Purchasing Solidworks 2006 - SP2.0 availability question 4

[garrickk]

Hi, I've been negotiating the purchase of Solidworks 2006 today for my company. For cost/budget constraints, I wasn't going to purchase maintenence yet, and the person I'm buying the software from claims SP1 is the latest release, yet people here are discussing SP2.

Is SP2 out, or is it still in an "evalutation" release? It's my understanding that I won't be able to download service packs for 2006 without a maintenence contract.

Any other thoughts or buying suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[PDMAdmin]

All we ever get is the SP0.0 CD's. Anything you want above and beyond that would require a maintenance plan.

To answer your question, SP2.0 is officially out, but without a current maintenance plan, I doubt you'll be able to get your hands on it unless you have a very generous VAR.

 

[garrickk]

Well, the person I'm dealing with made it sound like you get what ever is the current latest release and actually said we would get SP1 and that's it without a maintenance plan.

I assumed we would get the SP0 CD's and a serial number that would work with the SP1 patch. I guess I'll try to get up to SP2.

Thanks for the information.

 

[J-C]

From what I understand, the VAR you purchased it from has to give you any service pack you ask for that comes out for the version you bought. SCott may be able to verify this.

Also keep in mind that if you decide to upgrade in the future, you will pay extra depending on the version you're on which will pretty much equal being on maintenance the whole time. So not paying maint. doesn't help if you still plan to upgrade later.

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2005 SP5.0 on WinXP SP2
SolidWorks 2006 SP1.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[SBaugh]

SW makes SP CD’s and sends them out to only to new Customers. SO if you have purchased SW after the SP has been released then you will most likely get SP”X” CD’s. “X” being the latest SP. It takes SW about 1-2 weeks to make those CD’s from the time the SP is officially released.

Your serial number will never change, unless you change Bundles. The Reg code is the only thing that needs updated one major version to the next. SP will not require a new Reg code. If you bought SNL then you will have to get a new License file ever year in or out of Maintenance… either way your Serial will not change.

Regards,


Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[garrickk]

Thanks everyone for the information. I wish I knew if I was getting a good offer on the package and maintenance. I feel like I'm in a car dealership and I have no data on the MSRP and Invoice pricing.

What sort of percentage price differences to people usually see between standard Solidworks and Solidworks Office? Maintenance and software?

 

[SBaugh]

Depends on hte VAR. Ask each VAR for references and they should give you some. If they don't then you have something to worry about. The base package of SW starts at $4000 and goes up from there on what bundle and any add-ins you want to purchase.

What are you looking for in the SW package... bundle and add-ins. Do you plan to purchase maintainence. If you have never used the software I believe that alone is worth getting for that, and also for major updates. Because if you find a bug in the software and there is a workaround, no matter how painful you will not be given the next SP or major upgrade that fixes the issue. Because a workaround is a workaround and if that gets you around the issue, then it's solved... no matter how painful it maybe.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[garrickk]

I think the standard Solidworks will be enough, although Photoworks in Office would have been nice. We'll be buying Desktop EDA's Protel/Altium plugin and will be generating 3D models and drawings of our circuit boards. We may also design some simple enclosures.

I don't know if I will use most of the other additions in SW Office, so I haven't decided if that's worth it yet.

Our current quotes for Solidworks has yearly maintenance running at 1/3 the cost of the software! We have seats of Altium Designer which is sold now for $12000 for an initial license, but with only $1500 a year maintenance.

Basically, I wasn't expecting maintenance to be so high for Solidworks. I use Altium Designer daily (hourly), but I'll probably be using Solidworks once a month.

 

[Beggar]

For once-a-month usage, I think you need to really question whether you *need* Solidworks at all.

I'd second Scott's opinion: If you've never used the software before, you should really consider maintenance for at least one year so that you have access to Tech Support.

I started Solidworks with several years of experience with some of its competitors but still found myself on the phone quite a bit during those first few months.

Now, my maintenance contract is basically just to ensure I don't get stuck with a buggy release.

FWIW, when I purchased my first license, our CDs were SP3.

