Homebrew PCBs

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stefan Trethan" <stefan_trethan@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 10:05 AM
Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: What is your favorite free PCB-CAD Designer


> On Thu, 07 Sep 2006 10:50:50 +0200, Andrew <andrewm1973@...> 
> wrote:
>
>> I am looking at spending less
>> than 10K on software, preferably less than 5K.
>> If I can get something that is good in all other
>> respects - but has a weird UI - I will be smiling.
>
> The danger is if the UI is crap the programmer has messed it up, and he
> has probably messed up lotsa other things too.
> Or it is some old thing carried over from DOS times that doesn't really
> interest me much if i'm going to buy new software.
>
> I really don't think it's a price issue. You can find good and bad UIs in
> any price range.
>
> The thing to do is try out all programs that you think may be an option
> for you, including those with bad UI if you don't mind that.

They bought Eagle where I used to work, I'd used my own copy of Pulsonix 
until then. I tried to use it for a design but found that it was taking me 
far longer than the same job would take with Pulsonix, and the additional 
keystrokes and mouse clicks were giving me RSI. It also had a nasty bug. I 
refused to use it and had a big row with management - they backed down and 
let me use Pulsonix. Another engineer there was very familiar with Eagle, 
they bought it on his recommendation and because it was cheap. He once spent 
two weeks doing a PCB that I could have done in under a day with Pulsonix! 
His two weeks work would have paid for a Pulsonix seat. Another engineer 
there has always refused to use Eagle and uses an old copy of Proteus, which 
isn't much better but he likes it.

Leon