MacDrawPro vs Illustrator

My suggestions and comments.
If you have never needed Illustrator then your needs for a draw program
are lesser complicated. Illustrator can be many things it is extremely
robust and for some overly complicated. Awesome program for my needs in
graphic arts because it is designed for prepress and printing use.

Might I suggest you guys look for different draw programs that are not
so proprietary and may last for a long while. If your needs are such
that a simple draw program will suffice then might I point to the
OpenOffice suite of applications. The draw program is fairly
impressive. I would not use if for graphic arts but it can handle quite
a bit. Along with it is all the other Office suite of goodies along
with the Draw you have a Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation and
Database. Cross platform and an open document format along with what I
believe is a bright future. Works well on Windows and on my Mac. With
Tiger just install the X11 additional stuff which will will open up a
whole world of apps for you as well.

In OS X OpenOffice uses the X11 Window system. With the added
installation of an Open Source font enabler called Fondu OpenOffice can
use the Mac fonts. The interface is not Macintosh standard but it is
the same on Windows. I can us the mac fonts and print to my printer.
The print interface is a little rough but it works for whatever is set
as the default printer. Eventually they will have an OS X native
version but I expect that to be for the Intel chip. Alternatively you
can also install the Java version ( NeoOffice/J ) which is using the
older OpenOffice 1.5 base. This has much of the Mac interface elements
and access to the Mac resources and works well.

Great price so it is always worth a try. Remember if you like it donate
to it. Helps keep it going.

Just a suggestion that will only cost a little time.

If you feel daring with the X11 thing there is also InkScape which is a
Open Source illustration application. Much rougher around the edges but
very impressive.

Michael


healyzh.RemoveThis@aracnet.com wrote:
> Michael L Kankiewicz <michaelk.RemoveThis@buffalo.edu> wrote:
> > Hello everyone. Graphic design is a miniscule part of my job, and I've
> > been using MacDrawPro (original program still on floppies) at work for
> > years now, from an LCIII in '93 up through several Macs. It has served my
> > needs well, mostly for floor layouts, diagrams, etc. (For example, most
> > recently, submitting a detailed layout for a computer/multimedia lab.)
>
> > I've been handed down two copies of Illustrator, vrns 6 & 8. Is it time
> > to get current and switch? How is the learning curve? We are a PC-based
> > org, but next to my Dull Plentium Oxyplux my current Mac is a Lombard/400.
>
> > Any advice on the pros a/o cons of switching would be appreciated.
>
> You're in almost in the same boat as me. In '92 and '93 I used MacDraw
> quite a bit, and in '95 when I bought my first Mac, the first piece of
> software I purchased was ClarisDraw (what the Upgraded MacDrawPro had
> become). Sadly, that was the last time they upgraded it, and I think it
> might actually still be a 68k-only app.
>
> Your first problem will be that Illustrator will not read your MacDraw
> graphics, and there is no converter. I bought Illustrator as part of Adobe
> CS Pro a couple years ago, and I'm able to import my graphics if I first
> print them to an Acrobat file, for the most part I've only used this for
> importing them into Adobe InDesign. Another problem is there is definitely
> a learning curve, and I for one really prefer the ease of use of ClarisDraw.
> I think the problem might be that we're both looking for a simple CAD
> program, while Illustrator is more of a drawing program, and
> MacDraw/ClarisDraw is a little of both. Maybe with this realization, I need
> to start looking at what's available for CAD software on the Mac.
>
> In the last year or two, there have been a few programs that can handle
> ClarisDraw files, but none really have the ease of use feel of ClarisDraw to
> me. I'm not sure if these apps will read MacDraw files, which are somewhat
> different. A quick Google shows at least one will.
>
> http://www.eazydraw.com/MacDraw.htm
> http://www.purgatorydesign.com/Intaglio/
>
> The following looks to first require you to export to a PICT file, but looks
> interesting to me at least.
> http://www.ilexsoft.com/about/pr/prlibrary/0411HD141.html
>
> Oh, and it your case, if the Mac is only being used for MacDrawPro, it might
> be worth it to look into finding a copy of ClarisDraw for Windows (though
> it's for Win95, and I don't know how well it will run on modern Hardware).
>
> Zane