Single-use license now requires maintenance

[swertel]

As of v14 M030 patch, even single-use license holders will be required to be on active maintenance to receive any software updates. In order to get maintenance, you will be forced to upgrade to a server license or node-locked license. In other words, say goodbye to reasonably priced Mathcad software.

I don't use Mathcad often enough for home use to justify the expense of annual maintenance. Does PTC really expect to make a lot of money by this change that they would risk ostracizing so many customers?

(If you can't tell, I'm on a bit of a rant lately due to some very poor customer service from PTC.)

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[zdas04]

They are bad. I'm still running v13 because I've had such unplesant experiences with even numbered versions. Every year I print all of my MathCad files to .pdf files so that if v13 ever stops working (or this computer dies and I can't transfer the license) then I can find an alternative product (like the new Mathmatica maybe) and type in the worksheets I need from the .pdf. First I'll look for a converter, but that is unlikely.

Mathsoft wasn't great, but PTC is beyond awful. Their CAD mindset where everyone should be running from a server is just not a good fit with too many MathCad users.

David

 

[IRstuff]

Well, they're not the only ones, since Google Chrome is supposed to be the foundation of a distributed mainframe concept, where the user has basically only a web access box, and the applications and computing are done through the Google processing facility.

M12 was, without any doubt, the worst version of Mathcad ever produced. But, I think the even number bit is pretty recent. M6 and M8 seemed to be OK, AFAIK.

M020 was the last free software update that PTC put out.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[zdas04]

I had problems with the version before v11 (2001 maybe?) as well as v12. That is why I never went to v14. Somewhere in the forums it was explained that MathCad was really on a 2 year development cycle and the people that paid for the even numbered versions were actually getting a Beta version. I don't know if that is true or not, but I sure had a lot of grief from those two versions.

David

 

[IRstuff]

Historically, software takes close to a decade to be properly wrung out. M12 was a complete rewrite of almost everything in the program, starting with the file format, and going on through the way it handles units, etc. It did go through a beta phase, but I will concede that many fixes didn't get implemented; I'd call it a Gamma release...

I suspect that there pressures to push the release to show PTC that revenue generation was sufficient for them to pull the trigger on the purchase.


TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[swertel]

FYI: Mathematica home use is $295. I also like it because Wolfram supplies a free viewer. If your license ever expires, you can still view your datasheets, and you can email them to your colleagues, too.

I have yet to see the difference between the home use license and the commercial license, other than the $3000 price tag for the commercial.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[zdas04]

I used Mathmatica in Grad School and it was sound, but not pretty. When MathCad came out it was mostly sound and very pretty so I jumped. I saw a demo of the new Mathmatica and it is pretty now--I hope it is still reliable.

Oh well, maybe PTC will either pull their head out or find a buyer for this sideline product of theirs that has to be a pain in their butt (since the Solidworks paradigm that they're trying to shove down our throats isn't working out well for them or the MathCad users).

David