My old friend Gene Weiner has for years published a must-read newsletter each month in which he shares his thoughts and tidbits on the electronics manufacturing industry. And while I don’t typically editorialize about editorials, something Gene wrote bears further consideration:

What is with all the design freeware? Has the market changed so much that software has become a loss leader? And if so, on what products will CAD developers earn a profit, given that they don’t have hardware divisions?