web edition simply means u got the installation file from the web. No u dont have be remain connected for using the softwere, once u have get the liscence file from the web u r with ur own,,,
however.... web edition will need check/verifying the online status (im not sure)...or something like tht,,,,when it startup....mine sometime hang the machine,,,,, it hav to wait quite long bfore it can start to b used...
It is definately a free edition that you get from the web with free licence, but it is limited - does not have support for all the FPGA devices. If you use the one that it supports - you don't need more than that. I work on Cyclone devices with the WEB edition, and it is good enough.
This is a free non profdesional version of Quartus , it dose not have the ipcores and other stuff of the paid and professional version of Quartus, and i belive you can not use some develoment boards with it.
the web edition doesnt support the "RTL Viewer & Technology Map Viewer" i think this feature is very important....
n i hate the software startup time for web edition....anyone notice tht it doing some online checking?...im not sure whether it is verifying anything online... but when startup,,it does show the connection setting check,,something like tht...i cant remeber...
if ur pc is busy during the web edition startup...it will hang...u hav to end the task n startup again...