Software Development

[Sawyer]

With all this recent talk about software pricing I have been thinking about software development. Specifically Windows and AutoDesk. A few months ago I bought a new computer and I got it with Windows Vista. Its not as bad as I feared but its bad. My productivity has only decreased and just slightly but I don't think that there is anything new that helps me. This makes me wonder if I had stayed with XP if I would ever need a new operating system. Obviously I would because of driver issues and soon new software won't support it but it seems like Windows may becoming pretty mature. Yeah there are tweaks it could use and little updates may be needed but I don't really see it being able to deliver that much more. As a product I can really only think of a few things it would need to make me think I need a new version and one is making it hacker safe.

 

Same thing with Autodesk. We have been complaining here a bit about the lack luster product upgrades but I wonder what more could it do? There are a few things with Max I would love, auto boolean and surface detection would be one, real time renderings, a few things. Revit could use a lot but with Autocad I think its pretty much done. It draws lines, text and dimensions. Sure its done.

 

So as far as a business model goes it seems like there will be a point when the software makes itself obsolete. And probably pretty soon. Well within 10-20 years I imagine most of the software we have now will be done with development.

 

Now I know most people (who have actually read this) will say "S- you aren't taking into account hardware updates and new technology". No I am not. I am sure that Microsoft and Autodesk will find new features and new technology to make themselves relevant. But I think that there will come a point that for Joe Blow average CPU user they will not need anything more. Sure CPU's will break every 2.5 years and they will need a new one but I do think the expansion we have seen in this sector will stop. At least it seems to me that it must at some point become mature.