--------------------
Bring back the HP-15

http://www.hp15c.org

--------------------

 

[SBaugh]

Beggar is right... if you only plan to use it once a month you need to consider whether you want to pay that much for a once a month app. Plus what you learn one day you will forget the next month when you have to do it again.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[neilc78]

When I received my disks for 2006 they came with SP1 early visibility!!! And I am not a new customer. I noticed this when I tried to install SP2 from a download - which of course it wouldn't do. I have had to get new disks sent out. I would have thought that you are entitled to the most recent version at the time of purchase.(make sure to tell your VAR that service packs are fixing problems that Solidworks created not problems you created!)

 

[SBaugh]

I am surprised you got EV on a CD, since the EV is only out for 2 weeks. It must have been a mistake. You are entitled to the latest SP if it's out when you purchase it.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[J-C]

Scot, I thought you can get any service pack for the release you bought, even off maintenance. You just can't download it from the website like subscription customers can.

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2005 SP5.0 on WinXP SP2
SolidWorks 2006 SP1.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[SBaugh]

Example: SP1 CD's are no longer avaiable since SP2 is out. That's the way it has been for years now. SP1 is no longer avail. at the SW website, just SP2.

If the a users CD's go bad and they are off Maintainance then we as a VAR will probably have to burn copies of the SP for them or CD's for them. We (I) keep all the SP's on a External HDD. for 2 versions, then I burn it all off onto a couple of CD's and keep them around incase someone asks for it.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[rfus]

I love solidworks, I'm on maintenance, love getting the new releases, don't really think the VAR is any more help than the help files or a board like this...but with that said

I think having to be on maintenance for a patch or bug fix to the software version you are running is a crock.

Lets say you bought 05 SP0 right when it was released and could not afford maintenance. SW is just gonna stick you with this bug filled initial release or you gotta be buddy buddy with a var to get a patch. The whole maintenance subscription for SP's thing is set up to help the vars make money since the vars are out there pounding the pavement to create new users.

I'm on maintenance because you get new releases, because solidworks has no backwards compatability with earlier versions, and because my company pays for it without thinking twice.

 

[dogarila]

I've been using SW for almost six years and I love it but I have to say this:

When Windows XP was released I bought it for my computer at home. Since then SP1 and SP2 have been released and I was able to download them from Microsoft website and install them without having to pay for them or being on maintenance. So I'm not so sure about Micro$oft but I am pretty sure about $olidWork$.

 

[Beggar]

The whole maintenance subscription for SP's thing is set up to help the vars make money...[\quote]

Yep. They expect to earn money just like everybody else. The VARs, Solidworks, and DSI are all looking to maximize their profits...just like your company and mine.

--------------------
Bring back the HP-15

http://www.hp15c.org

--------------------

 

[Jabberwocky]

We have three seats of SWx here. We pay for maintenance on one of those seats. So, one seat is always up-to-date while the rest only get updated during major changes.

Honestly, unless you're having problems or have a specific enhancement request the maintenance doesn't help you that much.


Besides dogarila - how much of your soul did you sell to Microsoft for their patches? (end rant, I love Windows XP)

 

[smcadman]

Dogarilla, just be glad that only Solidworks gets away with this and not Toyota or Ford:

"Sometimes my car will not go faster than 30 mph.. Also my headlights just quit working and I have to pull over and turn the car off and turn it back on to get them to work. Even though the manual says I can carry five people comfortably, if I carry more than 2 people at a time the engine starts to stall."

"I'm sorry sir, but there's nothing we can do for you, but you can pay us to fix it"

"BUT I JUST BOUGHT IT LAST WEEK!"

Okay, maybe no tech support for SW, but what about including the SP's for that version, for example the SP's for SW05?

Flores
SW06 SP2.0

 

[garrickk]

I just got off the phone with the VAR I'm dealing with. I have a very nice offer (initial software price), but he claims that he can only give me SP1 and not SP2 unless I promise to buy maintenance in the next 6 months.

This seems like a crock. Any thoughts?