Hi,
Yes but you should compare not with CAD/CAM software but rather with software that controls hardware. PLC Software and such.
Why not?. Employees of a CNC software company need to be paid just as surely as employees of a CAD/CAM software
company. Further I would suggest to you that as Artsoft was founded in 2001 that NFS already has an 18 year history.
In previous posts the concern seemed to be that a piece of CNC hardware should last 20 years an therefore the company
that supports it MUST last 20years also. Well Artsoft/NFS is well on the way to establishing that. Companies take on a life of their
own and NFS will still be around in 20 years IF it remains profitable. As a customer of NFS I hope that they do remain profitable,
including my own modest contribution to that outcome, as their continued existence is to my advantage.
I am against the fact that the PCID can change so unexpectedly and that you have to use an online service to renew it.
This I understand, I rather doubt the NFS like the idea that a Windows update can cause the PCID to change either, but
the on-line service is great. How else would you have it done? Send a letter in the mail to have a flesh and blood
person generate your license and post it back?
With Mastercam you need an internet connection every time you boot the software, you can have it boot up without a
connection for a short period of time but by and large you need a connection.....just to boot the software. This is a program
that costs $20,000 and $2500 annually. At least with a stable PCID the Mach4 license is likewise stable and perpetual.
My machine PCID has not changed since the day I loaded Windows 7, over five years ago.
But why is that nowhere documented on the Mach 4 Websites?
Bryanna explains the situation:
https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=36585.msg250765#msg250765You may have seen some of my posts where I am starting a new mill build. I have elected to use Delta 750W Series B2
AC servos. Just a plain servo, and I have two of those, not counting the more expensive braked servo, is $500USD.
I could buy 2
12 Mach4Hobby license for the price of just one servo. Lets put Mach4Hobby into
perpective........at $200 (perpetual) its as cheap as chips. I pay more annually for carbide tools than a Mach4Hobby
license!!!
Craig