CAD Bloatware and "Force-you-to-update-ware"

[Ecuadorian]

Blender: 9MB download, 30MB installed
MoI (no save trial): 6MB download, 16MB installed
SketchUp: 33MB download, Around 50MB installed (depends on your plugins)
SU Podium: Less than 2MB
DoubleCAD XT: 58MB installer, 157MB installed

AutoCAD: 2GB installed

Why?
Does BSA stand for "Bloated Software Alliance"?
And don't you find it strange that AutoCAD has a new version every year, just like cars? Man, Microsoft and Intel should learn a couple of things about "regularizing the development process on a yearly [AutoCAD orthogonal] grid"

At least AutoCAD doesn't penalize people who "skip" versions... If you use the latest version and have to send a file to someone who still uses a really old version, no problem... In ArchiCAD, you can ONLY save files to the current version and to the former version (example: Version 11 can only save version 11 and version 10 files)... Talk about lock-in...

[Mike Lucey]

Well I suppose they will try it on for as long as they can get away with it

[Paul Russam]

Autodesk adopted a subscription system whereby you pay them ~£300/year/licence (after you've paid them ~£3000 for AutoCAD initially!) and you get yearly updated for life.
The problem is that Autodesk NOW have to bring out a new version very year to justify the user paying the ~£300.
What more can you add to CAD? We're still using 2002/2004 and have no intention of upgrading. So every year they bolt on more and more 'stuff', doesn't matter what the stuff is just as long as there is more of it to justify them charging the subscription.

[Burkhard]

But Google seems better.

Force you to update à la Google http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/general-chit-chat/10446-new-google-apps-force-software-update-mac-users.html

Follow the Links

[Gaieus]

Yeah, this "Google updater" is installed lately (like QuickTme or Adobe updater...). Thank God it can be simply disabled from running (and at startup) at least on Windows.