Architosh Staff (info@architosh.com)

15 June 2001

ArchiFM WebServer to be announced by Graphisoft

As Graphisoft, the makers of ArchiCAD, continue with their ambitious Internet and FM objectives we were a bit concerned to learn that there was no Mac support with ArchiFM. Although Mac ArchiCAD clients can be supported with ArchiFM data, the program itself does not run on a Macintosh. For that you need a PC.

According to communication between Al Moulton, President of Graphisoft U.S., and Greg Conyngham, President of Integrated CADD Services (ICS is a Corporate Sponsor of Architosh.com) a new product called ArchiFM WebServer is planned for a release soon. Here is what Al Moulton had to say:

While ArchiFM does not run on the Macintosh you can still manipulate your ArchiFM data from a Mac. How so? You need to add the ArchiFM WebServer (yet to be formally announced, but probably this summer) and then, voila!, you access your ArchiFM data through a browser on either a Mac or a PC. There's still a catch... the ArchiFM WebServer only runs on a PC, but it could be the PC that is also running ArchiFM.

 

Architosh Analysis: If you cover the news like we do you have probably been noticing a trend happening to the Mac: the 'client-tizing' of the platform. Why this is continuing to happen, despite the coming Mac OS X's maturity, we don't know. It is clear to us (and clear to anybody who visits NetCraft.com) and clear to C/net that Mac OS X has superior Internet/Web services functionality. So why are companies not making enough of their server products for Mac OS X? Could it be that OS X still isn't convincing these developers of its worthiness?

While Graphisoft should be applauded for its early OS X support (even if the support is less than what it could be) in ArchiCAD, Mac-based firms should complain bitterly about the lack of OS X support in upcoming server products. Such products and servers themselves will become increasingly important to ALL CAD-based industries, particularly AEC.

OS X is built on a FreeBSD OS core running the fabulous Apache Web Server. Take a look at the Web's major Web servers with the longest "uptimes" and guess what OS and Web server you see: Apache running on mostly FreeBSD.