Remembering DOS
I remember back to when AutoCAD R11 was
first released with a Windows Extension.
Almost nobody used Windows at the time, and
very few people could see why anyone would go
there. The Windows version of AutoCAD was
way slower to regenerate drawings than the
DOS version and most DOS AutoCAD users
were pretty quick on the keyboard or digitizer.
But eventually the hardware and operating
systems caught up and, today, you wouldn't be
caught dead working on a DOS system.
I see the same thing happening with the Web.
When the World Wide Web first appeared back
in 1994, most of us hadn’t even heard of the
Internet. Soon, most of us knew we could use
the Internet effectively to find technical
solutions, download drivers and e-mail other
people both within and outside the organization.
Today, though, three things are happening to
revolutionize the Internet for AutoCAD users:
1. Bandwidth (meaning, effectively, speed) is
becoming much cheaper– to the extent that
Autodesk is experimenting with AutoCAD
being run on a server on the Internet
2. Programs and functions designed
specifically for those in the design industry
are being released at industry-specific sites
3. Companies are learning that e-commerce
must happen within their organization – that
it is required to compete.
I see that those companies who embrace an
Internet strategy will be well positioned for
growth over the next decade. Those who don’t
– well, like DOS – may just not be around!