AutoCAD reintroduced to Apple hardware

To secure its bit of the limelight this week, Autodesk announced it will be re-introducing AutoCAD as a native Apple OS X application to the North American and European markets this October. In addition, the company will also release a free iPad, iPhone and iPod touch app, AutoCAD WS, which will allow users to view and edit AutoCAD files. The company says that it can no longer ignore the growing popularity of the once niche computer platform.

Priced the same as the PC version ($3,995), the application will be built on OS X libraries and UI components, giving its flagship architectural and engineering design software a distinctively “Mac” look and feel. The Mac version will incorporate many of OS X’s hallmark features including quick previews, cover flow file browsing and multi-touch gestures on Mac notebooks, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad for pan and zoom features. The application is available for pre-ordering now and runs on Intel machines running OS X 10.5 or 10.6.

Since the majority of engineering software is PC Windows based, a native Mac AutoCAD may largely be of interest to the AEC market. Still, if the AutoCAD does well on the Mac, it will be interesting to see if Autodesk ports Inventor to Mac or if other CAD companies follow suit with their own OS X versions.
www.autodesk.com/autocadformac