drafting
|
|
<li> PCB and schematic design (easily integrated with routing programs)
|
|
<li> Geographicsl Information Systems,
|
|
<li> Any kind of drafting where integration with database is important
|
|
<li> Floor plans for buildings and facilities
|
|
<li> Architectural Drafting
|
|
<li> Front end for programmable rendering systems like OpenGL
|
|
<li> Front end for any software that may require graphics editor functions
|
|
<li> Can be used to replace ACAD in every application later is used!!!
|
|
</ul>
|
|
LinuxCAD as general purpose CAD and Visual Modelling System directly
|
|
competes
|
|
with CAD system AutoCAD by Autodesk which currently approaching status of
|
|
complete monopoly
|
|
in CAD marketplace as Microsoeft is in Operating Systems.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Do the math yourself:
|
|
<P>
|
|
To do typical CAD works you need to install so called "AutoCAD for PCs" on
|
|
Windows NT workstation:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li> AutoCAD for PCs costs $2900 a copy
|
|
<li> AutoCAD upgrade alone costs $400 at least or more (up to a dealer).
|
|
<li> Windows NT costs $200 or more.
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<P>
|
|
You can replace all of the above to:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li> Linux which is free
|
|
<li> LinuxCAD which is only $99
|
|
</ul>
|
|
You have at the least $500 in savings per one drafters workstation,
|
|
if you are new user you will save $3000 in comparison to AutoCAD!
|
|
<P>
|
|
LinuxCAD indirectly competes with Microsoft as well, although we support
|
|
Windows NT.
|
|
We do not distinguish it as main or dominant platform and we trying to level
|
|
the platforms
|
|
as it relates to LinuxCAD with emphasize to Linux for Intel as main platform
|
|
for LinuxCAD.
|
|
<P>
|
|
LinuxCAD captures the most important aspects of ACAD as: entity selection
|
|
mechanism,
|
|
same dialog in the command line, object snaps (as intersect, mid, center
|
|
, tangent, perpend
|
|
and others), LinuxCAD allows to use SHX formats and can exchange data to
|
|
ACAD and many
|
|
other systems.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<HR>
|
|
<P>
|
|
LinuxCAD imposes tremendous threat to Autodesk, as it provides all the
|
|
features the
|
|
AutoCAD provides including programable AutoCAD's architecture. More then that
|
|
LinuxCAD
|
|
allows smooth transition from AutoCAD to LinuxCAD without additional training.
|
|
<P>
|
|
In any case: about 70% of 2D drafting works and 50% at least of 3D works
|
|
may be done
|
|
in $99 LinuxCAD on Linux instead of $3000 Acad on Ms-NT. Every sale of
|
|
LinuxCAD translates
|
|
to automatic $3000 loss to Autodesk, THAT IS WHY MR ROBERT WUEST is out there
|
|
trying to discredit us. They are afraid of the LinuxCAD, the product that
|
|
has achieved that
|
|
kind of major market impact and user support as LinuxCAD has achieved, just
|
|
in one year!
|
|
<P>
|
|
They want not to allow us to grow, now when we are small, and they have
|
|
used that review
|
|
to do it. Autodesk wants again to rob the consumer from his right to choose
|
|
as they did it with Generic CADD
|
|
and many other small CAD packages! But they are not succeding this time!
|
|
<P><HR> <P>
|
|
Our official responce to LinuxCAD review is long overdue and here it is:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li> The review does not reflect reality and it is outdated.
|
|
<li> The business goes as usual, we ship LinuxCAD immediately after receiving
|
|
your orders, we are continuing
|
|
our development efforts, THE QUALITY OF LINUXCAD HAS IMPROVED 10 TIMES OVER
|
|
SINCE THAT REVIEW WAS WRITTEN.
|
|
<li> Not one, not hundreds of organized fraudulent reviews will stop us from
|
|
commitment to our product.
|
|
<li> Consumers can relay on LinuxCAD in the long run, especially Enterprise
|
|
Customers will be provided
|
|
with exceptional support and with great volume discounts.
|
|
So far we have promised half year of free downloads for new versions when
|
|
we started a year ago,
|
|
and no one really has been cut off from new versions. We have denied
|
|
upgrades to only one customer:<BR>
|
|
the author of that fraudulent review. <BR>
|
|
Users of LinuxCAD are actually getting more then a year of free
|
|
upgrades and that may last even longer, we have no reason to cut people off--
|
|
we got enough new customers out there.
|
|
<li> The review also distorts our pricing policy:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li> We sell LinuxCAD (all modules and extension included) for one flat
|
|
price - $99. (for Intel).
|
|
<li> $99 includes: All 2D, 3D, printing, plotting, programming
|
|
extension, all again included
|
|
<li> in $99 for Linux Intel platform.
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<li> The reason that demo is available only from time to time: because of
|
|
significant workload we carry
|
|
supporting LinuxCAD on great variety of platforms , supporting and regularly
|
|
synchronising demo version would
|
|
waste our efforts, although we looking to release demo at a time and place
|
|
of our choice.
|
|
|
|
<li> LinuxCAD is something every Linux user can benefit from and not only
|
|
designers and drafters.
|
|
<li> LinuxCAD in our opinion will give entirely new face and capabilities to
|
|
your Linux desktop,
|
|
moves it one step close to Linux worldwide dominance.
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
|
We are hard working, good guys!
|
|
Disregard that "anti-Linux" lie you may have seen in that review!
|
|
<P>
|
|
Robert Weaver, President<BR>
|
|
Software Forge Inc. (makers of the leading CAD product for UNIX and X/Windows), http://www.linuxcad.com
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1999, Robert Weaver <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 41 of <i>Linux Gazette</i>, May 1999</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<A HREF="./index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/indexnew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="../index.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM SRC="../gx/homenew.gif"
|
|
ALT="[ FRONT PAGE ]"></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./ayers2.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/back2.gif"
|
|
ALT=" Back "></A>
|
|
<A HREF="./rogers.html"><IMG SRC="../gx/fwd.gif" ALT=" Next "></A>
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<!--startcut ==========================================================-->
|
|
</BODY>
|
|
</HTML>
|
|
<!--endcut ============================================================-->
|