Topic: Buy 2010 LT Yet?

[Bob Garner]

I'm thinking about upgrading my Acad Lt at home from 2008 to 2010.  Right now the upgrade price is good for my purposes.  I will likely buy a new computer with Vista (I hope I waited long enough for Bill to make fixes).

This will be a "work-strategic" computer which will not be on the internet to avoid internet and anti-virus program related problems.

Does anybody have any caveats or suggestions?  Any known problems with ACAD LT 2010?

ps: I don't have a reseller since it is so easy to just buy the thing directly from Adesk.

Thanks in advance.


Bob G.

[Kate M]

Psst...don't buy it from us. (Don't tell them I told you. )

Amazon, Newegg, Buy, and CDW are all authorized vendors and usually have it for less than the MSRP (although not all of them appear to have 2010 on the shelf yet).

As far as problems, I haven't had any (and I've been running for 3+ months now in beta), but then again I'm not in production-mode anymore. Parametrics and freeform modeling cause the most trouble, and they're not in LT. Also, we don't have a bona fide beta program for LT, so it'll probably be a while before real feedback starts rolling in.

If you want to connect to the internet, you should be able to -- I don't know of any internet or AV-related problems. (With LT, that is.)

[M@yhem]

As far as problems, I haven't had any (and I've been running for 3+ months now in beta), but then again I'm not in production-mode anymore.

And therein, lies the problem.

<begin threadjacking.......NOW!>

The "demos" that are always shown are always so perfect; so clean - nothing ever goes wrong with them.  When are you going to do some "real-world" demonstrations?  Like the regular Joe who is working on a project that was originally created with R10, then worked on using Softdesk, then Architecture.  I want to see THOSE types of demonstrations.  And you can't purge all of the junk out of them because of all the third-party xdata that's embedded in the drawings.

<end threadjack>

[M-dub]

I think that resellers are often cheaper... no matter what you're buying.  Not in all cases, but it's true in most of my experiences.

[Kate M]

<begin threadjacking.......NOW!>

The "demos" that are always shown are always so perfect; so clean - nothing ever goes wrong with them.  When are you going to do some "real-world" demonstrations?  Like the regular Joe who is working on a project that was originally created with R10, then worked on using Softdesk, then Architecture.  I want to see THOSE types of demonstrations.  And you can't purge all of the junk out of them because of all the third-party xdata that's embedded in the drawings.

<end threadjack>

Here.

[M@yhem]

I'll have to take a look at that when I've got an hour to spare (yeah, right).   

Thanks, Kate.  Seriously.

[mjfarrell]

I looked, and trust this; should anyone be presenting anything at AU, one can be sure that the data, and process has been well ironed out.  Or at least one would hope the instructor wasn't going to waste your time at such an event fighting with data they have no control over....

[James Cannon]

So you'd rather see a presentation where you're paying them a lot of money, only to have them waste the majority of the time fighting with problems and surprises, errors, and unexpected situations, rather than showing you the parts of the program that could make you money?

[mjfarrell]

So you'd rather see a presentation where you're paying them a lot of money, only to have them waste the majority of the time fighting with problems and surprises, errors, and unexpected situations, rather than showing you the parts of the program that could make you money?

No I'm saying that the link offered does not exactly address this issue

<begin threadjacking.......NOW!>

The "demos" that are always shown are always so perfect; so clean - nothing ever goes wrong with them.  When are you going to do some "real-world" demonstrations?  Like the regular Joe who is working on a project that was originally created with R10, then worked on using Softdesk, then Architecture.  I want to see THOSE types of demonstrations.  And you can't purge all of the junk out of them because of all the third-party xdata that's embedded in the drawings.

<end threadjack>

Point being those presentations, as well done as they may be; does little to address what that user is speaking to....

Sometimes I personally might preffer a class that was only how to deal with certain errors, and or uncommon data situations, rather than the canned 'features' over 'function' type presentations.  Everyone is different in how they want to learn (even if at all).

[James Cannon]

Point being those presentations, as well done as they may be; does little to address what that user is speaking to....

Sometimes I personally might preffer a class that was only how to deal with certain errors, and or uncommon data situations, rather than the canned 'features' over 'function' type presentations.  Everyone is different in how they want to learn (even if at all).

I haven't had time to watch the vid, but does it not contain methods/tools on how to clean up erronious files?

I mean, I looked at the printout and read through the non-video materials and it seems to cover material pretty well.

[mjfarrell]

me thinks you are missing the point...
it isn't that any material is or isn't being covered...
it's about the 'real world' or lack there of in most presentations...
inless I should read your user name as CAD Daver?   

[DinØsaur]

yellow card for undue harshness

[MP]

<tweet> 2 minutes, interference

[Bob Garner]

I checked out a couple of local resellers:  Hagerman and Kelarpacific.  They cater to big business and "them dogs won't hunt" when it comes to individual users.  Office Depot is an authorized reseller, too!  I'll check them out this weekend but I don't think that's where I want to go for CAD stuff - anybody tried them?  But they do offer Windows XP Pro "downgrades" with many of their computers.  Still, it's time for me to try Vista (anybody agree with that?).  

Bob G.


Re: "Demos"

We've been looking to upgrade our structural analysis program.  We had the salespeople in to give "their" demo.  Then we invited them back a week later to show their product working on a couple of our real-world problems.  The rubber met the road and a couple salespeople wound up in the ditch and couldn't get out.

