Well, SMath Studio is an absolutely excellent software application! - something I've been looking forward to for years and years and years: a MathCAD like application that isn't MathCAD. Don't get me wrong, MathCAD is great. I just don't think it is worth the money charged for it these days. I still have (and use) MathCAD 6.0+ from 1995. I haven't seen any reason to pay for the newer versions.

So, that beings me to the point of this post. From what I gather, SMath Studio was previously a commercial/fee-based software application. There is nothing wrong with that at all (everyone has to pay the bills)! I would very much like to see SMath Studio continue to grow and spread, while staying free-of-charge (open source as well?).

What are the plans for SMath Studio along these lines? I have seen several good software applications gain a sizable following and then become commercial/fee-based software without warning. I don't know how y'all are financing the development of SMath Studio beyond a hobby (and building one heck of a resume from it), but it would be wonderful to keep it as no-charge software - donation-ware if needed.

Is this possible?

What does the future hold for SMath Studio?

Thanks!!!

tsgrue
http://hhwq.blogspot.com

It would appear that SMath is going to remain free and closed-source with the ability to write plugins... just from the things that have been happening in the last few builds.

I'll try to answer tomorrow... sorry, have no time now.

Hello, thank you for interest to the project.

For now SMath Studio is free but not open-source application. I have some thoughts to open part of the code for community - it will help us to grow up and this will be a good cause to create a third-party plugins by developers from all over the world. And this is our future as I see it.

About financing the development process... well, I can say how may donations project gathered during the whole 2009 year: about 60$. Yeah, not too much, but many thanks for our users for it - this is enough for Domain Names pays. And most of donations comes from Commonwealth of Independent States. Unfortunately PayPal doesn't work with Russia (if we're talking about donations), so I can't provide a proper way for other users to make payments.

In fact, I really don't want to change status of SMath Studio to shareware, so, while I working on the project SMath Studio should be free (at least for Windows and Linux PCs/PPCs). We have some plans to make Android and iPhone versions of SMath Studio - these binaries could be non-free if we'll create their.

Best regards, Andrey Ivashov.

Wrote

We have some plans to make Android and iPhone versions of SMath Studio - these binaries could be non-free if we'll create their.

I hope not. I am looking at getting a new phone (iphone or droid) and would love to have this software readily available.
BTW, I love the idea of the plugin and making things modular. I would make the plugins open source so others can assist in modifying/fixing. I'm still confussed as to how this will work on the portable version.

Wrote

About financing the development process... well, I can say how may donations project gathered during the whole 2009 year: about 60$.

That is a shame. One reason may be that the Paypal does not allow payment to Russia from US. I notified to you earlier about this when I tried to donate via Paypal.

SM

Absolutely true.

Couple of days ago I've found a way, how to allow donations from PayPal users from all over the world. Workaround is that I've formed several articles in the e-shop with names like "SMath Project Donation (1$)", "SMath Project Donation (5$)" and others. Now, every user can buy one of the article with the convinient price. This is how donations could be done using Secure Online Credit Card, PayPal, Wire Transfer, Phone, Fax, Mail / Check / Money Order or Local Bank Transfer (here is details).

Hi Andrey,

Once again thanks for a great product (hope the donation get to you!).

I was just wondering about units, this one feature alone will enable me to use SMath daily - are they likely in the near future!

Cheers!

Units in the development stage.

Hello,

Wrote

I was just wondering about units, this one feature alone will enable me to use SMath daily - are they likely in the near future!

By looking around on this Forum you will find that almost every SMath user mentioned units as one of the most desirable feature.

Regards,
Radovan

Just a short note on the units: I'm looking forward to using them, but generally, unit symbols are in upright type, while variables are in italics.

Oliver

Hi, I am new to SMath and new to the forum. I would like to echo some of the comments here - great application and I really like the interface.

Just like tsqrue who started this thread, I stil have MathCAD 6.0 and use it regularly. I would dearly like to be able to open up my files from MathCAD 6.0 (in .MCD format). I see that later formats are supported, any chance that this format could be added? Also, as with so many others, what is the progress on units?

Wrote

I would dearly like to be able to open up my files from MathCAD 6.0 (in .MCD format). I see that later formats are supported, any chance that this format could be added?

Based on the previous discussions on this forum, I don't think so.

Wrote

Also, as with so many others, what is the progress on units?

See this thread Units implementation, please. Try the recent Beta version as well.

Regards,
Radovan

I truly hope that this project will make it's way to becoming an opensource project. Great software, would be a pity if funds for future development forced it to become commercialized.

Wrote

In fact, I really don't want to change status of SMath Studio to shareware, so, while I working on the project SMath Studio should be free (at least for Windows and Linux PCs/PPCs). We have some plans to make Android and iPhone versions of SMath Studio - these binaries could be non-free if we'll create their.

I just purchased my first Android phone and would gladly pay for SMath. I suspect Smath has two types of users: Students and professionals, like engineers and scientists. If a student can afford an Android phone, they could certainly afford a modest fee for an application as powerful as SMath. And engineers could - and would - pay more. I wouldn't hesitate to pay $10 for SMath - I've paid much more for Windows Mobile applications - but Apple's store has created the expectation that apps should be free or $0.99, so that might be too high for most.

Hello.

Unfortunately Android version development paused now, but I hope to continue this work sooner or later. Thanks for the comment and thanks for your donation!

Regards.

I don't undertand why you don't make it open source. The program is freeware so I think that is not an economic reason. If this project were open source a lot of developer will be improve it (me too) because it is very powerful and useful and also a lot of new users will start to use Smath. I used and use mathcad but if it become open source I will port all to smath because an open source software guarantees develop maintenance, at the current state I (and others probably) can't realy on port my Mathcad project on smath because I can't be sure of maintainace duration

Plugins are really interesting but also their maintenance status is unsafe. If it become open I think that also big companies will start to use it and improve it and donations will become very much consistent.

A lot of companies are searching a free software Mathcad alternative, trust me

Hello.

First of all, I have an agreement with Elsevier that no any other company will use web version of SMath Studio or its parts in their business. SMath Studio Desktop/Mono/Android/iOS/UWP is out of scope, but all these applications have the same core, so it is not safe to publish their sources. Of course I can start discussion of this question with Elsevier, but I'm not actually ready for it.

Second, I know that as only many different people will start making changes to SMath Studio I will lose control of the code and SMath Studio will become another application (better or not, but another). I do not want this as it is my hobby and I'm happy to spend my time on it to make it an application I like so much. BUT, I'm always glad when good developers want to help with programming and I'm really glad to provide them access to SMath Studio sources.

Third, all plug-ins are open source: https://smath.info/svn/public/ - you are very welcome to use or update them. My goal is to move as much as possible code from Core to plug-ins.

Fourth, copy of all my code delivered to escrow company, so even if something will happen to me code is there. Also I have other people who have full access to everything related to the project in case of any accident.

Fifth, I have a plan to create a company (not now, but in some years) and give all the rights I have to it.

Sixth, I do thinking about a question to share sources and in future it is possible, but not now.

And the last thing, as I already informed somewhere in this forum if I will decide not to develop SMath Studio anymore I will share all the sources with community immediately. So, I see no reason for worries regarding using SMath Studio for any purposes you want. But it should be only decision of yourself.

Note, you never have any guarantee about any software product and Mathsoft company here is a good example.

Best regards, Andrey Ivashov.

Thanks for an awesome product.