I started using Generic Software's "Generic CADD Level 3" in the mid '80s. AutoDesk gobbled them up and Genneric CADD 5.0 and 6.0 came out before they made Generic CADD go away. It only cost around $300 at its peak, with no license to keep up. You could spend alot of $$$ on component libraries if you wanted to but I just created the components that I needed. I bought 5 legal packages of the 6.0 from a surplus supplier for $65 each once AutoDesk orphaned them. I still run it from the W98 machine here and my 2000 machine at work. I also have run it from XP. So as many times as I've been told that it won't in Windows machines, I've let my drawings speak for themselves. As Scott was surprised to learn, the DXF output from my Generic 6.0, inported nicely into his AutoCADD. I also just recently noticed that I can save to several image formats. It had never come up before.
I take alot of heat for not bumping up to the AutoCAD. They get what they need from me though in the DXF format. AutoCAD doesn't like Generic CADD's fill command but very fine hatches can be used. I haven't followed the other packages such as TurboCad that were popular when Generic was around. I bet you can find alot of bargains if you don't require the industry standard.
Joe
