Unbiased review of AutoCAD 2009.

[ReMark]

Does such an animal exist? Really, I am looking for a totally honest, unbiased review of AutoDe$k's most recent release. If it included a comparison to 2007 that would be even better. Thanks in advance for any information. Keeping it mouse-side up until then.

[Tiger]

Good luck finding one ReMark! :wink:

[JerryG]

Here is an OK one that lists some of the new features/changes in 09
http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/autoCAD.html

[ReMark]

Thanks JerryG, I'll check it out.

Unfortunately most reviewers seem like they are unpaid authorized resellers for AutoDe$k or they're hoping to land a job with AD some day and don't want to step on any corporate toes. Can't bite the hand that feeds you (one way or the other) now can you?

[StykFacE]

Well technically there's no such thing as an "unbiased" review of something. Because every human mind is connected through emotion and opinion when transferring their experiences of something to a descriptive text or speech.

[dumfatnhappy]

Well technically there's no such thing as an "unbiased" review of something. Because every human mind is connected through emotion and opinion when transferring their experiences of something to a descriptive text or speech.


dammit JIM !! , I'm an autocad designer....not a therapist..!

[JerryG]

This is getting deep.....
I agree I havn't really seen a really good review of Civil 3d either.
09 has fixed allot of the shortcomings of 08 (such as crashing)
but I was never able to find anyone who would admit that
08 had allot of bugs and may not have been all that good of a program. We got rid of Eagle Point because of stability issues
and got Civil 3d 2008 - which crashed almost as much!
Everything I read touted how great it was while I was
cursing and silently screaming with frustration. (sometimes not so silently - sorry to all in my office).:oops:
Now that I have 09 I am a much happier Designer/Operator/cad IT person/father/husband/friend, etc. etc.
Although I havn't yet figured out everything in 09 I think you
would really like it. It took me awhile to get used to the new layout
(kinda like going from just MS to MS/PS (was that version 2000?))
but I now really like it - and you can modify it to your hearts content.:D

[Patrick Hughes]

Steve Johnson has some good stuff on his blog: http://www.blog.cadnauseam.com/

From what I've read of his he maintains a rather unbiased look at things.

[ReMark]

Thanks Patrick. I'll check out SJ's blog.

So, Jerry, what's up with that 09 Ribbon? It can be horizontal or vertical? How is that changed from one to the other anyway?

[ReMark]

Stykman: You're still alive? I thought you went down in a blaze of glory jumping Snake canyon. No one could ever accuse you of be unbiased. Right?:lol:

[JerryG]

The Ribbon is pretty cool - it does pretty much like they say and
decluters the dwg space. It looks like another menu bar except
when you click it you get icons not just text - it also gives you 3 different options on how to display it just by clicking a down arrow. I still type most everything but for the people who like pull down menu's it works great.
To move it is just a matter of - right click - undock - and move to
side of screen etc.
The menu Browser just seams to be a quick way to see everything
in the menus at a glance. It will probably be a precurser to getting
rid of the menu's altogether in future releases.
Again I dont use it much but it is a cool feature.

[CmdrDuh]

I have found 09 to be slightly slower, and it seems to crash more than 08

[ReMark]

I've read several reviews where the writers have practically gushed all over themselves about the new and improved product. Personally, it's rather nauseating as reality rarely matches up to the pre-release hype. As always, one is expected to hit the ground running the moment he/she installs and opens the new software. That is just not the case in the real CAD world. Trying to stay productive (remember something called "billable hours" programmers?) and learn new software features is never an easy thing. One practically has to wish for, and get, a slow-down just to squeeze in a few uninterrupted hours to play with the new toy. Change, even for the better, still costs the CAD user's employers copious amounts of money, in the end, above and beyond what they just spent for hardware and software upgrades.

[StykFacE]

Stykman: You're still alive? I thought you went down in a blaze of glory jumping Snake canyon. No one could ever accuse you of be unbiased. Right?:lol:
heck ya I'm still 'round. and of course I'm biased.... I am human after all, right? :lol:

[ReMark]

Styk: You lean so far to one side I heard people mistook you for the leaning tower of Pisa.:lol:

[StykFacE]

At least I lean to the right, and not the "left". :lol: