Re: Dolphin December Offers

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, Mike Payson <mike@...> wrote:

>
> If you want a cheap CAD only product, Alibre is a much more powerful product
> than ViaCAD. I have both, but since I bought Alibre I never tough ViaCAD.
>
> http://www.alibre.com/products/hobby/

I would certainly second Alibre as a super value in a full 3D CAD only system. Their highest end product also has Visual Mill Basic CAM integrated.

I used Alibre for my primary CAD system when I started A2Z CNC and continued with it for about 4 years. It served me very well. Eventually ended up needing some of the more advanced features and greater productivity of a higher and product. Evaluated both Solidworks and Autodesk Inventor and decided Inventor was the better choice with both at about the same cost. What was nice is pretty much all the techinque and approach I learned with Alibre transfer over to both Solidworks and Inventory. I am convinced that if you learn Alibre, other than figuring out where things are you can step into many of the professional 3D solid type programs and be productive right away. For a hobbyist, you will probably never need to move beyond Alibre.

My only frustration with Alibre is the ridiculous way they do their maintainance. I have signed lots of software maintainance deals over the years as I used to run an IT department for a company that did application development and have 4 different product personally that have maintainance. The norm (like eveyone but Alibre) is you pay about 20% of the license cost and you always get the newest version of the level your original license is for. The great part is you get all the new feature that you would get if you bought the same level license currently. This is where Alibre differs. The cost is the same percentage on their higher end products, BUT you have to pay extra to get the new features. You get the new version, but only with the feature that existed when you bought your license. Total bullshit and is the only reason that I did not just renew my Alibre maintance for 3 years. Alibre lost a $750 sale and the reality is it makes no difference to me as I am only using it to open old files until I redo them in Inventor.

Tim Goldstein
A2Z Corp
A2Z CNC division
3955 S Mariposa St
Englewood CO 80110
720 833-9300
Toll Free 877 754-7465

www.A2ZCorp.us/store
USA made accessories for desktop mills & lathes.