I guess I'll through my hat in the ring because.
For PCB Layout, I started with Protel on an etching machine and moved up to Board Station. Then it was to Orcad layout and moved over to PADS for the past 12 years. I touch PCAD and some others (including film) during various conversion processes.
I have opinions on all, they all have plus and minus. Board Station required too many people to function, Orcad Layout was flakly but easy to use and worked with Orcad capture for x-probe. PADS I like, but if you used it 10 years ago, you could pick it up very quickly, not a lot has changed until recently. I can do 3D models based on it's outputs with it using Circuitworks for Solidworks and have been doing so since 2005.
For Schematics, I started with Orcad Capture and initiated a Orcad CIS system. Then due to increased group size and attempts to unify design groups we decided to move to DxDesigner with DxDatabook to work across networks which at the time Orcad couldn't support. Both are capable of doing the job, Orcad has a wider user base and more intuitive, but DxD is more customizable and capable, if you need it. I'd only do DXD again if we had a larger support staff (see next paragraph).
In regards to things that I look for in a tool, ease of setup, ease of deployment and ease of use are essential. Why? Because being the only ECAD person in my division, it's my role to make the schematics systems function, layout systems work, train everyone and still somehow do schematics and layouts. I feel that that more designers are having to pick up larger roles as companies have downsized and some cases deemed one person is the "goto" person for all things PCB related. I'm unsure if others are seeing this trend.
After the ease of use, I'd say stability, support from the vendor and support by outside design groups to be my next choices.
Best Regards
-Jeffrey
Jeffrey A. Jenkins CID+/CIT
Designer PCB Staff-CA || L-3 Linkabit || Ph: 858-552-9832 || [log in to unmask]
Quoting "Brooks, Bill" <[log in to unmask]>:
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