Eagle has a new owner, but Farnell will still be associated with it as a distributor.

http://www.stockmarketwire.com/article/5367432/Premier-Farnell-sells-Cadsoft-business.html

John

 

That sounds like it might be bad news for us hobby users of the free version of Eagle.
I do hope not though.

 

I think one thing we can expect is change to a subscription model from the current license/update model.

Autodesk SketchBookpro is $30/yr, but that is just SketchBook. Their professional CAD program, Autodesk Inventor, is $1,890/yr. I am not an Autodesk user, and those prices were just culled from its site. Its actual prices may vary along with different bundles and capabilities.

I currently have the educational/non-commercial Eagle license.

John

 

I suggest you get Eagle now, if you anticipate using it, before the price goes up or the limitations on the free version are tightened.

 

I just checked Cadsoftusa. There may have been some changes already. Eagle light (like the old free version) is $69. There is Eagle Make, which gives 6 layers, 99 schematic sheets, and 160 mm x 100 mm at $169 for an unlimited license.

I am happy with what I have now, but I will be giving serious consideration to Eagle Make, if it stays near that price with ver. 8.x.x

John

 

I remember when Autodesk bought Generic Cadd. They bought it to put it out of business.

 

1) I don't think it plans to put Eagle out of business. From what I have read about Altium, Eagle has superior features to even that "standard."
2) I have a call into Eagle regarding whether a purchase today is for version 7.xx only or 8.xx too.
3) I think the new pricing scheme is both clever and fair.


John

 

I remember when Autodesk bought Generic Cadd. They bought it to put it out of business.

+1 Way back then, I read a review by John C. Devorak about how GCADD was the best $50 you could spend on a program. He was right. I designed a ton of things on GCADD from enclosures to floor plans for new offices. But no more. I hope they don't foul up EAGLE the same way.. I never minded paying for good tools. But I do mind paying over and over to keep it alive...

 

Cern & Kicad
https://giving.web.cern.ch/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=6
Max.

 

Unless I am missing something, that may be the wrong link, Max.

 

Software makers like the subscription model as it gives them a continuous cash flow.
Otherwise they have to continually produce new versions of the same software but with shiny new bells and whistles to try to tempt users to upgrade or, worse, deliberately make new file versions incompatible with last year's file version (Solidworks, AutoCAD, MS Office, etc). Both of which annoy professional users.

How about KiCad? I have not used it (apart from the gerber viewer) but looks promising.

 

Unless I am missing something, that may be the wrong link, Max.

OOps.
https://giving.web.cern.ch/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=6

I find it great BTW.
Max.

 

diptrace.com

 

Yeah, but...
I know how to do stuff in Eagle (I tried kicad a while back and found it nigh impossible) and I use PCB-Gcode from eagle to make the gcode to mill my own boards. My mill uses modified hpgl so I have written a custom program to do Gcode -> hpgl.
I don't want to give up all that investment in learning and effort if I can help it.

 

Since we are now OT, let me reference comments from a person who claims to be responsible for Eagle at Autodesk, technolomaniac. Check out posts #48-51 from him/her here: http://www.eevblog.com/forum/eda/autodesk-buys-eagle/?topicseen

According to that poster, free will remain free. The educational license will be modified.

John

 

UPDATE: Here is a interview with Matt Berggen at Autodesk: https://blog.adafruit.com/2016/07/0...-purchase-autodesk-cadsofttech-technolomaniac

He doesn't answer in a lot of detail. It is obvious I need to transition from the education license to something else. I did submit a question to Eagle (cadsoftusa) asking whether a new license purchased today (i.e., at the end of life for version 7.x) would include an update to version 8.x . So far, no answer.

John