FYI, I emailed Ilija about some of the issues raised here about his AutoTRAX EDA software and here is his reply (of which I have his express permission to forward to others).
I edited it slightly to make it more readable. Greetings, Jaap >Date: Tue, 24 Sep 2002 10:07:00 +0100 >From: "Ilija Kovacevic" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "Jaap van Ganswijk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: RE: Download completely FREE AutoTRAX EDA PCB design suite (1.07) > >>I have forwarded your message on my Chipdir >>mailing list and someone tried your software >>and came across a problem and reported it on >>the mailing list and assumed he might have >>to buy the $195 version to get things fixed. >> >>I checked out your site and noticed that there is >>indeed a $195 version. But your email below clearly >>states that anyone can download the latest version >>and that there are no other versions. The downloaded >>version is the 'complete' version it is suggested. >>Nowhere on your site I can find, what the difference >>between the two versions is. Or is it just support >>and perhaps a printed manual? I think you should >>state this more clearly. >> >>I'm just trying to clarify the issue. I'm not >>against people earning money from their hard work. >>I am interested in your business model. >> >>My Chipdir sites have about 125,000 unique >>visitors per month. I think we emailed before. > >To get the problem fixed, please email me with the problem and I will fix it >for free. I am >working through the mailing list, and most have been fixed. > >There is only 1 version of the software and it is totally free, no time >bombs. There is no >educational, pro, gold, deluxe version. I detest the way other EDA software >companies >sell software at $45+ but at the end of the day if costs $1000+. I want to >be honest with customers. >Support is free, even for free software. The printed manual comes from a >Canadian on-line company. >Normally, people get royalties, but I have set the price at $19.95 and I get >about 50c. I see no >profit in selling manuals. (By the way, the manuals are quite nice.) > >After 31st. September, 2002 it will no longer be free. What people get in >for >$195 is all NEW versions in the next 12 months for free. > >I want AutoTRAX EDA (my baby!) to be the best PCB package on the market at >the >best price. It is funded by software I develop for others. However, I need >to pay >someone to develop parts library and work as an in-house tester. I have a >list of 725 people >who want me to send them CDROMs, they are all over the world. That is not >cheap. > >Current recorded downloads of AutoTRAX EDA = 4056 in 4 months. >There are additional unrecorded downloads of about 300. >I had 295 yesterday and 95 today (9-47am). > >I have been disappointed at the lack of feedback from the news-group people >who have downloaded >the software. I am very approachable and reply personally to ALL email. > >Here's a story for you. Protel, now Altium, dropped autotrax (there DOS >program) back in the early >90s. They never trade-marked the name. Back in the late 80s, I started >developing a dos program also >called AutoTRAX a blend of AutoCAD/PCB Tracks. However, I dropped the >electronic side of it as the >market was being swamped with products. >3 years ago, I looked again at the market and was surprised to see the price >of the software. >The good stuff was around $3000+. Why is this, all other software markets >have seen massive price >reductions. The I see, Orcad buys Microsim, Cadence buy Orcad etc. Classic >market trends that >keep price high. Time for a new product. > >Back to Protel, well 3 years ago I registered AutoTRAX in California. About >6 months ago, I discovered >some references to Protel/autotrax on the WWW. >I send all the directors of Altium , including Nick Martin, an email telling >them I intended to market >AutoTRAX EDA in Australia. A month later, I get an letter from a lawyer in >California (Russo & Hale) stating >that Altium does NOT market a product called autotrax. Yet surprise, >surprise 2 months ago their DOS program >is now available for download from their website. I emailed Altium and got >the following reply on September, 11th. > > This is the latest version of Autotrax that was released (v1.61ND). > It has only been available for the last 2 months or so. > Best regards, > Steve Passmore > Senior Sales Consultant > >If you download the Altium autotrax, the latest date on any of the extracted >files is 21st. July, 1992. >Ummm! > >You may forward this email to others. > >Regards >Ilija Kovacevic -- Author: Jaap van Ganswijk INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fat City Network Services -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com San Diego, California -- Mailing list and web hosting services --------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB CHIPDIR-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).
