For the 9 million download mark, I was tardy in keeping my eye on the number of Autodesk DWF Viewer downloads. I was able to stay on top of the 9 to 10 million transition, because it was the fastest million downloads we have ever had. The number of people downloading the free Autodesk DWF Viewer continues to grow due to the popularity and benefits of the DWF format over other electronic formats for CAD documents.

To put this in perspective, each of the following is roughly 10 million

• Radios tuned to the first rock concert broadcast live coast to coast using what was then a brand new technology – microwaves (Todd Rundgren at the Roxy in 1978).
• Blogs hosted on MSN Spaces.
• “Do Not Call” registrations as of June 27, 2003. Imagine what it is today. I haven’t had a telemarketer call me in years.
• Number of Java developers as of June 11, 2003. Imagine what it is today. Are there as many left?
• Frequent Flyer miles required to earn a free trip into space from US AIR. Some blackout dates apply.
• Miles between Earth and the Comet Hyakutake.
• Meters of textiles produced by Viet Nam annually.

Note: A computer counting atoms at 10 million atoms a second would take 2 billion years to count one mole of atoms (Avogadro’s Number = 6.02×10^23). I think Intel is working on this now.

With the release of Autodesk DWF Viewer 6.5, more and more people are reaping the benefits of DWF. “As you reap, you shall sow.”

Scott Sheppard
DWF Technical Evangelist
[email protected]