I received the email stating that:
"While Analog Devices has been offering a free SPICE simulator, we understand many of our customers prefer to remain in their environment of choice for circuit simulation, with models fully supported by ADI. Therefore ADI has decided to discontinue the free offering of Multisim™ Component Evaluator ADI Edition."
First, I am not a spice software expert, but I thought that spice models can be imported by a number of platforms. If so, the above makes no sense. I may be wrong. Let the experts post here comment.
It may be that many customers prefer to use "their environment of choice". I am one of those that prefer the NI software. When I realized that the software is free, I discontinued using my other spice simulation software. I invested some time learning how to use it, assuming it is not just good, but also free, and I now have many work files. Now I am told to pay up to be able to use work I did for a living!
The software was offered for free, and then discontinued. In my view, NI and Analog should have offered the software with the CLEAR UNDERSTANDING that it is for evaluation for a GIVEN KNOWN PERIOD of time. That is a rather common sales technique. I did buy some good software after being introduced to "limited time evaluation". But this case is different (there was no time limit), and it raises questions:
Anyone that wants to access the work already done will have a choice: to redo it on another platform, or be forced to buy the software. That is not the right way to sell a product. And of course, given that NI is one of the main circuit analysis software, it is difficult to think that Analog will stop supporting NI modeling. So if Analog intends to support NI in the future, the stated reason given for discontinuing the free subscription makes no sense.
Does Analog Devices plan on supporting other simulation software, while excluding NI software (which is one of the main products in the market place?)
I was very happy and appreciated when I found out those ANALOG offers a free version of NI for Analog Devices products (which I use a lot of). Now I feel the opposite. I was not getting "free stuff". I was getting hooked on free stuff for a while, and then it was taken away.