Advice on DOS and AutoCAD

danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
edited December 2004 in Science & Tech
Now, I have a good question. My mom is going back to college to learn AutoCAD and Microstation so she can get a job (to upgrade her knowledge level of CAD and ect.) She last used AutoCAD in 1986 (worked with McDonald Douglass from 1986-1988 off and on).

The instructor is telling her that she needs to take a class on DOS because he is saying that AutoCAD is supported by DOS, or runs in a DOS environment (which if you go to the AutoDesk website, it says AutoCAD runs in an NT environment only (WinNT 4 Sp6, Win2K and XP)). What is your opinion on this?

Also, he says she needs to take a class on Excel so that she can be more marketable because of her age (she is 53yrs old). Is this also necessary?

Comments

  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited November 2004
    This is kind of important, which is why I originally had this post in that other thread (the one about Contracting a new home).

    It was in the thread because csimon happens to be an AutoCAD instructor. I suppose I could have just PM'ed him.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    What a crock of crap. That instructor is a moron.

    First of all, Autocad hasn't been dos based for YEARS.

    Sure, she can learn excel, but that alone won't make her marketable. Plus, you can learn excel with a $25 book. And if I were her, I'd tell him to F* off for making it seem that a 53 year old with tech skills is somehow less marketable than a 23 year old with tech skills. Skills are skills, man.

    I'd tell her to find a different class. And tell her to bone up on the newer versions of autocad and she'll be marketable right away. Screw what that guy who is trying to break her self-esteem told her.
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited November 2004
    I used Autocad in the DOS days myself (nothing professional obviously, just messed around with it because my dad was using it to make illustrations for his book). From what I recall, it was pretty diffrent than what's available now. Then again, I was 7 when I first used it...

    Yeah, the guy's a crock if he still thinks DOS is a useful OS to learn. Aparently he's not aware it's been completly extinct (to M$) for over 8 years. Sounds like this teacher is an old guy who stopped learning years ago and still uses a 486-DX at home as his primary machine.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    My god, if they are still offering classes on DOS, that's a whole huge problem itself. He told her to take a DOS class... Christ, why not take some CP/M and Windows 3.1 classes while she's at it.... :shakehead

    The more I think about it, the more steamed I get that this guy told your mom that. Tell her to come to short-media and she'll be an expert in whatever she chooses in a few weeks :D
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited December 2004
    Now, I pretty much know that there are no programs out there that still require DOS to run on.

    I have someone in my shop that says the majority of companies out there still haven't upgraded beyond Win98 or WinNT 4. I tend not to believe alot of what he says because it isn't necessarily true. He believes a M16A2 is fully automatic, and I was trying to tell him that it only does 3 round bursts, oh well... I really shouldn't be arguing with someone a rank higher than me.

    Does anyone know how good Microstation is?

    What is CP/M as well.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited December 2004
    Wasn't the m16a1 full-auto, and the A2 semi because rounds on the A1 were being wasted by the megaton?

    /hijack
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited December 2004
    That essentially sums it up. The original Armalite prototype and variants, the M16 (prime), and M16A1 were all true 'select fire' - safe, semi-auto, or full auto, mode selected by a small thumb lever. The 'A2 is safe, semi, or "burst" mode. Burst is three or four rounds per pull of the trigger. For squad or company tactics requiring fully automatic fire (enfilade, suppression, and so forth) the trust M-60 (7.62mm/.30 cal) or M249 Squad Automatic Weapon may be employed. Of course, Special Forces are not limited to any of the above weapons, but may choose from quite an arsenal of semi and fully automatic arms.

    OK, back on topic. Dan, if this friend of yours is military and doesn't even know the basics of the US Armed Force's standard issue rifle... be polite and professional with him; but take what he says with caution. Is he your supervisor?
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited December 2004
    Leonardo wrote:
    OK, back on topic. Dan, if this friend of yours is military and doesn't even know the basics of the US Armed Force's standard issue rifle... be polite and professional with him; but take what he says with caution. Is he your supervisor?

    LOL...

    Ok, he isn't my supervisor, but he is the programs manager. And yes he is military, he is a Staff Seargent.
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited December 2004
    Leonardo wrote:
    That essentially sums it up. The original Armalite prototype and variants, the M16 (prime), and M16A1 were all true 'select fire' - safe, semi-auto, or full auto, mode selected by a small thumb lever. The 'A2 is safe, semi, or "burst" mode. Burst is three or four rounds per pull of the trigger. For squad or company tactics requiring fully automatic fire (enfilade, suppression, and so forth) the trust M-60 (7.62mm/.30 cal) or M249 Squad Automatic Weapon may be employed. Of course, Special Forces are not limited to any of the above weapons, but may choose from quite an arsenal of semi and fully automatic arms.

