Hello again, I have a new Crossfire XR on the way, so am looking at different software. I have had Mac computers for 25 years, and I know AutoDesk offers 360 for my Mac. Just not sure if that is the best way to go. When I started, Mac computers were far and away more trouble free than all the Windows based desk tops I had, especially if you had to call Microsoft for support (45 - 60 minutes wait times, Apple was 2 minutes tops). I know nothing about the current Windows based laptops, which is currently considered the most reliable, and so on. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Would like to know if it is cheaper in the long run to just to buy a separate PC like a Dell laptop to run Fusion 360, or sign up with Parallels on my MacBook Pro laptop. And which way has a proven track records of being mostly trouble free and well suopported like Mac. From experience I know nothing is free for long or supported forever. Would appreciate any and all input. Thanks to you all. Terry
One ‘solution’ is to use a MiniPC to run your system (I think this is the default for the XR anyway) and run SheetCam on that. Then you can design on anything, anywhere, transfer your 2d file to the XR computer, do final CAM step there and the file will be local for FireControl.
I HATE bridges (AKA Parallels). It’s like the worst of two mediocre worlds.
We lived with Parallels for 3 or 4 years while my daughter was in college. She needed a CAD program that was only available on Windows and she decided she wanted a MacBook Pro for college.
It was a memory hog and tried to act like it was seamless switching between them but it was like shutting down one computer and going to another computer for a cold start.
She went to college 2007 so my information is old news.
My laptop from Costco, cost less than $1000 and seems to do a reasonable job with Fusion 360 but the screen is 14 inches so I do very little designing with it…only in a pinch.
I recently purchased the mini-computer that BigDaddy and others talk about. The computer is less than $200. You add monitor, keyboard and mouse and your are able to control the plasma table. Add a small cart to house the computer for another $200 and you are still in it for less than the Mac for both computers.
You might ask “Why don’t you use the laptop with the computer?”
Answer: “I have been for about a year. I really like the computer and just want to protect it from the elements.” I figure that Mini-computer would be super easy to swap out if something goes wrong with it in the future. Laptops are not so easy to swap out.
Thanks for the input, Tom. I know nothing about the good, the bad, and so on where software is concern. I’m going to be relying on input just like yours here to get off the ground. Terry
I use the same mini computer with F360 for simple designs and or tweaking models. It can handle it.