FreePCB compared to Eagle and others?

Don't forget the arse protection factor. If you spend $500000 on EDA and it doesn't perform, it's their fault and the writs will fly. If you use a freeware tool and it doesn't perform, you'll get fired. In point of fact, the outcome is the same, and in the latter case you might have learned something useful to enable you to select the next package, and in the first case the vendor will probably win the case, but who'll listen to your side?

Paul Burke

This is a commonly used argument in the USA, where suing people is the national pastime. It is not such a big issue in Europe or other parts of the world, where people tend to choose products based on things like "cost" and "features", rather than "how easy is it to sue the vendor?". And if you look at the fine print of the EULA on most software, all you can sue for is the price you paid for the software, and the only thing guarenteed is the manual won't fall apart in the first six months.

And let see, who did TigerCAD, and Schema, and masstek, and how many cad companies were consumed by Orcad before they were consumed by Cadence?

-Chuck

I can't see anyone downgrading to Eagle. Have to say I'm not an Eagle lover. It's made a mark through offering a cut-down version for free, but it's quite a dated product nowadays (like so many around).

Prescott

Its not about suing companies. Its about CYA. The other poster was being a bit artistic with his example. In the real world there is a real concern that if you buy something other than a big name, your career can suffer. There's even an expression, "No one ever got fired for buying IBM". And that was not a statement of their quality.

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Interesting discussion, but clearly there is more than one conversation going on. The title of the thread is "FreePCB compared to Eagle and others?"

How many people use Eagle for commercial work as opposed to hobby / free time / freelance? If the discussion is centered around the broader topic of "appropriate PCB tools for mass-market commercial use", there isn't much to say, the adoption numbers speak for themselves.

If however, the discussion is about low priced commercial tools vs. open source / free tools the comparisons are much more on target. My view of Eagle is that it is just that, a low cost / low end tool.

To my mind this is entirely a risk vs. reward question; big businesses are risk averse and well funded while small companies are risk tolerant with smaller budgets. Those smaller budget projects are going to evaluate open source / free tools and some will use them and some won't.

I know there is reluctance to talk about the Linux analogies, but I have to bring them back up. The hobbyist / enthusiast / hacker "market" (if you want to call it that) is exactly where Linux started out. Considering where Linux is now, my opinion is that it is foolish to ignore the analogy for PCB CAD.

-Chris

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What adoption numbers..?

Well where do you believe Linux is, exactly...? The mainstream is still firmly set in Windows

Prescott

Not that I think it is advancing the discussion about FreePCB and Eagle much, but here is where I think Linux is: rapidly overtaking Windows as the operating system of choice in a wide variety of applications and environments. Don't take my word for it, here's a snip from BusinessWeek January 31, 2005:

"In servers, researcher IDC predicts Linux' market share based on unit sales will rise from 24% today to 33% in 2007, compared with 59% for Windows - essentially keeping Microsoft at its current market share for the next three years and squeezing profit margins. ... In a survey of business users by Forrester Research Inc., 52% said that they are now replacing Windows servers with Linux."

-Chris

^^mired^^

Not for long!

Let's see, the Chinese government has decided to make its own distribution of linux for use in ALL Chinese government activities (this after getting a concession from MS to allow them to view the 'doze source code). Japan has started the same type of project. Germany is using linux in various civil government agencies, DOD is firmly behind a secure linux product for DOD use. IBM is firmly in the linux camp for all of its enterprise systems (remember how Bill gained his dominance?), Dell is providing preconfigured linux machines, KMART is providing "Lindows" machines retail, HP now has a Linux VP. Add to that, Novell's new CLE program, Oracle's support of linux for all of its DB products. Linux already has 1/2 of the server market... it goes on and on.

.... and even microsoft is using a linux server frontend to protect its window's based webservers, the writing is on the wall.

-Chuck

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IDC predicts Linux' market share based on unit sales will rise from

24% today to 33% in 2007, compared with 59% for Windows. In a survey of business users by Forrester Research, 52% said they are now replacing Windows servers with Linux - Yep, Linux is certainly getting the server market!

On the desktop side, IDC sees Linux' share rising from 3% today to 6% in 2007

6%...WOW that's really impressive! Yes, a vertible tidal wave of change going on Chuck! That leaves Windows with a measly 93% share of the desktop market by 2007..... Come on Chuck, it's still gonna be an MS world on desktop apps!

Prescott