SW scam

[alexit]

Now I know SW and their "future version" is just marketing BS. Probably a line of code like: IF REVNoFile>REVNoSoft THEN Err"Future Version"

eDrawings 2003 cannot open an .edrw eDrawings2004 file..."future version"...there are NO "updated" features, there are no features listed at all...in fact the model/drawings were creating in 2003 and 2004 was only used to create the eDrawing.

We should withhold our "maintence" payments until they give us "Save As" at least ONE previous version.

Rant Mode Off

 

[macPT]

JNR, you hit hard, but 100% correct.

When buying a productive software (as for any other tool) you must compare the price+costs and the benefits. In the costs you must consider consumables, maintenance,....

So, in the principle that your VAR didn't hide anything from you (and usualy they don't), you should know from start that you should pay a maintenace fee for the upgrades, and what would happen if you did not upgrade. If your work can't support the costs, then you shouldn't buy SW. You've made a poor decision.

Or, like I've done for 2 years, you must assume the risk of being "stuck" in a old version. I didn't complaint about that because it was a conscious decision. When in need of a higher version, I use a dumb import, which would not be very different from the result of a backwards converter, like SBaugh explained. I upgrade to a newer version when I manage to prove that the benefits of that where higher than the maintenance costs.

I'm not saying that I don't understand your problem. I suppose all SW users would like backwards compatibility, but nobody was cheated. All knew SW policy (witch is, in fact, similar to all the major CAD manufacturers).

And if some of you think that Autocad (or any other CAD) is a more mature and better product than SW, then please buy and use it.

Don't buy a car if you don't have the money for the gasoline! Or, if you do, please don't complaint!

Best Regards