"Pop" wrote in message
news:zqo7g.3059$iH5.1816@trndny07...
-- At $500 a pop for retail, that's way over the top.

I don't know. The cad app I usually use is near double that though it is
real cad.

The
freebie version is obviously a great idea IFF it's not used as a
bait & switch down the road, which is where I think it's headed.

Doubt it's a bait and switch but they are trying to get you to buy the full
version.

-- I don't see the freebie version lasting much longer. If an
installed base can be confirmed, then the freebie will go to a
pay-for version. So if you really like the freebie version,
archive it for the future or you may be sorry.

Good advice. There probably will be a time when it's no longer free.

-- It's only an opinion, but I think it's being used as a puller
and if enough people can be talked into creating design works in
a proprietary format, they will be forced to either abandon those
designs or spend the money to upgrade to the $495 full version.

Definatly. Several years ago, one of the major cad companies put out a very
good, functional freeby. I messed around with it a bit but never used it for
much as I knew that they were just trying to get you on the hook. It had to
be registered on a regular basis or it would not run. Registration was free
but I knew that a time would come when it quite working and they would say
you had to buy the full version. The price was in the several thousand
dollar range. No way.


I saw some hype that claims it exports to common CADD formats,
but I don't see anything in the freebie version. IF it's there,
I haven't found it yet. Maybe I just missed it? Don't think so,
but I've done stupid things like that before. The only export
I've found is to .PNG graphic format.

I know it will export to dwg but not sure what other formats. Yes, that is
only in the pay version.

-- Another thing that bothers me is I get a Firewall alert every
time I use it where it's trying to call home - I don't know what
that's about. Maybe it's just trying for update info - but I
don't -know- that.

Yes, it has an auto update feature.

-- All that said, I do have to admit that it's a pretty darned
good implementation and so far bug free.

The above are some of the issues I'd have to see addressed before
I'd seriously doing anything but playing with it.

Regards,

Pop