Hello Mark,

Just to be open: I work for a vendor representing another CAD system but
this post -just to calm everybody is not going to be a commercial ;-)

From time to time we get this type of questions posted. This time it was
Veribest (now Mentor Graphics) and Cadstar. Another time it is about some
other tools. I believe that all tools have their good sides (and bad sides)
as well as a price tag.

The question it all comes down to is "What are my needs?"

You can compare tools to the end of days but if you don't know what's
important to you, the replies you'll get won't make you any wiser. -Or as
some one said: It doesn't help to run if you don't know where to go.

If I were you, I'll work together with your Finnish colleagues to work out a
'needs sheet'.  A needs-sheet is not a list of tool features you want to
have but rather a broken down list of design issues that you need to
solve. -Each such issue must them be given some form of importance classing
such as:
* critical/must have
* Important/will affect productivity
* Less important/nice to have
....or something like that.
With that document in your hand, let the vendors in question -and why not
the members of this list, explain how these tools will address your needs
one by one.
-Then it's much easier to see which one of the tools that best solves your
needs. -Oh, and by the way, its not only the needs of today but also your
expected needs in the next years you'll need to address.
-It is VERY easy to fall into  features rather than needs and sometimes
features looks more impressive than the benefit they give you and that tends
to have impact on your judgement :-).

Best of everything

/Per

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 Per Viklund
Tech. Mgr. Dansk Data Elektronik AS / DDE Sverige AB / DDE USA Inc.
mailto:[log in to unmask]
http://www.dde-eda.com/
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Holmes" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2000 5:15 PM
Subject: [DC] Cadstar and Veribest


> Hi all,
>
> Our current goal is to make common the PCB design software we use here in
> the UK and our parent company
> based in Finland (it's a long story!). Currently, we run VeriBest here in
> the UK and our colleagues in Finland
> run Cadstar.
>
> I would be extremely interested to hear from anyone who has experience
with
> both systems, especially if you
> have had to convert libraries or jobs from one system to the other (either
> direction, who knows which way this is going
> to pan out!)
>
> I would also like to know of any problems of limitations of either system.
I
> have been using Veribest for around 5 years
> but I have only seen demos of Cadstar.
>
> I would really appreciate any comments at all that will help me make a
> balanced decision.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
> Mark Holmes PCB Designer
> Helvar Merca Ltd.
> Hawley Mill, Hawley Road,
> Dartford Kent.
> DA2 7SY England.
> Tel: +44 (0)1322 222211
> Fax: +44 (0)1322 282286
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
> http://www.helvar.com
>