Okay just to muddy the waters and maybe keep this incredibly entertaining diatribe going...
CADaver,
It's obvious that you use 3D modelling, am I right? Then RENDER is indeed a powerful tool, in its native AutoCAD (limited) capacity. But using SHADEMODE is actually a little more useful, in MY opinion.
Keith,
It sounds like you are providing 2D only drawings, is that right? So RENDER is then null and void and consequently should be avoided.
So in essence here, you're both right.
With that asked/said/or commented.......
I think that anybody who tries to RENDER a 2D drawing should be fired, shot, hung, burnt at the stake, drawn and quartered, buried alive, stuck with needles like a pin cushion, suffer Chinese water toruture, starved, drowned, plagued with bad credit, made to watch 4 days of constant Partridge Family reruns (including the Anniverary Special), and last but not least tickled until they peed.