[comp.sys.ibm.pc] CAD software opinions wanted

blevins@hpccc.UUCP (01/31/87)

A good package to find out what you can do on a PC wrt CAD is Generic CAD,
which costs <$100.  It has optional add-ons which do auto-dimensioning,
etc.  I believe it can xfer files to Autocad, which is sort of a standard
right now.

Autocad's 3 dimensional capabilities in their last release were less than
impressive, but I think those capabilities have been improved in the current
release.  The full-blown package is $2500 or so (ridiculous).  I wish I
were a shareholder; they're doing very well.

I received a catalog yesterday from Inmac's new "Perx" affiliate, who sells
all sorts of CAD/CAE stuff.  Their number is 800-722-PERX (7379). Many of
the currently available packages are in here, but they make no mention of
the packages' real names. E.g., they're selling Generic CAD as the "MC-
7210 Drafting System."  All prices are full retail, but it's a great refer-
ence for this sort of thing.  (I've seen Generic CAD for $69 elsewhere.)

Enjoy...

Dave Blevins
hplabs!hpccc!blevins

rotheroe@convexs.UUCP (02/02/87)

> Autocad's 3 dimensional capabilities in their last release were less than
> impressive, but I think those capabilities have been improved in the current
> release.  The full-blown package is $2500 or so (ridiculous).  I wish I
> were a shareholder; they're doing very well.

It depends on how you look a it.  If you want the *full* capabilities (sp?)
of a $10,000 to $20,000 (or more) `mainframe' cad package, your $2750 may
be very well spend (If you buy two or more - you get a discount).  Also,
there is no yearly fee, like the kind often found in `mainframe' packages.
It depends on what you want, and what you'll be doing, as to how much you
need to spend.

I do agree that several of the $100 (abouts) packages are good, for simple
things.

Dave Rotheroe         {allegra, ihnp4, uiucdcs, ctvax}!convex!rotheroe
CONVEX Computer Corporation
Richardson, TX

"Good afternoon, gentlemen.  I am a HAL 9000 computer.  I became operational
at the Hal plant in Urbana, Illinois, on the twelfth of January, 1992."

                      2001 & 2010 (book only for 2010)