14 DAY TRIAL // Autodesk, Inc. has issued a report officially announcing AutoCAD for Mac, and the AutoCAD WS application for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.
As one of the most widely used software applications for professional design and engineering, the new version of AutoCAD will run natively on Mac OS X when it’s released to the general public this fall, Autodesk said.
This increases the choice of hardware for users around the world, the company outlined.
However, in a report by the New York Times, the company’s real reasons for bringing AutoCAD back to the Mac are exposed - Autodesk just couldn’t ignore the growing number of Mac users out there.
“The release of AutoCAD for Mac marks the return of professional design and engineering software to the Mac platform and an important convergence of power and design,” said Amar Hanspal, senior vice president, Autodesk Platform Solutions and Emerging Business.
“Over 5000 customers have helped develop this product through our beta program and they are delighted to have the choice of a native Mac version of AutoCAD,” Hanspal noted.
“The combination of this new version of AutoCAD and the extension of AutoCAD to iPad, iPhone and iPod touch is a big step in Autodesk’s efforts to accelerate design and make design more accessible for an ever-greater number of people so they can shape the world around them,” Hanspal concluded.
A surprise statement from Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, is also included in the Autodesk report announcing the return of AutoCAD to the Macintosh.
“Apple is thrilled that Autodesk is bringing AutoCAD back to the Mac and we think it's the perfect combination for millions of design and engineering professionals,” Schiller said emphatically.
“The AutoCAD WS app is a bold new idea, a mobile version of industry-leading design software for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, the world's most innovative mobile devices," the Apple exec added.
The AutoCAD WS application for iOS devices will be provided as a free download through the iTunes App Store.
The app acts as a companion to the desktop solution, enabling users to edit and share AutoCAD files on iOS devices “so they can have real-time collaboration even while on the go,” the company explained.
Both the AutoCAD for Mac and the AutoCAD WS applications will be available this fall, Autodesk said. The company failed to provide a specific launch date.
The iOS app will be made available worldwide. However, AutoCAD for Mac will be available in North America and Europe only.