🚀 go-pugleaf

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 23:52:56 +0000, Not Important wrote:
> 
> I really don't think you guys want to make the threat of dropping
> CodeWarrior and going with Xcode because it's free.

I found no such threat in the posting you quoted. In any case, it would
surprise me if Freescale executives based their decisions on what people
write in this forum.

> Because if
> that happens, and Metrowerks goes the embedded tools only route,
> we'll have no alternative to Apples Xcode.

That would be unfortunate, I agree.

> If you haven't noticed, the trend with Apple is that, they get
> people dependant upon something that was bundled and then turn it
> into a separate unbundled, revenue generating product.

This certainly happened when the free iTools morphed into the paid-for
.Mac.

> Looking at 10.4 it no longer comes the with applications iMovie or
> iPhoto.  They are now sold as part of a separate software bundle.

I think the separation happened earlier than 10.4, and it wouldn't
surprise me if this was what was intended from the start.

> I really believe this is what will be happening with Apples developer
> tools.
> 
> Sure the GNU compiler and tool chain will be available as part of the
> free developer tools.  But I'll bet the higher level tools Xcode,
> Interface Builder, CHUD, Shark and etc. will become a separate extra
> charge software bundle.

I can't say this will never happen, but remember that Apple are already
'milking' their developers through charging for ADC membership and WWDC
attendance, so they already have a substantial revenue stream from this
community. Another factor to bear in mind is that they have already had
the chance to start charging for the product when ProjectBuilder became
Xcode and again with the imminent introduction of the greatly enhanced
Xcode 2.0. I think it is significant that they have not done so.

Should Interface Builder and the other programs you mention cease to be
free, many CodeWarrior users will be affected alongside Xcode users;
Metrowerks do not offer any products that compete with them.

My guess, for what it's worth, is that Apple will start charging for
development tools if and when they abandon GCC and offer their own
compiler. Given their present rather ambitious commitment to help make GCC
the best compiler for PowerPC, I find it hard to see this happening in the
foreseeable future.


Alwyn