    They are slowly replacing the M16A2 with the M4 (shorter barrel and stock, which is also collapsable, uses existing bullets, lighter as well). I believe it is the M249 that weighs near 27 pounds. I see few SP's carrying those around on their back at the end of their shift from being in a Hummer in the gunner area. I've lifted a 27 pound pole weight, and that is fairly heavy to say the least.

    --NOW BACK ON TRACK--
    Does anyone know how good Microstation is?

    What is CP/M as well.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited December 2004
    I don't recall any calls for Autocad in DOS (which might tell you something), but I still get calls all the time for Peachtree accounting software for DOS. It seems to be another of those programs which (usually small) companies just don't want to give up on. My theory is that they paid a fortune for the license in the early days and figure they just can't afford to abandon it for something else.

    My typical experience with such a firm is encountering a couple of nice old ladies peering up at me through their bifocals, then (after introducing myself) being told that "the database is gone - can you fix it?" Usually a dir/ command locates the rascal and all is well.

    Naturally, I am lauded as a genius. :D

    The thing about these companies is that they are so far behind the times that they are never going to pay a decent wage to anyone, regardless of any recent training they have had. The employees they have now have probably been with the firm since the beginning and wouldn't want to change (or learn new software) no matter what. Your mom could pass this course with honors and still be looking at a 50-cent-an-hour increase at best. (Assuming one of the Ms. BiFocal twins actually called it quits.) Couple that with the depressing prospect of working for a stuck-in-the-mud firm in an ancient building that hasn't seen a fresh coat of paint in 20 years and it doesn't look like a very good investment.

    Get her the latest version of the software and make sure she has a computer capable of running it smoothly. When she's comfortable using it advise her to go in to her job interview and tell them "I've been using this software since the DOS days, but I'm up to date on the latest Windows version". Make sure she is able to recite the latest version/revision number on cue. Most hiring managers don't know diddly about technical stuff, but they will memorize the job requirements. It counts for big points when the applicant makes it clear that they are qualified. If your mom goes in there able to show that she can handle the software that the old-timers are used to, plus the latest and greatest cutting edge, she'll be way ahead of the typical candidate.

    ********************

    As to your other concern: Automatic weapons are fine, in their place. As an alternative I must tell you that I've had good results with my old Mossberg 12GA with a Scatterchoke modification. It can clear a room in a real hurry.

    I know it's a pump-action weapon, but I can usually empty the whole tube and reload while the fancy-pants boys are still trying to figure out which end of the clip to shove into the receiver. I don't recommend it for long range shooting.

    Don't tell anybody I told you that.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited December 2004
    12GA with scatterchoke?

    /me drools
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited December 2004
    CP/M was the OS that led to DOS, in a way. It is ancient and totally unused.
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited December 2004
    I know about DR-DOS (I bought an old IBM XT from my college during an auction in 1998, and it had that installed)
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited December 2004
    Couple that with the depressing prospect of working for a stuck-in-the-mud firm in an ancient building that hasn't seen a fresh coat of paint in 20 years and it doesn't look like a very good investment.

    Sounds like Computer Composition Corp (in the same building as Sarcnet). Up until another younger company bought the building, that's the perfect description of the building and most of the staff.

    The owner claims the tape-reel running computer still has "more memory than today's machines". I looked the thing up on the web, and it's birthdate is 1982.

    He prolly spend over 20 grand on the thing back in the day though...
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited December 2004
    TheSmJ wrote:
    Sounds like Computer Composition Corp (in the same building as Sarcnet). Up until another younger company bought the building, that's the perfect description of the building and most of the staff.

    The owner claims the tape-reel running computer still has "more memory than today's machines". I looked the thing up on the web, and it's birthdate is 1982.

    He prolly spend over 20 grand on the thing back in the day though...

    I wonder how much memory those tapes actually hold, and how he keeps it running. Tell him that he desperately needs to upgrade to something very modern in order to survive in today's business world. I'm thinking that the reels are maybe 100MB at the most?
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited December 2004
    Dude, these guys are not changing a thing. They're all in their 60s or 70s and there is NO way they're gonna suddenly modernize a few years before retirement.
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited December 2004
    Oh well. I guess they need to retire anyway. They are old enough to retire.
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