Vincent Cadoret Revit & BIM Specialist

We want Revit on Mac OS X

This post is inspired by Greg's post over at Revit3D.com.

Just to make my point of view very clear here, I'm a Mac fanboy. So yes, I'm biased. Now, there are good reasons for this bias. You see, I started using Mac OS X on an iMac back in early 2007, only a few months after Apple switched to Intel CPUs. I fell in love with Macs. So much so, I have helped several of my friends switch to Macs and they are all happy about it (contact me for references).

Now let me answer some of your questions Greg:

1) Does anyone out there really want Autodesk to create a version of AutoCAD for the Mac?

A.: People are still using AutoCAD???

2) With so few people using Mac computers, what would be the point?

A.: OK, so it's a known fact that about only 10% of computers (when you look at sales figures) out there run Mac OS X and I'm not denying it. However, a HUGE amount of the Windows sales can be attributed to: the government, office spreadsheet workers and Microsoft Tech Support representatives (ok, maybe not the last one). And this "100%" does not take into account Linux based computers which are more popular than you may think (I have switched a few people over to Ubuntu myself. Instead of replacing their old hardware, I removed Windows and installed Ubuntu). My point is that the 10% of computer users (Mac users) are probably more likely to be computer literate, have the money to buy Revit AND be the type of person who is "avangardiste" (ahead of his time), a perfect market to sell Revit and BIM to.

3) There's so little tech support out there for Macs.

A.: I'm sorry if I'm hurting anybody feelings by saying this but... this is a common misconception if you have never owned a Mac. Windows has ruined the reputation of computers in the consumer's mind. In three years of owning Macs (and my family and my friends too) I have never needed REAL technical support (only a few code 18s here and there).

4) Most resellers only have techs that know Windows operating systems.

A.: Simple: since Macs are less likely to break down, there is no money in running a tech support business for them.

5) Someone told me recently that the graphics cards suck for Autodesk products on the Mac.

A.: Ouch... It's true that Macs mostly (except for high-end Mac Pros) have gamer video cards. However, even Autodesk admits that some gamer cards can perform as good if not better than high-end quadro cards (see Autodesk's recommendations for Revit) and I have seen this as a fact on a client's new 27inch iMac Intel Core i7.

6) Macs are more expensive.

A.: I'm sorry, that's a common myth-conception even if only up-front cost is considered (because in the long run your Mac is definitely cheaper). Look at the price of a mac pro workstation vs. a dell workstation. Case closed.

7) Windows 7 has been great and more and more people are switching to it every day.

A.: That's because Vista was so bad that even Windows 7 looks good! (I admit, it is better than Vista).

I think in the end the best move for Autodesk would be to put everything in the cloud and make everything web based, that way it can be platform independent and everyone would be happy.

Does anybody else agree with my take on this (or not)?