Microsoft Plays No Favorites

Eager to ensure its Windows claws extend deeper yet into the souls of all CAD users, Microsoft is joyfully adding "open" CAD formats to Vista, as well as to its PDF wannabe, XPS. At this Christmas season, the company is agnostic: 3D XML. 2D DWF. No problem. All are welcome:

* Dassault Systemes Extends the Reach of 3D and PLM with Windows Vista

* Autodesk Unlocks Design Data for Windows Vista and XPS Users

I expect to see similarly self-importantly-worded press releases from UGS, et al, shortly.

Over at AECnews.com, Randall Newton records a telling statement by a Microsoft evangelist (there's that Christian theme again): "No software, no viewer."

A lie, of course, because there is software and a viewer involved. But the viewer is embedded in the operating system. A coup for Autodesk? No, a PR blunder. Because until now, the company could always boast about the number of downloads (10, 12, whatever million) of its DWF viewer. Now it won't be able to, anymore. Sure, they'll boast that DWF is now pervasive because it's in the OS, and so "everyone" has access to it . But we all know the truth: few will run Vista, and even fewer will use DWF because it's in Vista.

Comments

[Rob M]

Is it just me or do those press releases make no sense?

[Wes Macaulay]

I haven't seen whether Vista will offer anything I need to really function more productively. 64bit will be useful, but you can get that in a flavour of XP. We will wait and see. I was intrigued by what would might have happened had MS killed direct access to OpenGL, but I have heard that is possibly not going to happen...

http://www.ugs.com/about_us/press/press.shtml?id=5183