CAD price war?

[mgnt8]

[url]http://www.cadalyst.com/cad/alibre-cuts-3d-cad-price-99-cada lyst-calls-vendors-clarify-overall-software-costs-12872 [/url]

This brings up a good point about an area of confusion for a long time: how much do licenses really cost, especially after they expire?

 

[design-engine]

Greg,

Cadalyst.... is all bottom end software. I don't even think they mention mid range modelers in that thing.
Edited by: design-engine

 

[dr_gallup]

Pro/E licenses don't expire.

 

[c_thompson_68]

Although PTC licenses do not expire, maintenance & technical support does if it is not renewed. So if you are on WF 3.0, and want to move to WF 4.0, you cannot if your maintenance is not current.

I do not think you can move a Pro-E node-lock license to another workstation if maintenance has expired, or upgrade the existing date code (service pack). If you can, I would be interested in knowing how this is possible.


Pro-E WF 2.0 & 3.0<br style="font-style: italic;">SolidWorks Premium 2007 & 2009

 

[csusie]

You can move licenses after your maintenance has expired,
you just cannot use the web tools, you have to call in the
change.

 

[mgnt8]

Yeah, maintenance is what I meant. Heard some horror stories about shops that tried to renew after theirs had expired for a few years.

I think Cadalyst magazine is out of business. Haven't received an issue in a long time. Anyway, there probably won't be a price war because Pro/E & Soildworks won't even want to admit that Alibre is they're competition.

 

[dr_gallup]

I've seen it posted but can't verify the PTC require you to pay 9 months of back maintenance plus a new years maintenance to get back on tract. So you would need to go at least 2 years without to save anything. I have seriously considered go 3 or more years without & buying new because they throw all the new features in the new licenses but want existing licensees to pay to upgrade.

 

[csusie]

yeah there definitely is a trade off. It all depends on
how self sufficient you are and your work environment:
working with many other companies, the need to upgrade to
newer releases, etc.

If you are a stand-alone shop (that is resourceful) and
have no need to upgrade for a number of years, there is no
need to be on maintenance.

However there are many cases maintenance does make sense.

 

[dgs]

I've seen it posted but can't verify the PTC require you to pay 9 months of back maintenance plus a new years maintenance to get back on tract. So you would need to go at least 2 years without to save anything. I have seriously considered go 3 or more years without & buying new because they throw all the new features in the new licenses but want existing licensees to pay to upgrade.

I was told the 9 month thing by someone at Tri Star, I believe. And because maintenance is always paid ahead (you are paying for next years), you'd only need to get past the 9 months for it to be money in your pocket.