An Open Letter to the 3DConnexion Team

Questions and answers about 3Dconnexion devices on macOS.

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butterworm
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:35 am

An Open Letter to the 3DConnexion Team

Post by butterworm »

Dear 3DConnexion Team,

Please make the SpacePilot Pro (and, ideally, all of your products) completely compatible with Mac OS X. This means, the same or better functionality as one would find on Windows. Two buttons out of 15 does not cut the mustard. I want the awesome features that you've put into the SpacePilot Pro.

Here are some reasons why you should do this:

- I am a student, and have no money. If you support the SpacePilot Pro on Mac OS X, I will find a way to buy it, despite my non-existant income. This reason in and of itself should speak volumes. If it doesn't, show the last three sentences to your marketing department, and they'll probably question why you're not already supporting your flagship products on the Mac OS.

- Last financial year, Apple sold about 16% of the notebook market share. i.e. 16 out of every 100 people who bought a notebook last financial year bought a Mac. Last financial year, Apple took in about 80-90% of the profit share from notebooks. This means that out of every $100 of profit made from notebook sales last financial year $80-$90 was made from Apple.

This means that the people who buy Apple computers, in general, are the people who shop at the premium end of the market. They don't mind spending money on a product that is of good quality, that works well, and that will last. Apple may only have about 16% of the market, but it's the top 16%.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the exact market at which I perceive 3DConnexion products to be aimed.

- 3D packages are specialist tools. 3D HCI devices are specialist tools. Some people would argue that Macs are specialist tools. Companies and individuals that are buying specialist tools are used to searching for specialist tools, and buying those that make their time using said tools more worthwhile. Again, this is the purpose that I see 3DConnexion products are made for.

- Speaking anecdotally, Mac users tend to be a passionate bunch. They speak highly of things that excite them to anyone who will listen. This is where their reputation for being zealous comes from. This also means that if they have a positive experience, whether this is using a product, or returning from a holiday, or buying car insurance, they will recommend it to all their friends.

- If I, and everyone else posting in this forum, have the persistence and motivation to post here, there are multitudes who can't be bothered to post, but feel the same way. All these people are your customers too.

In brief, If you support the Mac OS, you will have customers who:

May not have much money, but will buy your products anyway.
Probably have lots of money, and will definitely buy your products.
Will find your products with little to no marketing effort.
Will rave endlessly about the merits your products.

Additionally, drawing again on the market share argument above, it is worth pointing out that by failing to support the Mac OS, you are currently ignoring more customers than you probably have right now. If the top end of the market mostly buy Macs, and these same people are the people who use 3D software, wouldn't it make sense to start supporting them?

Passionately yours,
Butterworm

P.S. To all fellow Mac OS forum lurkers. Please reply to this post in agreement! (If you agree, of course)[/i]
seacrets
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2006 9:25 am
Location: Barcelona

Post by seacrets »

+1

I agree. In fact, I was going to a bigger 3D Connexion device, but then I thought WAIT!!! It won't work, no extra buttons, no nothing, just the same as the spacenavigator.

I just think they need to hire aditional someone to program their drivers for the mac. More software, etc....

My 2c
Ruben_Oslo
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 4:10 pm

Post by Ruben_Oslo »

I completely agree with you,

Now that I was going to buy the SpacePilot Pro for Christmas as a present to myself I realize that it's not Mac compatible???!!!!!

I believe that companies like 3D connexion should realise that Mac users are growing in really big numbers and are very profitable area and they should put more effort on pleasing us. I am an Industrial design Master student and on my class of 24, 17 of us use Mac's and only that should speak for it self.

To bad, it seams that 3D connexion is not going to see my money this Christmas and as mine a lot of others mac users money.
Evopro
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon May 04, 2009 7:29 am

Post by Evopro »

I completely agree. To miss the Mac market is in fact a huge strategical mistake. It is on the Mac the most creative 3D artists are to be found and what they use - everyone else will want. To not have a driver for the Mac, in spite of customer requests since its launch is simply arrogant and evil. This company is loosing credibility and traction every week they don't arrange a Mac OS X driver. It is just extremely sad. If you buy this company - fire the CEO immediately and hire someone from Apple to run the company properly.
Grizzly
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 2:02 am

Post by Grizzly »

+1

I completely agree.
MNMinstrel
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 11:38 am

Post by MNMinstrel »

Yes. Mac OSX support is not an option, it is a requirement to be taken seriously in any creative field. There are so many schools that have computer labs full of macs, what do you think those students will be using when they graduate and start working in their field.

