AutoCAD LT 2005

Rating:
Summary: Some nice upgraded features, but major headaches added
Review: A little known aspect of this product is the fact that Autodesk will only allow LT to plot one drawing at a time (except for dwf files). This is a MAJOR hinderance. The layer command is slow and sheetsets and fields are unable to be created. The old LT versions were basically 3d disabled, now the drafting features are being removed/disabled as well. If your going to spend the money get autocad full or look for another product, we are very unhappy with this change, especially how it was not very well publicized and we didn't find out until we purchased enough for multiple offices and had it installed.

Rating:
Summary: Some nice upgraded features, but major headaches added
Review: A little known aspect of this product is the fact that Autodesk will only allow LT to plot one drawing at a time (except for dwf files). This is a MAJOR hinderance. The layer command is slow and sheetsets and fields are unable to be created. The old LT versions were basically 3d disabled, now the drafting features are being removed/disabled as well. If your going to spend the money get autocad full or look for another product, we are very unhappy with this change, especially how it was not very well publicized and we didn't find out until we purchased enough for multiple offices and had it installed.

Rating:
Summary: WHICH OPERATING SYSTEMS?????
Review: I bought autocad lt 2005 from amazon.com. It arrived when it was supposed to. I downloaded the rebate form from amazon.com and upon reading it, it said that the invoice must have the serial number on it. My invoice from amazon has everything except the serial number on it.

After 3 e-mail attempts to amazon to get an invoice with the serial number on it, I have given up. The response on all 3 was the rebate is between you and autocad, contact autocad. I contacted autocad and they said they can't accept an invoice with out the serial number. So, if you think you are going to get a rebate after you buy from amazon, think again. There is no telephone number listed on the website, so you can't actually talk to anyone, All you can do is exchange e-mails with someone in a foreign country who doesn't understand much english.

If I had it to do over again, I would buy this from another retailer.

Rating:
Summary: Product is good, the customer service at amazon is lousy!!
Review: I bought autocad lt 2005 from amazon.com. It arrived when it was supposed to. I downloaded the rebate form from amazon.com and upon reading it, it said that the invoice must have the serial number on it. My invoice from amazon has everything except the serial number on it.

After 3 e-mail attempts to amazon to get an invoice with the serial number on it, I have given up. The response on all 3 was the rebate is between you and autocad, contact autocad. I contacted autocad and they said they can't accept an invoice with out the serial number. So, if you think you are going to get a rebate after you buy from amazon, think again. There is no telephone number listed on the website, so you can't actually talk to anyone, All you can do is exchange e-mails with someone in a foreign country who doesn't understand much english.

If I had it to do over again, I would buy this from another retailer.

Rating:
Summary: WHICH OPERATING SYSTEMS?????
Review: I know it will not run on win98 or ME,somebody better change that.

Rating:
Summary: I really like this program
Review: I've used AutoCAD intermittently since the mid-80s. I was looking for a CAD program for home use and thought I'd try an inexpensive program. So, I tried TurboCAD and DesignCAD. I figured that they wouldn't be AutoCAD but I just wanted something for drawing furniture (woodworking). I was utterly disappointed in those programs--frustrating, wimpy and just plain ol'stupid.

Well, I eventually bought AutoCAD because it is a powerful program that will let you make the drawing look they way you want it to look.

Line color, line weight, text styles and dimension styles are easy to control. Dimensioning is so easy compared to the other programs! Having model space and paper space is a great feature. And the program does have 3D wireframe capability.

But, the program does require some patience to learn and it does have its quirks. I suggest that if you are a complete newbie, get a third party reference book (such as Finkelstein's AutoCAD Bible). The owner's manual and the help feature is not enough to learn this program.

Rating:
Summary: AutoDesk AutoCAD LT. -Einstein Smart/Childplay Easy
Review: If you are involved in anyway with Computer Aided Design, you are out of your mind if you do not use this program, and use it often. Sure it is pricey, but it is literally Windows without the problems in the extent of it's worldwide use and impact, in the technical(actually any engineering based drawing) skematics and design world it is the most versatile, intuitive, fast, accurate, and well coded program possibly ever made. I always here people crying when adobe releases a new Illustrator or the like, because it is known that every year no matter whether a proven advancement or even relevent advancement has been written, they're going to release it and it is going to cause problems. Not just for the people who upgrade but also the non-upgraders whose work is no longer compatible. Every new AutoCAD is a marvel, and is backwards compatible. Brilliantly, they slowly but surely improve the workhorse AutoCAD Lt. for stability and let the user decide what he/she decides to use it for and personalize it themselves. But god bless (or whoever you choose to thank when happy) the fact AutoDesk uses common sense and left the ability for everybody no matter what version, they can still use everybody's final work. I'm not telling you to run out and buy AutoCad 2000, you are doing the smartest thing buying the newest version if able. If you design, engineer, invent, tinker, do rocket science, or just want to learn how to draw and alter the plans to your house! Buy this program! I'm not knocking designcad or turbocad, they are good programs but you can't buy notepad and think you're getting Word XP. (Believe it or not this is not even a strong enough comparison to make my point adequately!) We need to become inventors again of major influence in the USA-I wish programs like this were more popular instead of Grand Theft Auto! I want my kid to be an engineer as opposed to a car thief and I don't think I'm alone. Kudos to the Theft Auto guys, very intoxicating stuff! BUY AutoCAD Lt. 2005 Full Version!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Autocad is still the product from Hell
Review: While Autocad has certainly advanced since 1990 when I previously used it, it is still a giant, steaming pile of rubbish. It remains unintuitive and lacks rudimentary commands that have been standard on just about everything else for a decade (move more than one corner of a rectangle, paste in place, slect, ghost a layer, distribute). Is Autodesk unaware that these tasks have already been solved, and are tremendously useful? While poshay (hatching) is plainly visible on your screen it cannot be manipulated in and of itself. ...say, that's a terrific exception! Who thinks like this?

The command line AND cursor interface is a strange mix, niether fish or foul, that induces pain and seems to lack the benefits of either of those methods used singly. The preponderance of work has to be done with what is most users weaker hand (left). Your right hand just sits there making token mouse movements every once in a while. It could be argued that the mouse controls have remained so weak precisely BECAUSE the designers fall back on the prompt text rather than strive for clarity or intuition. And another sign that the mixed interface sucks, plenty of five-word prompts are still insufficient to actually communicate what the hell the product wants you to do. Try the half-assed Align feature.

The keyboard shortcuts are bizarre. "c" is for circle, "co" is for copy. Why does it take more keystrokes to copy? Copying is fundamental to design software. Why is the circle command priveleged?

Imagine trying to draw on paper with your elbows tied together - that's what working with Autocad feels like. It facilitates architectural drawing so little that you'd think architecture hadn't been a primary customer base for 20 years. Even Microsoft hasn't made a lousier piece of software.

For about twenty cents you could buy a pencil and shove it in your eye; you'd get a similar experience and you could still go spend eight hundred dollars on something of merit. Inconcievably, this excruciating piece of obfuscation is the industry standard.