"How much cheese do you take off a pizza until you have no customers
left?"
- Gordon Bethune, COO of Continental Airlines
UGS technical representatives will be available to answer Y2K-related questions beginning at 11:30 p.m. on Friday, December 31, 1999 until 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 1, 2000. All times are considered local times and will follow the various time zones around the globe. UGS has set up special telephone numbers to address Y2K-related technical support issues if any local telephone number should fail:
Meanwhile, Cyco Software announced that, according to the British Standards Institute's definition of Y2K conformity, all of its current products are Y2K compliant using all (2- and 4-digit) year notations.
The Bid Proposal Service is a turnkey solution powered by Framework Technologies' ActiveProject software. Framework says its service is different from others because it gives AEC firms the ability to create an electronic proposal that reflects the brand identity of the client and partnering firms. Any kind of information -- CAD files, resumes, service outlines, links to other application -- can be accessed, viewed, and commented upon in the electronic bid. For more info, you have to phone +1 (800) 644-1002 -- no direct Web address available in the press release.
SurfaceWorks is a division of AeroHydro, Inc., which pioneered CAD software for designing ships and boats 20 years ago. Its products are based on their patented Relational Geometry engine that combines relational modeling constructs with freeform surface design.
Gateway founder Ted Waitt is stepping down as CEO of Gateway. Jeff Weitzen, current president, will become the new CEO next year.
Corel
In the next five years, half of Corel's revenue will come from Linux,
according to CEO Michael Cowpland. The company plans to continue working
with Windows, but wants to become the company that "bridges the gap for
users who want products for both Windows and Linux." To get around competition
from Microsoft, Corel had tried Java but gave up on it. Now it is trying
Linux, aiming at the average user by basing Linux on the Debian version.
Corel's Linux can be downloaded free from http://www.corel.ca ; WordPerfect
Office suite is available for Linux. Cowpland says, "We see Red Hat on
the server and us on the desktop." -- CNET
Diehl Graphsoft
A hands-on training seminar
will take place February 14-17 on VectorWorks and its proprietary scripting
language, VectorScript. University of Maryland, College Park.
Intel
At the Bluetooth Developers Conference, Intel demonstrated two notebook
computers connecting to each other and exchanging data by running Bluetooth
technology. Expect Bluetooth to become available in the first half of 2000.
Palm Pilot
Palm Computing received the six millionth US patent last week on the
company's HotSync technology.
Unigraphics Solutions
UGS is the first organization in the CAD/CAM/CAE/PDM industry to be
awarded ISO 9001/TickIT registration worldwide.
The ISO 9001 scope statement, specific to Unigraphics Solutions, covers
sales, marketing and sales support in the United States, Asia Pacific,
Europe, the Middle East, South Africa and India.
Visio shareholders voted to sell the company to Microsoft. Visio shares rose to 39 5/8 on the news.
The Nasdaq-Amex Market Group shuffled the stocks in its top index, the Nasdaq 100. Autodesk and 14 other technology, media, and health care companies were replaced.
IMSI has changed its ticker symbol to IMSIC, the second change this
year.
http://www.ditherati.com/
Ditherati Quote of the Day
"Très drôle."
- Jason Osgood
Slower, Sour 0
I've been working with computer software for 20 years. Yet there is
one class of software I cannot fathom: accounting software. Many years
ago, my accountant recommended Simply (ha!) Accounting. He spent several
days trying to teach me how to use it. I gave up, and now pay a bookkeeper
to do things as trivial as enter receipts.
That was several years ago. Since then, I had heard from several sources that Quicken was the way to go -- accounting software that was as easy as filling out a checkbook. My primary interest was keeping track of my investments. Quicken Suite 2000 promised to do this via daily updates from its Quicken.Ca Web site.
After installing the software, I carefully entered the code letters for my investments, as listed at the Quicken.ca site. When I tried to update the accounts for the first time, a dialog box informed me that it finally figured out that Quicken uses alphabetic codes at its Web site, but a completely different set of codes (numbers, actually) for its software. So, I had to set everything up a second time.
