Did you get a new iPad for Christmas? Good for you you can now take your SolidWorks work everywhere you go with the SolidWorks eDrawing viewer for iOS. But if that shiny new tablet is running the Android OS then you’re out of luck. There are many things to like about the Apple tablets but on the other hand there are more things to dislike. And all the things to dislike start with a ‘P’ and end with ‘RICE’. Yes the iPad does have an excellent display and an excellent user interface but compared to most Android tablets it is underpowered and sorely deficient in regard to ports. You can’t plug in that micro-SD card with all your files to read on the iPad. And then there’s the PRICE! Don’t get me wrong I would love to own an iPad just for the eDrawing viewer. I think this would be of great benefit when I have to walk out on the shop floor and attempt to explain how part a weld to part b. I could show the welder how the parts fit together in their finished state and even let them look at an exploded view that they can rotate around with a finger or two.
So why can’t I use my Android tablet to do the same thing? Solidworks has determined that the size of the android market is just not large enough. Okay if that is true, then charge enough to make it worthwhile to write the app for Android. According to sales figures that came out in November 2012 tablet sales favored Apple to Android 55% to 45% (see http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/28/ipad-and-android-tablet-market-share-margin-narrows-much-faster-than-originally-predicted/) While Apple still has the lead, that margin narrowed by 14% in 2012. It is predicted that Android will overtake Apple in tablet sales sometime this year. Right now in the Apple app store you can buy eDrawing Pro for $9.99, so Solidworks why don’t you charge twice as much for the Android version to more than make up the difference that you seem to think is there. I know I’d be willing to pay $20 for the app.
If you read the SolidWorks forums, the company representative says that most engineers have iPads. But if you read the posts from users like you and me they are all clamoring for an Android eDrawings app. I know quite a few engineers and only two of those even have a tablet..one iPad and one Android tablet. A few weeks ago I went to a SolidWorks 2013 rollout event. The presenter was not a VAR employee but a SolidWorks employee. After he showed the eDrawings for iPad video I asked the question...when? He said that he doesn’t know of any plans for an Android version. After several disgruntled moans from the majority of the attendees he went on to say that most everyone in his office also has Android tablets and they are all wondering the same thing.
Maybe, just maybe there will be good news concerning this coming out of SolidWorks World 2013? We can only hope.
And now what I do like:
My nature I’m not a hugger. I remember many years ago at the church I was attending that the men started hugging each other in greeting. I think this went hand in hand with the Promise Keepers movement that going gangbusters at the time. I went along with it to some extent but I was never really comfortable hugging another man. I say this to add more impact to my next statement. If I ever meet the guy at SolidWorks that came up with the Pack and Go.. feature I just might give him a great big bear hug and maybe even kiss him on the lips! (even more so if it happens to be a woman.)
The hours of time and frustration that Pack and Go has saved me is tremendous. Hardly a week goes by when I don’t use it at least once. Do you ever have to create a part that is very similar to one you modeled last week? Pack and Go! Do you ever put together and save a big assembly to the wrong name? Pack and go! Do you have someone in your company that modeled and assembled over 1000 parts and subassemblies and saved all the files in one folder? Pack and go!
If you are not familiar with it I suggest that you explore the capabilities, here are some links:
http://www.engatech.com/nltip012008.asp
http://grabcad.com/questions/tutorial-pack-go-feature-in-solidworks
http://www.javelin-tech.com/blog/2011/03/pack-and-go/
Until next time...