Filed under: Design, Google, Commercial
Google acquires SketchUp 3D drawing app
Another day, another Google acquisition. Just in time for Pi Day, Google has scooped up @Last Software, makers of SketchUp, a 3D drawing app for Windows and Mac OS X. The
@Last web site describes SketchUp as a "deceptively simple, amazingly powerful tool for creating, viewing, and
modifying 3D ideas quickly and easily." In the announcement on the Official Google
Blog, @Last's Jeff Martin describes how SketchUp can be used to create 3D models that can be imported into Google
Earth, which I suspect has more than a little do to with this acquisition. For more insight, read the official announcement and FAQ at the SketchUp web site. SketchUp
has a price tag of $495, but will Google start giving it away for free as it has so many of its other acquisitions?
[Via the Unofficial Google Weblog]
I don't know if this is a labor of love or merely the brainchild of four very gifted games designers, but Level Up is a really weird mash-up of gaming elements that you have probably never seen in a Flash game before.
Let's start with the premise itself: Groundhog Day meets Memento. The game experience revolves around 'days': you explore the world and the clock slowly ticks towards the evening. You bounce around picking up gems and talking to the denizens of 'Level Upland'. Eventually you feel tired and head back to ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chad said 5:27PM on 3-14-2006
Wow...this SketchUp software really looks great. Except the price tag is a little too high if you ask me. Do you really think they will start giving it away?
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erzengel said 6:10PM on 3-14-2006
i have used SketchUp in the past for some realwork, and let me tell you, its hell easy to use, actually i use it every time i want to redesign my home or office.
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Tism said 6:16PM on 3-14-2006
Yeah, sketchup is awesome, my school JUST bought it though, they are going to pissed when they find out its probably gonna be free...
Its so simple and responsive to use, its as easy as MSPaint...
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Fabulo said 11:17PM on 3-14-2006
It does not have to be free, but just a little more reasonably priced. At 1/2G it's squarely out of reach of tinkerers and home users. I like software but that much dough is hardware money. (and opensource kinda trained me not to pay for software anymore - sorry)
For $99, I'd buy it. Don't know what I'd do with it, but I've made stupider purchases.
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glad said 1:34PM on 3-15-2006
Yeah I would pay $99 for it but bseeing that they charge $49 to students for 1 years usage, I don't think it's gonna happen. I would be happy to rent it for a year for $49, as that would encourage me to use more often and get my monies worth.
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Steven Mraz said 3:59AM on 3-30-2006
The target user for the current version of SketchUp is Architects & Designers. A narrow user base dictates the $495 price tag. The software’s main feature is its ability to quickly & easily create alternative designs. Too much for creating a virtual World 3D. For that a stripped down version would more likely be offered for much less, if this is Google’s plan.
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Chad said 2:07PM on 4-27-2006
A friend of mine bought it a few weeks ago and I've seen what it can do. It's really great that's for sure. This friend of mine could not believe his ears when I told him it could go for free in the future.
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Bill said 5:15AM on 5-07-2006
I bought this great software last week and I am really happy with it. But is it really going for free in the future? I can't believe I paid so much money for it. I wish I had read your blog sooner my friend.
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