Through the Interface

AutoCAD for DOS 2012

MS-DOSAfter many years of absence from the platform, AutoCAD is returning to MS-DOS. This is great news for our DOS-based user community, who have been struggling along with R13 for the last decade and a half.

Enabled by the application re-architecture performed for AutoCAD for Mac (codenamed "Sledgehammer"), the new AutoCAD for DOS (codenamed "Screwdriver") will deliver compelling performance with a streamlined user interface experience.

AutoCAD for DOS

AutoCAD for DOS will automatically import any CUI-based customizations, replacing ribbons and other Windows-centric UI elements with equivalent pull-down, screen and icon menus.

AutoCAD TabletFor those of you wanting to hook up a digitizing tablet to complete the "retro" experience, be sure to look out for our "AutoCAD Tablet" app on the Apple AppStore, which will turn your iPad into a wireless graphics tablet for AutoCAD for DOS.

And thanks to this new, flexible core architecture, I have every confidence that it won't belong before we see AutoCAD for OS/2, AutoCAD for WFW 3.11 and even AutoCAD for CP/M. Watch this space. Probably around the same time next year. Actually quite probably this very day, next year. 😉

  1. David Osborne Avatar
    David Osborne

    Posted this one a little early for those of us in the Western Hemisphere! 😉

    Reply
  2. Dan Glassman Avatar
    Dan Glassman

    I hope that Autodesk has put effort into catering to the non-lisp/arx development community with this release beyond that done with the Mac version. Embedded qbasic.net?

    Reply
  3. Steve Johnson Avatar
    Steve Johnson

    Wow! Just what I've been waiting for! This thing's really going to FLY on today's hardware! But what a shame that all that performance is going to be offset by the terrible loss of productivity caused by the lack of a Ribbon. 😉

    Reply
  4. Maximkanaev Avatar
    Maximkanaev

    Congratulations with the April 1st!
    But in fact - not a bad idea ;)))))

    Reply
  5. ReneRamirez Avatar
    ReneRamirez

    Great news "today" !!!!! ;))

    Reply
  6. Jay Avatar
    Jay

    Is the the one and only Dave Osborne, aka Mr. Smooth?

    Reply
  7. Alexander Rivilis Avatar
    Alexander Rivilis

    The best joke I read today 😀

    Reply
  8. Lloyd Leeper Avatar
    Lloyd Leeper

    Thank God! Finally a return to a stable and functioning version. Hopefully this will also mean a return to useful manuals, customer help that actually helps, and... oh, right. What was I thinking? 😉

    Reply
  9. Bill Fane Avatar
    Bill Fane

    Seriously,though, the bad news is that 2012 drops the old DOS screen menu. It is/was far faster than the ribbon & toolbars (no fancy grapics) and is fully context-sensitive. It was built in the days before 3-button mice, so it automatically shifts to bring up all the context-menu stuff without having to right-click. I'll miss it.

    Reply
  10. Steve Germano Avatar
    Steve Germano

    Clever, I like it!

    Reply
  11. Steve Johnson Avatar
    Steve Johnson

    Bill, it's not totally dropped. You can REDEFINE SCREENMENU and then SCREENMENU 1, but unless you're using the default menu you're going to have to do your CUI maintenance in an earlier release.

    Reply
  12. craigatcsi Avatar
    craigatcsi

    Nice April Fools Joke.

    Reply
  13. David Osborne Avatar
    David Osborne

    Well, I don't recall being referred to as Mr. Smooth before 😉 Where might I know you from?

    Reply
  14. wayne wallace Avatar
    wayne wallace

    Wow, this may get me interested in AutoCAD again!

    Reply
  15. Shania Simpsons Avatar
    Shania Simpsons

    Well, MS-Dos is the pioneer of all operating systems. I would love to see Autocad used here. It is more accessible and allows for faster reloading of all backups. Even without the use of a mouse, I would still prefer to use Ms-Dos as my working platform.

    Reply
  16. Art Avatar
    Art

    Codenamed "Sledgehammer"? Don't you mean "Core Console"? One year on from when you wrote this, perhaps a case of fiction closer to reality! 🙂

    Reply
  17. Kean Walmsley Avatar
    Kean Walmsley

    Indeed. 🙂

    Kean

    Reply

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