[MP]

The rubber met the road and a couple salespeople wound up in the ditch and couldn't get out.

Am I a bad person because I take delight in that?

[James Cannon]

me thinks you are missing the point...
it isn't that any material is or isn't being covered...
it's about the 'real world' or lack there of in most presentations...
inless I should read your user name as CAD Daver?   

...then we go back to my original point in paying someone to waste time.. Why should he NOT properly prepare his presentation to expedite the delivery of information for high volumes delivered?

He touched on -maannnnyy- topics that are not "usual" to to the sales pitches.  He touched on MANNNYYY topics that you will normally never hear are even PROBLEMS (and some promised to NEVER be problems... yea.. RIGHT!)

So it seems that yes, Kate provided a very good link that DID solve or at least help the situation proposed.

But I guess that would give you one less thing to bitch about Autodesk about, wouldn't it?  Oh snap, someone doesn't have problems stooping low, imagine that.

[M-dub]

The rubber met the road and a couple salespeople wound up in the ditch and couldn't get out.

Am I a bad person because I take delight in that?

If so, then I am too.

[Bob Garner]

O.K., this weekend I am going to check out Office Depot as an authorized reseller of Autodesk products.  I've already had a telephone conversation with a salesperson at Office Depot and I'm ready for a little face-to-face and some wheelin' and dealin'.  BTW, I can predict exactly what is going to happen.

Kate, It you would, and if it's appropriate, could you advise or let me know where I can find out about the duties and obligations of Autodesk resellers?  A private message is fine. 

Back to thread highjack in progress.

And have a happy weekend everyone!


Bob G.

[Bob Garner]

Well good morning everyone (Sunday morning goin down here in S.D.)

Jeez, it was like walking into my living room this morning after a party and everyone's asleep on the floor after all the great arguing we were having at the party.  Randy, Dino, wake up and git to arguing again.  Lets talk about EULA's, anything.


As expected, Office Depot guy knew nothing but Office Depot sure has a lot of cool stuff.  I'll try the other Off Dep here locally just to give them a fair chance.

O.K. Let's here some debatin' now!

B.G.

[Mark]

Split topic. Bob, if I missed something please let me know, I wasn't exactly sure what to leave here.

[Bob Garner]

Where'd everybody go?

Oh, split topic.  Good move Mark.

bo

[Bob Garner]

Office Depot Guy No. 2 knew nothing about AutoCad either.  But at least he knew enough to say "All you have to do is go online at Office Depot.com and they will tell you all you need to know.  Here, let me go online for you."  And he whips up the Office Depot site, with only ACAD lt 2009 listed.  I ask him about 2010; I ask him about license restrictions; I ask him about simultaneouse use of previous versions; I ask him about dual use on a single license.  I think he wet his pants.

Off to the next "reseller".  These dragons are easy to slay.  Makes me think of the quote, "Whose great swords of gold and silver, we took with small ones that cost us cheap!"

Bob G.

[Bob Garner]

Found one!  (reseller)

Leslie at Kelarpacific said she'd be my girlfriend reseller.  She readily answered all my questions including a lengthy talk about Autodesk's licensing.  As an aside, did you know that the cheapest pirate set of complete autocad can be had for US$5.00  She wouldn't tell me where, though.

She also talked about Autodesk's decision to put all formats of Autocad on a single disk (now a DVD) and using the authorization code to only open only those parts of Autocad that you actually purchased - no big news to Swampers but it gave me confidence in her knowledge.

Well, I guess that closes this case file.

Bob G.

[James Cannon]

Sounds like a good reseller, to me.  I really appreciate open honesty, no sense of hiding things, and a good knowledge base.  It instills a good bit of confidence, I think.

I'm surprised Hagerman was bad to you.  That's who we used to deal with, admittedly a whole other office, when I was back in Missouri.  We only had maybe 10 seats, tops, of Autocad, and a handful of them upgraded to Inventor at one point, and they did us real well.  They had a couple guys there, a tech guy and sales guy, who made a really good team.  The tech guy seemed very intimately knowledgeable and capable, and the sales guy had very good response times and detailed info.

[Greg B]

Still, it's time for me to try Vista (anybody agree with that?).  

Word in the podcasts is that Windows 7 is coming out this summer.  Might want to wait on Vista.

[KewlToyZ]

I'm thinking about upgrading my Acad Lt at home from 2008 to 2010.  Right now the upgrade price is good for my purposes.  I will likely buy a new computer with Vista (I hope I waited long enough for Bill to make fixes).

This will be a "work-strategic" computer which will not be on the internet to avoid internet and anti-virus program related problems.

Does anybody have any caveats or suggestions?  Any known problems with ACAD LT 2010?

ps: I don't have a reseller since it is so easy to just buy the thing directly from Adesk.

Thanks in advance.


Bob G.

Personally I preferred Windows 7 Beta over Vista.
I have had Vista since its release. It's ok, but Windows 7 was just simply a better OS hands down even in Beta.
Much less resource hogging and better interface than Vista Ultimate in every way.

[Bob Garner]

I love my new reseller. 

I asked her how I would prove to Autodesk that I have retired my early version of ACAD.  She said just take any old computer to the firing range up in Clairemont Mesa, put a couple of rounds thru the hard drive, send me photos, and you're good to go.

Now that's service!