Just got the Autodesk Design Suite Premium 2012. Something new was the distribution, it came in a small box with a USB flash drive! No more stacks of CD/DVD cases…
This little thing came packed with software too! AutoCAD, Autodesk SketchBook Designer, Autodesk Showcase, Autodesk Mudbox, and 3ds Max Design! The MSRP is about $5000 but these titles by themselves are almost $10k! For me, having AutoCAD is a no-brainer, everyone can use that. I’ve played with SketchBook but unfortunately I am not much of a freehand artist. But I can model with the best of them and then render real-life with 3ds Max.
This form of bundling and delivery is certainly appealing. The biggest benefit is getting access to some apps that under normal circumstances I would not have been able to buy without a specific use case presented. But now, for example, Showcase, having access to that can cut a lot of time from the “just give me a rendering” efforts. You know, you need a nice render but don’t have the time to do an awesome render.
Where this goes into the future is unclear. I have my doubts about Autodesk providing these USB flash drives to deliver software. I would bet that pretty soon it will be internet download only. Better get yours while supplies last!
