What does SolidWorks go for nowadays, how much is the annual maintenance,
and will it still work if you drop the annual maintenance?

I remember checking out AutoCad Inventor on their web site and thinking that
the 5 or 10% off offer to "first time visitors" might be justification for
an impulse buy. After a lot of searching for prices on the AutoCad site it
apperared that the cheapest version was around $5500 and maintenance was
something like $1200 per year. So much for impulse buys.

Have you looked at Alibre? It's about a fifth the price of Inventor and has
been working pretty well for me.

Mike

"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
. com...
Autocad may not be for you. What do you need to do? Get a more basic CAD
software. You don't buy Autocad...you marry it! Try Autosketch or some
other entry-level software. If you're going to marry software, marry
"Solidworks"

"GMasterman" wrote in message
...
Just put Autocad 2001 on my computer and have learned that I am too
stupid to
be able to operate it. Guess I need a book that will get be started. The
Autocad for Idiots book is way over my head here. Ya'll have any
suggestions on
how a slow learning idiot can learn enough to get started. Don't have
time for
real schooling in this, nor do I have the time (or memory skills) or the
trial
and error method. Need something aimed at the old man computor
handicapped
mindset. Thanks!