I worked for an engineering company that used the Ashlar 2-d software because it was so easy to train people to use. It was very easy to use and we even ran it on Macs. Compatibility with other software - Autocad became the issue. When we wanted to send a drawing to a customer they would inevitably want it to be in ACAD. The conversion to acad would require redoing all of the dimensions because the fonts would not translate at all. I am sure that it has gotten better (PDF and other file exchange systems would have solved many issues) but there is always risk in conversions. I believe some company's make changes to frustrate their competitors. Also, the Macs were not impervious to the blue-screen of death. They were as flaky or worse than any of the Windows XP machines that replaced them. The Ashlar method is great for quick training and ease of use. In being that way, some of the power for some applications is lost. Autolisp function, while cruder, gave the autocad user so much automation power that it easily outdid Ashlar's Weak Macros. This is from 6-7 years ago so much may have changed..