Once I had the investment codes correct, I found that the Quicken.ca Web site does not provide historic data for Canadian investments; if I miss downloading one day's data, it is no longer available. As well, data prior to me having set up Quicken is unavailable.
Then I found that the Quicken software was displaying ads for financial services -- not my Web browser, but the Quicken software itself! Other hassles: Some error messages tell me to correct a setting in a dialog box, but doesn't tell me how to get to the dialog box. To add insult to this injury, this supposedly "Canadian" version of Quicken always provides USA help info first; a second click is needed to access the more important Canadian help. My list of complaints to Quicken have gone unanswered.
I have since returned to the www.globefund.com Web site to track my investments, which doesn't require code numbers, which provides historic data, and which doesn't display ads when I turn off Load Images in my browser.
The Brains of a Spider
I have been using Netscape Composer for creating and updating my Web
sites, but had been thinking of getting more versatile Web site creation
software. I looked at several packages available and selected Sierra's
Web Studio 2.0, since it had more checkmarks in the comparison box.
After installing it, my first step was to load my existing home page and see how I could improve it. From the menu bar, I selected File | Open. In the 'Files of type' list box, there was a single type: Web files. I navigated to the folder where I keep my HTML files. The directory listing was blank! I confirmed the files existed, but Web Studio would not open them.
I have since found that Web Studio saves files in its own proprietary format; it cannot open existing HTML files. When it comes time to publish to the Web site, it exports its files in HTML format. Added to that, all of the Web site templates are horribly gaudy -- completely inappropriate for Serious Business Web sites.
I was ready to take advantage of Sierra's 90-day Money Back Guarantee, but then I found my kids liked it.
No Virus Protection
I have been using Cheyenne Inoculan Antivirus (since bought out by
Computer Associates -- CAI), and paid for 24 updates to the virus signature
file. About once a month, I click the Update button: the software automatically
dials up the Internet, and downloads the latest update. Over fall months,
I was puzzled: each time the software reported that it was up-to-date --
despite reports in the media of new viruses.
Last month, I decided to visit the Cheyenne Web site -- and found it was closed down. Lesson to be learned by software vendors: automatic update software needs a way to deal with these sorts of changes.
I found that CAI had discontinued Inoculan Antivirus last June, but hadn't informed its paying customers. The software was replaced by the free InoculateIT Personal Edition software. I downloaded it, and installed it successfully.
My next step was to find out: (1) why didn't CAI tell its customers they were no longer being protected from new viruses? and (2) how to get a refund for the 17 unused updates. Alex Lopez of CAI replied: "We not only have discontinue [sic] the product, we have replaced [sic] with a free product this [sic] is IPE and our web site is http://antivirus.cai.com/.. [sic]"
I could complain about many more software packages. Like how Visio 2000's installation program refuses to install Visio 2000. About how buzzsaw.com's Web site adds code and menus to AutoCAD without your permission. Of how the latest version of Eudora Pro email software is painfully slower than the free Eudora Light. And about how Netscape v4.7 crashes and won't remove its fatal error dialog box from the screen. Even how DeLorme's North American street maps on CD-ROM leaves out most roads outside of the USA and considers the time spent on a car ferry as 0.0 hours. But I am sure you've read enough complaining to last you through to the end of the century!
"I like your online magazine, but I was wondering if you might add more
editorial opinion, as we go through transitions in CAD, like, in your opinion,
is AutoCAD going to become less popular in areas like mechanical engineering,
as more 3D solids oriented programs take the forefront.
"Also, it seems like you never make mention
of SolidWorks, SolidEdge, or Pro/E. Maybe 'never' is a little extreme,
but I believe that these more recent entries to the CAD and engineering
area deserve more coverage. Of particular interest to me is SolidWorks,
I've become a user of this software after 10 years of AutoCAD, and I don't
think I ever want to go back to AutoCAD. Parametrics and power are great
in SolidWorks.
