X1 vs X4

[Steve77]

Hi there,

I was wanting some opinion on the best software out of X1 & X4.

I have personally been using chief since version 7-9 then X2 - X4
A colleague of mine refuses to upgrade & is still using X1 claiming it to be both better & faster!!!

So what I am wanting to know is why X1 is supposedly a better platform than the current versions.

Thanks

[dshall]

Come on Steve. Nutty question. X3 was CA becoming a mature program. X3 by far was the turning point and each successive version adds more arrows in your quiver. The 400.00 I spend each year for the updated version is not worth discussing to me.

[lbuttery]

Steve:

it's not .....

a very experienced Chiefer hated X1 and has stayed with ver 10
some just "can't see the forest for the trees"

I just gave my X1 key to a fellow chiefer as I recently worked with a chiefer who still had X1 and I didn't enjoy it at all

from now on I will only work with the current version and 2 prior versions

X1 is getting very old and while it may run on Win7 it may not run well etc

Lew

[perryh]

X4 by far, X1 was buggy. X5 comming out soon too.

[Steve77]

I know right, how can something so old be better than the current version.

I don't agree just wanted some justification for my point.

[perryh]

X4 has a lot more stuff in it and works better. if you draw plans get X4.

[David J. Potter]

One of Life's most sacrosanct edifices is one's own opinions, I have clients who use older versions and "swear" by them.

Believe me I am OK with that, I feel no compulsion to convert anyone from their cherished notions (fixed ideas) and no good will come of saying otherwise unless in answer to a direct question they might originate.

My first reaction was similar to Scott's but everywhere you look you see people believing what they will no matter good, solid reasons and evidence not to.

DJP

[Justice]

Hi there,

I was wanting some opinion on the best software out of X1 & X4.

I have personally been using chief since version 7-9 then X2 - X4
A colleague of mine refuses to upgrade & is still using X1 claiming it to be both better & faster!!!

So what I am wanting to know is why X1 is supposedly a better platform than the current versions.

Thanks

Steve some people dont like adapting to change and the small learning curve to each successive version but they miss out on the fuctionality of what us Chief Users suggest in the way of improvements that we want and evetually get most of them too. Yes it might cost a bit to get on the SSA system but its well worth it.

I missed the V8 upgrade becuase I was studying at the time and did not have the finaces to upgrade. V8 was a big change in the way the GUI worked and was faster and easier to navigate, I regret not having or borrowing the $850 or so I needed to upgrade then.

Although the GUI changed again in X1, don't be fooled the underhood changes right up to now are the best improvements I have ever seen since using CA. You might go through the lists of changes since then to fully convince yourself and others.

[mkennedy]

I've gone thru periods where I upgrade every piece of software I use every time they release anew version and I've gone thru periods where I stick with software for several versions. I've never found either philosophy to be substantially superior - I think it depends on how you learn, how frequently you use the software, how current your hardware is, even what your process is and how\why you use the software.
I've skipped ART releases when they broke backwards compatability. In the past I really don't want to have to maintain two or three (or more?) versions of the same software to be able to work with an old plan and that was a common need for me.
If I had substantial time invested in the creation of the thousands of standard details and notes, template plan and layout files and so on, I would weigh in the time cost of reversioning all that information as well.
I stuck at 9.5 for quite a while, because I didn't see enough improvement in sections and elevations to be able to use them "live" and CAs 2d CAD is not it's strong point, nor are there a significant number of CA trained drafters in the area.
Now that the economy is lsow, I don't have to provide IT support and training for a room full of drafters, it makes it much more tempting to buy every upgrade. I'm guessing I'll buy x5, certainly x4 solved all my issues with CA and allowed me to divorce myself from "OtherCAD" for my production drawings.

[gawdzira]

X1 is the musket to X4's Glock (and that is coming from a pacifist).

[sutcac]

Annosets alone make X1 completely obsolete.

[mkennedy]

Yeah, annosets are huge

[marty]

I have a colleague who is still using V10.
He often calls me and asks how to do this or that. I am half way through telling him before I realise what I am saying is meaningless to him. He is now caught in the trap that he is too far away from the current version and the uprade cost is nearly the same as a new user.

I personally think that X1 and X3 were the big jump while X2 & X4 were more of a refinement.

[mkennedy]

seems like the releases are about 18 months apart? soo SSA costs 600\version? 3 versions, 1800, which is more than the price of the upgrade from 10 to x4. I've never had much occasion to use tech support, most of the problems that I've had, they've sent back as "you have a problem, might be your video card, might be your on a LAN, might be whatever." I've only once in nearly 20 years of use gotten a solution from tech support, but that's just me. I know there are users who swear by it.

[marty]

I am much the same as far as SSA goes - only used support twice since it started and I dont use any training stuff or custom libraries.