Still in love with FreeHand after all these years

[art101]

Haven't visited this forum for a long time, but often think about Free FreeHand while I work. Decided to take the time to post here today.

The awful outcome of the lawsuit still rankles me. Adobe and its lawyers successfully killed ILLustrator's only viable competition. A sad commentary (as if we need more proof) about the power of corporate money and shortsighted greed.

Anyway, I made some vector art design stuff for a longtime client today. As always, the art was built with my registered copy of FreeHand MX 11.0.2.

I paid good money for a place at the table with FH versions 3.0 to 11.0.2 on Macs ranging from an ancient 1986 SE to my current gear. Adobe gobbled up Macromedia in a corporate buyout that should never have been allowed by the FTC. Monopoly rules.

Whatever. I'll keep making vector art with FreeHand until no Mac OSX is able to run it. At that point, I'll throw all my Macs out the back door and draw pictures in the mud with a stick.

Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere.

[FFH Mark]

I like your message, Andy.
After all the legal mess of last year, I still use FreeHand every day and plan on keeping it running smoothly for years so you are speaking for a lot of us. I've created some brilliant art in this time as well. But I do find myself replaying our legal scenarios over and over again with Adobe; the lack of funds for a lengthy battle, the patent restrictions that ran deeper than we thought, the exhaustion of legal issues, and even the enormous cost to get FreeHand rewritten from scratch had we won. I don't regret the fight one bit but I had no idea of what it took either. You hit it spot-on that it was a buyout that should have been stopped back in 2005, not engaged in 2010.

Where to now? I asked myself that question a lot and all I can see is getting FreeHand's legacy into other applications because Quasado Paintstack seems stuck in limbo. For example, the iDraw app wants to get FreeHanders to participate in their application to improve it and they expressed interest in importing FH files. And through our meetings last year, Illustrator programmers are working on significant FreeHand features...finally. Personally, I'd love to see a professional FreeHand-like alternative that is both modern and as easy to use.

Mark

[art101]

Thanks, FFH Mark.

FYI, I got a phone call today from a major graphic designer (and longtime buddy). His work includes design and branding projects for major corporations all over our sad little broken planet. You've seen his work in print, TV and films.

Like millions of the FreeHand faithful, he secretly uses FreeHand. He said, "Adobe killed FreeHand. Adobe demands that we buy that junky, bloated, crappy Illustrator mess. Adobe doesn't give a flying fart about you, or me, or design, or art. Adobe just wants money. Money, money, money. F*ck Adobe."

[FFH Mark]

Oh yeah, I agree that there are still as many users as there were a few years ago ... all of us quietly using FH in our jobs and projects. We just aren't as loud as we were during the protest. But hearing about those like your friend, who are prominent in their fields, makes me smile. I know some too.

[art101]

The torture never stops, FFH Mark. Adobe and its evil corporate monopoly rules. Meanwhile, FreeHand users make art. Possible related link: Real World FreeHand from Art101: http://www.art101.com/freehand/