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| Architosh News Reports | |
| Architosh Staff (info@architosh.com) |
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Special Report: Is AutoCAD coming to Mac OS X?
Yesterday evening the Web site Mac OS Rumors posted a report that AutoCAD may be coming back on the Macintosh. "What?", you say. Apparently, an Apple Higher Education Rep at a University Apple technology demonstration pulled out a memo from a meeting where Apple and AutoDesk were working on an agreement to port AutoCAD to Mac OS X. Should We Act Surprised? The answer is no. This rumor is not as far fetched as one might think. For one thing, when AutoDesk previously ported AutoCAD for the Macintosh -- back in the days before the PowerPC -- they didn't do it alone. Apple was right there working with AutoDesk to get AutoCAD on the Macintosh. Apple and AutoDesk have run this drill once before (and it worked out) and they can easily do it again. And there are other reasons why one shouldn't be surprised. AutoDesk, like any other software developer currently not developing for the Macintosh, would be wise to be watching the Macintosh market with great curiosity, waiting and wondering when it might make sense to jump into the Mac market too. As more and more software developers either return to the Mac market or jump in for the first time, this trend will remind AutoDesk that they are not there now, but once were. AutoDesk may also feel that they can make money in the Mac market place and that it is worth it to port AutoCAD to the Mac. Regardless of market share, the Mac market may have reached a critical mass where capturing just a segment will reap profitable rewards. At the moment, AutoCAD is facing ever increasing competitive pressure in the PC space as more and more firms move over to hot programs like ArchiCAD, VectorWorks and Microstation. Offering a Mac OS X version of AutoCAD2000 could help the company make more money (AutoDesk posted a loss $17.1 million for the past quarter) as well as buttress their position in the PC space. AutoDesk is also one of the only big successful CAD companies that does NOT make a cross-platform product. Graphisoft, Diehl Graphsoft, Ashlar and Microstation all offer cross-platform CAD software packages. With a growing concern in the industry for the acceptance of other operating systems -- and the rise of Linux, the popularity of the PalmOS, and renaissance of the Macintosh are all evidence of this -- many more firms are seeing that a cross-platform CAD solution makes more sense, offers their firms collaboration advantages, and makes their businesses more flexible and competitive. (see also: OS Favoritism is Bad Business) From Apple's Side From Apple's side, having AutoCAD on Mac OS X does wonders for their influence in the AEC market. In fact, Architosh is in existence partly because AutoCAD doesn't run on the Mac. If it did, the Macintosh would be a much more attractive option for architecture/engineering/construction firms who feel they must concede to some notion of a CAD standard. When AutoCAD is on the Mac it actually places pressure on firms against (especially small firms) PC's over Macs because Mac's are so much easier to network and maintain. There are literally thousands of small firms and individuals who choose PC's simply because of AutoCAD -- even if they prefer to use different cross-platform CAD software. In addition, AutoCAD on the Mac will draw third-party developers to bring their AEC wares to the Mac as well. Having AutoCAD on Mac OS X is a win-win for both Apple and AutoDesk. Mac OS X may actually have core technologies that are attractive to AutoDesk, such as Quartz (the PDF-based imaging model) and Sherlock for doing in-program comprehensive Internet searches for construction products. This can all add up to a lot of Good for the Mac AEC market. Let's hope this rumor is actually not one.
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