Autodesk abuses customers?

I have supported Autodesk since 1987, installing it in several employers’ offices, and even purchasing it myself. When Designer came out I bought it ahead of its release. I then upgraded to Mechanical Desktop when it was released. I continued on the subscription until 2008, when they both ruined Mechanical Desktop, and then dropped the product. It appears they did this to force customers to switch to Inventor, and regardless the pressure and hype, I can’t use Inventor for what I do the way I do it. I pleaded with representatives several times, and insisted that I was not going to use Inventor but would keep Mechanical Desktop until they pry it from my cold dead computer. I was forced to drop my subscription, since I do not use Inventor, and they were not going to continue providing Mechanical Desktop. That would be $1200.00 a year for what? Well, it appears to be the case that now they are trying to pressure me to continue my subscription in another way.

I purchased a new computer recently, and switching over found Mechanical Desktop 2008 would not run, but needed authorization. The request for it elicited a reply from Autodesk that my license was changed to Mechanical Desktop 2009, and since I did not continue my subscription I was not allowed to run older versions. I paid for all the years of subscription upgrades, and now I am not allowed to use any but the last one. The last one does not work correctly. Neither does 2008, which I am not allowed to use.

Can you imagine a CAD system, solid modeling, that does not allow you to make an object transparent so you can see things inside it? This is what they did to Mechanical Desktop. Can you imaging anyone who understands what CAD and solid modeling is, and what it is used for, doing that? Or even considering doing that? Could it have been another facet of their plan to force people into Inventor?

I have Pro-E WF, and now also Solidworks. After using MDT since before 2000 Pro-E WF seems like a virus, taking a 2 hour job and turning it into a 6 hour job; and Solidworks is like a toy, Barbi-doll cad. But I would prefer to be reduced to using a lumbering, obstacle laden lummox like Pro-E, or a Barbi-doll toy program like Solidworks, than be subjected to abuse, contempt, and extortion by a company I supported loyally since 1987.

The pain, insult, and rejection are worse, far worse, since the relationship is so long.

So my only apparent course of action is to shed light on the mode of operation of Autodesk, and the likelihood that they will do this to the next batch of loyal customers when one of their whimsical intents leads them to drop their program and completely disregard and betray their customers.

So, if you are considering an Autodesk purchase, consider the possibility of being dumped, and maybe at the worst possible time. And not only the pain of being dumped, like so much dog manure, but then being charged to try to continue using the program versions to either continue existing projects, or serve clients involved in them, or to migrate or reconstruct them in another CAD program. Think about it. These were the people who, when I was on the committee to study which CAD program to use back in 1987 at my company, said they would be here for the long haul. Imagine my shock!

Like a woman who goes out with someone else’s husband – should she be shocked if she finds out he is seeing another side-woman – behavior seems to indicate a person or company feels that behavior is acceptable or even beneficial. They won’t care if they hurt you, like they didn’t care that they hurt us, those of us who are, for different reasons, bound to Mechanical Desktop and cannot migrate to Inventor.