CAD Forum

KQuigley wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 7:06 pm Trying out other options.
Trying to understand in much more granular detail why we would need to continue with SolidWorks.
In truth, if Solidworks announced an end to maintenance and a move to 100% subscribers model at existing price structures we would just stop paying, buy new hardware and run it into the ground for 3-4 years and use that time to really test alternatives. Don’t forget (something that Solidworks definitely have) that every competitor out there is waiting for that moment as they know they will pick up easy wins by offering hard to resist switchover packages.

The problem is finding an alternative......everyone is moving to this software "lease" model....aka subscription. SolidWorks and Solid Edge are about the only ones left still offering a perpetual license.....in addition to subs.

KQuigley wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 7:24 pm Love how this forum autocorrected d*** …. As in Richard Sowar.

Wouldn't want to offend anyone, now would we?

jcapriotti wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 8:31 am The problem is finding an alternative......everyone is moving to this software "lease" model....aka subscription. SolidWorks and Solid Edge are about the only ones left still offering a perpetual license.....in addition to subs.

eh hem:

bnemec wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 9:33 am eh hem:
image.png

"perpetually FREE license"

I hope FreeCad does as Blender and let the community move to run over these greedy sobees.

zxys001 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 10:36 am "perpetually FREE license"

I hope FreeCad does as Blender and let the community move to run over these greedy sobees.

Problem is as soon as (if) it gets popular and poses itself as a threat to the powers the solution is for one of them to buy it and crush it. Has happened to other open systems, unfortunately money still talks. I just cannot help but wonder what it would be like if all the time that's been squandered by users in all these forums trying to solve problems and write utilities and macros... If all that time was put into planning, testing and programming improvements in some open source thing like FreeCAD how good it would be. Yeah there would be forks because no one can agree, but good components could be merged back in. At least I would have control over the software that my files are in. If the main goes to heck the company I work for can keep our fork and pay some people (hired or contract) to maintain it. Likely wouldn't cost much more than subs. I digress.