Architosh Staff ([email protected])

26 Feb 2003

 

TidBits: VectorWorks 10.1 update, DWG CADViewer, Bochs open-source article and more...

VectorWorks 10.1 Update

The latest Nemetschek NA eDispatch reminds VectorWorks 10 users that there is an update to version 10.1 now available that adds some new architectural features as well as significant numbers of bug fixes. The CAD developer is recommending this update for all users on Mac and Windows platforms. You can get more info and a download link here.

To learn more about VectorWorks 10 read our review here.

DWG CADViewer Technology

One of the most popular questions we get is a request for software that runs on Macs and allows people to view and print Autocad drawings. And the answer we give time and time again is that there is really only one solution (outside of buying a Mac CAD package) that allows you to do this well: CADViewer by Tailor Made Software Inc.

CADViewer is actually Java software, making it platform agnostic, and it runs well on many platforms, Macs included. There is a client piece and a server piece to the solution. The server is required and until recently it didn't run on Macs. Now the company—according to a new review in MacNut magazine—says a Mac OS X version (that could run on Xserver) is due in March, 2003. We have sent an email off to confirm this....and will report more news soon.

Open-Source Opening for Apple: Introducing Bochs

What's Bochs? That's what we said when we read this interesting article on BusinessWeek Online today. The article takes a negative view of the Microsoft VirtualPC deal from last week and suggest that Apple take a different tack: use Bochs.

Bochs in a nutshell is an open-source, Windows emulator for UNIX. Since Mac OS X is a true-blooded UNIX OS, OS X is perfect for it. The article suggest that Jobs and Co. are actually BS about the MS/Connectix deal, despite the pretty face they put on it in press releases, as the deal means that aside from Office, VirtualPC was the second most important Mac software product to Apple's current survival, and now Microsoft owns both.

To read the article go here.

The Linux Uprising

Hey! us Mac users may wait patiently for Apple to come out with that killer machine or killer OS feature that would....you know, propel Apple back into the industry leadership position it lost to Microsoft years ago, or at least balance the platform market share ratios a bit; but while we wait for that day, Linux will likely change the balance of power for us, at least at the server level. And that day is coming very soon!

According to an excellent article on BusinessWeek, 2003 (this year!) marks the very first year Microsoft's server market share reverses its long climb upward and starts heading south. This is based on solid research by IDC. Microsoft's 59.9 percent share of the $50.9 billion server market, has reached its peak, thanks to Linux's phenomenal rise in power in the last three years. And of course the nibbling at the bottom by Apple with the new Xserver can't help Microsoft's share either. IDC expects Linux to account for 25.2 percent of the server market in 2006, but we wouldn't be surprised if they get there by 2005. Currently Linux has 13.7 percent market share.

The article states that there were three factors responsible for Linux's stellar rise to popularity. The first is corporations have been forced to look for low-cost alternatives, second Intel started to cut loose from Microsoft and optimize for Linux, and third (and perhaps more importantly) wide spread resentment and fear of Microsoft.

To read the article click here.

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