AutoCADder

We currently use Autocad on VMware on a OS X platform and perform most of our work on OS X. This leaves Windows XP used only for Autocad, Revit and Microstation. We also use Vectorworks on the OS X platform. I am happy with the current setup and I can tell you that only using Windows for CAD/BIM production and not for Websurfing, Email and other things leaves the OS very clean.

However, once you make the plunge to OS X you won't look back at Windows unless you have to. Especially when you consider dealing with Windows Genuine Advantage, we run XP Pro so WGA is voluntary but for some reason Microsoft always seems to get it installed on our systems. That's when the problems start with the OS nagging you about whether you've stolen Windows or not. Frankly, we've have wasted more man-hours dealing with Microsoft junk I am ready to be done with them... Autocad on OS X will be a welcomed product.
 

Mac is probably 3%-5% on my website, and my website is dedicated to non-mac applications. Vista has been the best thing that ever happened to Mac. It drove many people to apple. I understand Apple's percentage of new computer sales is significantly higher than their current market share.

Apple or Windows is frying pan or fire to me. Doesn't matter much.
 

Does it really matter what type of OS a person uses to get work done?

I can't wait until they port it to Linux. There are companies that are using Linux for the networking capabilities.

Sorry, I have an open mind.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
 

too pesimist:) be relax pls everything will be ok
 

FYI AutoCAD did come for the Mac, the quit making it in 1992. The core of AutoCAD was written by Mike Riddle in the late 70's in his own programming language, SBL. Later when Autodesk purchased the application he came with it and ported it over to C. From there AutoCAD was developed primarily in C until the last few years they have jumped on the Micrsoft .NET and C# bandwagon. A wholly bad and wasteful move on there part as each version I have used since that switch has just gotten worse and worse.

C is a 'portable' language, able to be used on any computer and any OS. Apple's preferred language is Objective-C which is just the C language with extensions. Microsoft's is C# which is another variation on the C language. Microsoft also offers C++ as a primary language, C++ is cross platform and you can mix C++, Objective-C, and C on a Mac. It would have been wiser for Autodesk to use C++ instead of C#.

So you see, moving to a Mac is the least of your worries. You should worry more about the price gouging Autodesk has been doing with their forced upgrades every four years with the ending of support for 'old' products.
 

Spot on fella. I've been in CAD for 16 years and never needed it.

It keeps coming up, but there never seems to be much support. I think you'll find the survey results will agree with this.
 

well, i for one would be happy to see a mac version of autocad. i used autocad from 1995-2004, before switching to apple and vectorworks. while i enjoy drawing with vectorworks, i miss the flexibility the command line offered and would welcome the opportunity to at least try out a mac version.
 

I understand that the Mac community is much stronger in the US, but here in Europe there are really almost no technical people working on Macs.
 

well maybe so few people work on Mac because Autocad is used everywhere, so either you really want to work on mac and do as AEC Com do, have windows on a virtual player, either you just have to use windows. I'm really looking forward to use autocad on my mac, without having to use VMware.
I also am convinced that making Autocad accesible to mac user will improve this program as it will give the opportunity to ge a different point of view.
Anyway, i'll never ever buy a computer working with windows.
 

"but here in Europe there are really almost no technical people working on Macs."

Why do you think this is then?! Of course, nothing to do with the unavailability of AutoCAD on OS X. They all use Windows because they want to.

FYI, the construction industry is mostly bound by dwg format. Vectorworks architectural users convert to dwg so that engineers can read their drawings. Inherent in this are all sorts of 'added' anomalies and inaccuracies by the conversion process.

After harboring the third crash of the day due to insufficient memory, or some other tosh excuse that Microsoft provide, I often wish I was working on a stable platform like OS X. The workstation you're working on is only as strong as the weakest link, and Windows is a very weak link.
 

I work on mac and I share your opinion. Even if it restrain me to use a virtualization solution to use Autocad.
 

What an unbelievably selfish point of view.
 

I'm in an Architecture & Engineering course in Malta, an island in Europe. We're about 70 students in the course, and 10 of us use a macbook pro as our main computer. That's 14% of use, and it looks as though more people are looking towards macs. I think Autocad should be re introduced for mac, as it is taking a significant share in the market.
 

hmm well i am a mac user with vectorworks, since i remember.
I think that autocad is not the best Cad and revit as well, but as everyone said all the industries use .dwg so everyones want autocad in mac OS however autocad doesn't work very well in architecture (maybe in engineery its perfect, i dont know) and every software but maya could has problems with curves and organic desings so i dont see the point to have autocad running in mac (although that there is a beta running in internet for mac) when every architecture or any desing software has the possibility to translate their files in dwg, i know that sometime the data could loose but if you do a good work their data never going to loose (at least in my case is like that, and I am work with very large models) so maybe autodesk just have to do some visor or some software which one the users could check their files and convert in the best format for autocad... just a thought....
 

I wish my current office would use AutoCAD instead of Vector Works. While most of our colleagues prefer Vector Works instead of CAD, I think the advantages of Vector Works are only applicable at the design stage. When you get to drafting construction drawings, coordination is difficult coz the 'workgroup reference' for Vector Works is not as good as the Xref function of AutoCAD.
So yes, I'm glad to hear that there is an AutoCAD for Mac simply because it's still much better than Vector Works.
 

It's selfish to hear your statements for Auto desk to finally release AutoCAD for Mac O.S.

I have been dealing with windows for 18+ years using AutoCAD. Because your so concerned that YOUR wish list is not going to get done is time, due to developers working on CAD for MAC.

I can't say enough what a SMART choice it was to make CAD for mac. I welcome the product and can work on an OS like MAC without the constant problems with Windows.
 

As for me, I don't have any "constant problems" with Windows (but hear about constant problems and limitations of AutoCAD on Mac)