It seems like there have been quite a few posts lately from older (ie. V8/V9/V10/V12/et al) users who have upgraded their computers to (shudder ...) Windows 8 - and are having trouble getting their older versions working with Win 8. Most posts seem to be related to the fact that the dongle driver isn't/can't be found - not that there is an issue with Dcad, but merely with the dongle driver.
(stepping up on my soap box ...)
Honestly ... we're now up to V16 for Dcad - and by my calculations we haven't been near V11 since 2005, **basically 9 years ago**!!! In all those years DC LLC has faithfully done their utmost to add features that we, the USERS, have asked for - not necessarily trying to keep up with the Acad-Joneses, just giving we end-users what we wanted and not what we've been told we "need"! The only thing that DC LLC has asked of us is to support them by upgrading yearly.
Sure ... for some/most of us we could be productive (even today) with V8 (and thank GOD that DC LLC took the time and expense to port our beloved Dcad to Windows!), but we couldn't talk/translate with where the rest of the cadd/architectural/engineering/etc. community has been moved to. And yet we're all asked to work, one way or another, with more current "standards" (like PDF and current DWG formats) to submit to jurisdictions, or even just to get prints from a local reprographics shop. There are a myriad of workarounds that work to varying degrees, but they are still just workarounds.
DC LLC has done their UTMOST to keep our upgrade costs to what can only be described as MODEST (or ludicrous!) in comparison to other software. Heck, a billing software that I've trumpeted for the past 12 years just announced that they will be going from yearly maintenance fees of $695 for a 5-user license to a yearly subscription cost of $1,100 - to get features that the single user license won't give you - and that a single user really needs!!!
Sure, it's a cost that some of us can't justify (when you only use the program very few times a year) - but if you're using it year after year, even if it's only a few times a year, how much is it really costing you? Dave Giesselman (and Devinder, with the Sun Shader) has added SO MUCH functionality every year that if you are using V14 or earlier, you are costing yourself money by NOT upgrading!
Just think ... what would you have to do if DC LLC were to (God forbid) go out of business because not enough registered users upgraded? The cost of a NEW program, coupled with LEARNING it, coupled the time to port all of your symbols/drawings/details (if you even COULD) would be WAY more than the cost of even 2 years of upgrades.
C'mon people - if you haven't upgraded into V16, please ... PLEASE don't complain that your V8/9/10/11/12/et all won't work with your new Windoze 8 machine and ask "How do I make it work?" Either figure it out yourself, go find another program to use that (may?) treat you like DC LLC has all of these years ... or make the commitment and UPGRADE to keep the program that has fed your family in the past (or still IS feeding your family now) afloat for the future!
(stepping off of my soap box ... for now)
PLEASE, Dcad users ... if you haven't upgraded to V16, please, PLEASE upgrade and see the improvements that will make your life SO much easier (and work with your new laptop/desktop)!
(stepping up on my soap box ...)
Honestly ... we're now up to V16 for Dcad - and by my calculations we haven't been near V11 since 2005, **basically 9 years ago**!!! In all those years DC LLC has faithfully done their utmost to add features that we, the USERS, have asked for - not necessarily trying to keep up with the Acad-Joneses, just giving we end-users what we wanted and not what we've been told we "need"! The only thing that DC LLC has asked of us is to support them by upgrading yearly.
Sure ... for some/most of us we could be productive (even today) with V8 (and thank GOD that DC LLC took the time and expense to port our beloved Dcad to Windows!), but we couldn't talk/translate with where the rest of the cadd/architectural/engineering/etc. community has been moved to. And yet we're all asked to work, one way or another, with more current "standards" (like PDF and current DWG formats) to submit to jurisdictions, or even just to get prints from a local reprographics shop. There are a myriad of workarounds that work to varying degrees, but they are still just workarounds.
DC LLC has done their UTMOST to keep our upgrade costs to what can only be described as MODEST (or ludicrous!) in comparison to other software. Heck, a billing software that I've trumpeted for the past 12 years just announced that they will be going from yearly maintenance fees of $695 for a 5-user license to a yearly subscription cost of $1,100 - to get features that the single user license won't give you - and that a single user really needs!!!
Sure, it's a cost that some of us can't justify (when you only use the program very few times a year) - but if you're using it year after year, even if it's only a few times a year, how much is it really costing you? Dave Giesselman (and Devinder, with the Sun Shader) has added SO MUCH functionality every year that if you are using V14 or earlier, you are costing yourself money by NOT upgrading!
Just think ... what would you have to do if DC LLC were to (God forbid) go out of business because not enough registered users upgraded? The cost of a NEW program, coupled with LEARNING it, coupled the time to port all of your symbols/drawings/details (if you even COULD) would be WAY more than the cost of even 2 years of upgrades.
C'mon people - if you haven't upgraded into V16, please ... PLEASE don't complain that your V8/9/10/11/12/et all won't work with your new Windoze 8 machine and ask "How do I make it work?" Either figure it out yourself, go find another program to use that (may?) treat you like DC LLC has all of these years ... or make the commitment and UPGRADE to keep the program that has fed your family in the past (or still IS feeding your family now) afloat for the future!
(stepping off of my soap box ... for now)
PLEASE, Dcad users ... if you haven't upgraded to V16, please, PLEASE upgrade and see the improvements that will make your life SO much easier (and work with your new laptop/desktop)!
Highest Regards,
Alan T. Hendry, RA
Intel i7-12700F (2.10 GHz) Desktop, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Win 11 Home 64-bit, DC 23 w/ latest beta
Intel i7-10750H (2.6GHz) Laptop, 16GB RAM, 1.5TB HD, Win 11 Home 64-Bit, w/ DC 22, 23 & latest beta
Alan T. Hendry, RA
Intel i7-12700F (2.10 GHz) Desktop, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Win 11 Home 64-bit, DC 23 w/ latest beta
Intel i7-10750H (2.6GHz) Laptop, 16GB RAM, 1.5TB HD, Win 11 Home 64-Bit, w/ DC 22, 23 & latest beta