AutoCAD for Mac 2011 now available for purchase

Mac-loving engineers, drafters, designers, and students have been waiting for a Mac-native version of AutoCAD to reappear on the platform for many years, so when Apple and Autodesk announced AutoCAD for Mac 2011 in late August, there was a lot of excitement.
Autodesk reported today that AutoCAD for Mac 2011 is available for purchase. The application isn't cheap -- the MSRP for the software is US$3,995, although one online retailer is offering $500 off that price. Upgrades from previous versions of AutoCAD on other platforms are $1,995. There's a free trial available, and students and educators can get a free copy of the application.

Several designers I have talked to are thrilled about the availability of the Mac edition of AutoCAD, as it takes advantage of the features of Mac OS X and the Mac hardware, but uses the native DWG file format for cross-platform compatibility. AutoCAD for Mac also features integration with the free AutoCAD WS app for the iPhone and iPad.

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Week in Apple: new Apple event, iOS jailbreaks, Mac market share

The biggest news of the week was, unsurprisingly, the announcement of Apple's "Back to the Mac" event for October 20. But that's not all we talked about—we also discussed some new software for the Mac and iOS, the latest Mac market share numbers, iPhone 4 damage, and more. Check it out:

Apple announces "Back to the Mac" OS X preview for October 20: Apple will give the media a sneak peek at the next version of Mac OS X on October 20 at a special event.

Sparrow for Mac: a study in minimalist e-mail interfaces: Two developers have beaten a group of top indie Mac developers to build a useful IMAP e-mail client for Mac OS X. Sparrow's minimalist interface might not be the panacea some were hoping for, but it may be the perfect fit for those who like to spend as little time dealing with e-mail as possible.

Jailbreak! Greenpois0n and limera1n offer new options for iOS 4: Two new tools promise unpatchable jailbreaks for most iOS devices, including iPhone 4, iPad, and Apple TV.

Delicious Monster takes on iOS and Google with Noogle Noggles: Wil Shipley—"monster" Mac OS X coder—wanted to get back into iOS development and experiment with Google's Goggles visual search service. He didn't expect to be competing directly with Google, but Delicious Library's new Google Goggles app offers an interesting user interface.

iPhone 4 nearly twice as prone to accidental screen damage: Is the iPhone 4's glass cover more susceptible to damage when dropped than earlier iPhone models? Accidental damage warranty claims suggest the glass can break nearly twice as often.

New Apple music subscription rumor pegs price at $10/month: Even though Apple didn't announce a music subscription at its recent music event, such a service may still be in the works. Apple is rumored to be engaging in talks with music industry execs, while simultaneously trash-talking Spotify.

Windows Phone 7 will sync "select content" with Macs: Microsoft will release limited Windows Phone 7 sync software for Mac OS X, but it remains unclear if Zune hardware will also be supported.

New MobileMe Calendar out of beta: Apple has pulled the new MobileMe Calendar out of beta. The updated version offers a refreshed UI and improved push syncing.

Apple breaks 10% market share in US, Lenovo climbs globally: Apple continues to ride high, becoming the number three PC vendor in the US for the third quarter while Acer drops thanks to soft netbook sales. The overall PC market is up, too.

iPad coming to AT&T and—yes—Verizon stores Oct 28: Rumors of a Verizon iPad were sort of true—the company will bundle iPads with MiFi hotspots and sell them at its retails stores later this month. AT&T will offer the already-compatible iPad 3G as well.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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