Look at what the market is doing beyond the content creators. People are buying iphones and downloading apps for them like crazy, when the ipad comes out I'm sure it will be the same thing. Guess what? You need a mac to develop for iphone.
kbmyers
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 4:41 pm

Post by kbmyers »

I think it is time to dust this subject off and bring it up again. This has been going on for over a year now with no satisfactory answer from 3DConnexion.

With more and more high end application running on Mac OS X (for example, AutoCAD was recently released), why can't we get SpacePilot Pro drivers?

Kent
dan308
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:37 pm

Post by dan308 »

ABSOLUTELY.
I just bought four of the space navigators for our studio (C4D on 64bit Mac Pros) and I'm absolutely sick about none of them working in 64bit. What a waste of cash. No way are we running our machines in 32bit mode. Mac supported; why even say that?
BDKmac
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 5:02 pm
Location: USA

Couldn't Agree More...

Post by BDKmac »

There have been some developments since the OP.

AutoCAD 2011 Mac!

I certainly hope that the Mac CAD train does not stop here, but it is one small step for AutoDesk, one giant leap for every productive Mac user out there!

I absolutely love my SpacePilot Pro, and unfortunately I need to use it on Windows most of the time, because my beloved Solidworks has yet to develop a Mac OS X version, but I do spend some time using AutoCAD 2011 in the Mac environment (Hallelujah!!!), and I resent 3d Connexion for their lack of support for Mac OS X. And the thing is, it is complete laziness, because the amount of programming required to make it work is so minimal. When I was speaking with the 3d Connexion rep, she told me that they do not support the SpacePilot Pro on Mac OS X because the programs for calendar and outlook are specific to Windows. Let it be known: I DON'T CARE! Does 3d Connexion really think I bought this thing to check my email?? Make all the buttons programmable, and make those settings display on the LCD, thats all I want it to do!!
dan308
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:37 pm

SpaceNav drivers working in 64bit

Post by dan308 »

Thought I should post an update on this forum as well.
Drivers are working in 64bit Mac os. We had installed them while the systems were booted in 32bit and they didn't work. Uninstalled removed all driver traces, and reinstalled in 64bit mode and everything is working now...
AdamUllstrom
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 2:17 pm
Location: Denmark

SpacePilot Pro = porridge for a month...

Post by AdamUllstrom »

I know that OP's post are from 2009, but still I Agree, as a student in the same situation, I still bought the SpacePilot Pro (7th april 2011 at Hannover Messe) - with the result of a great product but with almost no support for my mac environment and with the more substantial result of me only having afford to eat porridge for a month.


Please 3DConnection Team this is *still* the reality, lot of mac user want to have the options of our windows brothers (no I'm no fanboy, but I love mac)

** hey what's for dinner... porridge...**

Best Regards
Adam Ullstrom
flomotan
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 287
Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 3:37 pm

Post by flomotan »

Hi,

We have released a beta version of 3DxWare 10 for the OS X. This driver adds support for SpacePilot PRO. Since it's a beta driver, we appreciate any feedback you may have

http://www.3dconnexion.com/supported-so ... xlabs.html
AdamUllstrom
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 2:17 pm
Location: Denmark

HOW TO Uninstall old software

Post by AdamUllstrom »

I know that BETA 4 is out, but I cant get rid of the 10.0.3. I know that there are some kind of comment out there with a guide for completely removing the BETA 3 but I CAN'T FIND IT!

Please help!

Thanks
Regards
Adam Ullstrom
flomotan
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 287
Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 3:37 pm

Post by flomotan »

To uninstall the driver, please run /Applications/3Dconnexion/Uninstall 3Dconnexion Driver.app.

Beta 4 has a typo issue with the version number. It will say 10.0.3 which is the same as beta 3. Even though the reported version numbers are the same, we have confirmed the actual contents of beta 4 are updated and correct.
AdamUllstrom
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 2:17 pm
Location: Denmark

Post by AdamUllstrom »

aha sneaky :roll:

thanks a lot :wink:
Regards
Adam Ullstrom
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