3D - 2

What is a good first time CAD software?

I have never used a CAD program before, but that doesn't mean i want a cheap limited one. I wouldn't like it to be highly professional. It will be my first time using one, so it has to be good for beginners. Preferably at around the 50 price range?

Public Comments

1. Pretty sure you aren't going to find anything better than free for the price of $50. If you want to spend at least a couple hundred for a single license, I'd recommend the cheapest of the more popular namebrands (solidworks, autocad, pro/e...) for 2D, because they all do the same thing essentially. If you want 3D, use a higher end namebrand like pro/e for large assemblies, and any namebrand if you want regular 3D functionality. It's worth noting that the more capable software is typically harder to learn. Try something free first. Google Sketch Up is decent for inaccurate design. There are more accurate free programs out there, but none of them are all that good.
2. You're not going to much get for that. Even the 'lite' version of Autocad (not full featured) is $1000! The full version is closer to 5k! You might find a 2008 or a used version for around $100 online. All the others pale in comparison...the closest one is Turbocad (link below)