"Some people believe that unless Autodesk
comes out with a serious solids product they will lose more and more market
share. I know that areas like architecture, civil engineering, electrical
engineering could still choose Autodesk products, but I believe fewer and
fewer mechanical or machine design oriented companies are staying with
the old standard. "
- David Williams
The editor replies: "upFronteZine had extensive coverage of Autodesk's
latest entry in mech CAD, Inventor, in issue #167. I give coverage to other
mech CAD products whenever information crosses my desktop. Many of their
press releases of are the sort: 'International Kitchen Appliance Manufacturer
Standardizes on XxxCAD,' which I tend not to run.
"Since upFront.eZine comes out every week,
it can seem that it has less content than a monthly magazine. Rest assured:
users of all CAD products (including AutoCAD) feel I give too little coverage
for their pet software. Read the next letter for another example of this."
"Pretty interesting newsletter. Funny, it seems to be uncharacteristically
light on the Bentley news. Could this be the quite period before an IPO
announcement? You think?"
- Tom Ozwald
The editor replies: "There have been very few press releases
from Bentley Systems for the last half-year, other than the blizzard released
during their BIUC week. Rumors of a Bentley IPO have been crossing my desktop
for a couple of years now."
Re: Buzzsaw.Com Valuation
"I'm sure that Autodesk and buzzsaw.com folks will have their say about
this, but when I got my MBA all that could be deduced from the phrase "Crosspoint
... invested $15 million for an equity stake that gave the company a $65
million valuation" is that Crosspoint's $15m bought them 23% of the company
($15m/$65m). It says _nothing_ about the money and tangible or intangible
property put up by holders of the other 77%. Could have been $50m, could
have been ZERO -- depends on how Crosspoint felt about its partners (which
is why accountants call the difference 'good will')."
"Nonetheless, I always enjoy your coverage
of the CAD marketplace."
- Jerry Laiserin
Re: Stability of CD-R Media
"I did some research on these claims and found that it seems to have
all started with one article in U.S. News and World Report: "WHOOPS, THERE
GOES ANOTHER CD-ROM" [February 16] which claimed to quote facts from JOHN
VAN BOGART, Ph.D. Data Preservation Scientist, National Media Laboratory
and his lab's reports and graphs.
"But he and his laboratory has denied the
quoted figures and opinions and invites anyone to view their site http://www.nml.org
to see that the offending article totally altered their reports. The major
CD media makers are reported to be considering legal action.
"All research on CD-R media and data durability
show very good longterm stability, like 100 years to 217 years. But I have
also seen warnings from CD makers that no matter how fast a drive you buy
you should never write data for critical archiving at more than 1X speed.
"I wonder whether this misinformation broadcasting
has anything to do with vested interests such as microfilming companies?
It certainly seems to be becoming widely re-quoted as fact. Some sources:
"How about a back-to-basics campaign? You know: Paper is best. It ain't
real if it can't be folded. It doesn't cut it if it can't be nailed to
the wall.
"When I started draughting, the media was impregnated
linen on which we drew using a blue split-bladed ink pen, adjustable for
width with a small turnscrew. We roughened up the surface of the drawing
sheet with chalk, and we drew all of the borders by hand. We drew Rolls
Royce engines that way, and drawing could take six weeks-plus to finish!
"When they hung one of my drawings in
the foyer, it was like winning an Oscar."
- John Rolfe
Re: CAD for Linux
"I bought LinuxCAD by Software Forgein the spring and played with it
a bit but found it way too rough and incomplete. I also bought VariCAD,
which has some nice features but puts one on a very steep learning curve.
I haven't got time for it.
"IntelliCAD has gone Open Source. The 98 version
is pretty darn close to AutoCAD R14. A person trained on AutoCAD would
have very few problems with it. The Open Source 2000 version is free
for download but is still a bit beta, and is only for WinXX. It might be
worth investigating that whole scenario (www.cadopia.com & www.intellicad.org),
and perhaps alert the readers to what's happening there.
"It's sorta unique as far as CAD software
goes. Any individual with C++ skills can build their own version for personal
use; get involved with the evolution of the product."
- Risto Saarikko