Last week we wrote about using CAD software on a Mac. As we already knew beforehand and the feedback we got confirmed it, it is not a very popular idea to use CAD on a Mac. As we found out, the main reasons holding CAD engineers back are:
Hardware costs:
"I will not buy a Mac when I can build 2-3 workstations with the same cash outlay."
Hardware suitability and customizability:
"PC's have a big advantage hardwarewise concerning freedom of choice. You can configure a system exactly according to your need, with components from multiple suppliers."
Software compatibility
"Mainstream 3D CAD programs such as Catia, SolidWorks and Inventor are simply not available on the mac."
ARES Commander (a native DWG program) running successfully on a Mac
However, there are users who favor Macs and consider it a decent competitor to tPCs.
"Macs are much more stable, are extremely CAD friendly and, if one is a true successful professional, they will utilize the best platform for their business as opposed to worrying about the cost..."
And a comment we received on our last blog post about CAD on Mac:
"Our CFD mesh generation software has supported the Mac since 2004. This was driven by a strong customer pull from our engineering customers who preferred Mac OS X to Windows and its Unix core relative to Linux. As you know, customers who love the Mac do so rabidly. Developing for the Mac (in addition to Linux and Windows) has taught us that love comes at a price; there’s a lot of stuff you gotta do behind the scenes to make your product build right. Also, you may or may not find it interesting that European and Asian customers are virtually uninterested in the Mac for engineering apps – our main customer pull comes from the U.S."
There are valid points brought out by both parties, but the bottom line seems to be that it all comes down to personal preferences. The interesting thing to me seems to be that people are reluctant to try changes. And I can't blame them - it is not easy to switch from PC to a Mac just with the sole reason to try it out. "Okay, I could try it. But what if it will not work for me?" Valid point - then one'll have an expensive computer lying around, and plenty of time spent on adapting to the new OS, getting things working, etc is wasted.
But, if you do love the Mac, then most probably you'll find a way around all of this and get all your CAD stuff done.
A couple of reference links on the topic:
Using AutoCAD on Mac - a discussion on MacTalk forums
A discussion on MacRumors.com about using CAD software on a Mac
