The high end or full versions get stuff like interactive routing, autorouting, simulation, SI, FPGA, pin swapping, embedded, snippets etc etc. The 'low cost' $200-$500 price point gets unlimited size and 4 layers. So they need to differentiate the product based on other things, like for example: - FREE and limited version get say 2 layers and size restriction. But here I think is the kicker, all versions must include at least the following: - 3D - BOM/Supplier/price stuff - Full library access - Full schematic Without those things, you aren't going to get the 'wow' factor that will draw people into the Altium world. 4) Maybe $500-$2K for slightly higher end users 5) Full version as it stands currently For the The low cost cost versions, you wouldn't bother with any company sales or support at all, it would be fully automated PayPal ordering/download and forum support only. 1) FREE 2) sub $100 limited commercial use 3) $200-$500 sweet spot for the low end users. They could perhaps even have a 3 or 4 tear pricing system. To be commercially viable I suspect the price has to be somewhere in the $200-$500 category.

A low cost version which that are obviously going ahead with. But they could one-up Eagle by having some limited commercial use for free. A free version would have absolutely no company support, and could even have a non-commercial license like Eagle does. If they want total market domination they must do this. A low cost paid version will not cut the mustard here. Eagle has more seats than Altium, and they could steal a majority of those seats within months with a good free version. Eagle having a free version is the sole reason why it is now the defacto standard PCB tool in the hobbyist/hacker/maker community. But sadly is something they are very likely to overlook. This is absolutely essential for complete market domination of Altium designer. What they need is: - A free version of some sort.

But sounds like they are going the whole hog and rejigging the entire code base to separate the functional modules etc. They would be crazy to do anything but release stripped down Altium Designer, which has never actually been that hard to do if thy wanted to. The code base is no longer supported, and it doesn't provide seamless upgrades to high priced version of Altium Designer. Sure, or Circuitmaker 2000, but either would be a bad move.

Altium designer 14 license price