PADS is cheaper than Altium now?

[n3wbie]

I was always under the impression PADS was significantly more expensive than Altium (I've read $25k for PADS, and I believe Altium is now around $9k?), but I just received the following email:

Hello,
 
I wanted to take a minute to introduce myself to you. My name is Ryan McDonnell and I handle the ECAD Products for your account. We have worked with you previously and I wanted to take a few seconds to tell you about the all new PAD’s released today!
 
All New! Mentor Graphics PADS PCB Design Software:   Video Here!
Revised product line launched today (April 22nd, 2015). Product line is scalable and affordable (starting at $5K for schematic and PCB).
 
                -PADS Standard – Schematic, PCB, Gerber Outputs, Auto-router and interactive router
 
                -PADS Standard Plus – All in PADS Standard but added functionality like Thermal, SI and Variants and much, much more
 
                -PADS Professional – Built off the Xpedition platform and provides amazing functionality like: Sketch Router, Best in class 3D, MFG Prep and more. It also allows collaboration with Xpedition Enterprise.
 
Join the Roll out Webinar
These solutions start at $5K and end at $18K which provides every engineer a scalable solution based on needs. We are hosting a webinar on April 29th to review these three solutions if you have time to attend: Click Here to register.
 
Local Events
We also have events focused around PCB Analysis, cable and harness layout and design as well as New PADS Rollouts scheduled around the East Coast. I would love to have a conversation with you to understand your current design process and see if these solutions can save you time and money.
 
Thanks for your time and please let me know if you have any questions.
 
Ryan

So apparently PADS has a $5k version, although it doesn't have all of the "Professional" edition features.

I have the student edition of Altium, but have never had the opportunity to use PADS.

What are your thoughts on the $5k version of PADS vs Altium?

[marshallh]

Not worth it. PADS is a bunch of duct-taped programs held together by glue and duct tape.
Every person I meet who bought it regretted it and wished they had Altium.

[BloodyCactus]

so if pads v altium, what is the pads desginer + pads schematic you can get bundled from digikey for 849$ (the unlimited connections bundle).

here at digikey

is that more like circuit studio then?

the pads blogpost here

[DerekG]

I have the student edition of Altium, but have never had the opportunity to use PADS.

What are your thoughts on the $5k version of PADS vs Altium?

As much as I'm quite critical of Altium, it has become the de facto circuit board design software for many more companies than PADS.

Since 2006, Altium's customer base has risen significantly, whereas Mentor have been having a hard job just maintaining their seat numbers.

It is probably their lack of growth in seats that has "forced" Mentor to reduce their pricing structure. In the early 1990's a full Mentor suite would cost you ~$34K.

If you are in Europe, USA or Australia, your employment prospects would likely be higher if you are proficient with Altium over PADS.

If you are in the UK, then Altium or Proteus would give you the best employment prospects.

[AndyC_772]

As a long-time Cadence user, it's odd to keep reading about Altium and PADS.

There's an elephant in this room, it's called Cadence PCB Designer, and it's under $2k for the Standard edition.

As with other products, the Standard edition doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the more grown-up products, but if you're not doing ultra high-speed designs or working collaboratively with other engineers on the same PCB, that's no big deal. There are no artificial limits imposed on board size or complexity, and you can open and edit boards saved by the top versions of Allegro if you have to.

Lol  @ Proteus; I've seen more awful designs done using that package than any other. I wouldn't put it on my CV.

[koko79]

At least with Cadence and Pads they have free versions which you can learn to use the software with. I know there is the new altium free tool but putting that on a CV wont impress anyone.
From what I have seen knowing how to use Altium, Pads or OrCAD/Allegro PCB Editor should make you employable.

And yes  OrCAD PCB Designer Standard £1795 in UK. In fact the elephant just got bigger as you can now rent it for 12 months for £499!

[DerekG]

@ Proteus; I've seen more awful designs done using that package than any other.

Which represents the efforts (or lack thereof) of the design engineer, not the lack of ability of the software itself.

Proteus probably picks up quite a few part timers as its user interface is much easier to drive than Altium's.

[AndyC_772]

Yes, I completely agree.

[wraper]

Proteus probably picks up quite a few part timers as its user interface is much easier to drive than Altium's.

Price of the Altium is prohibitive for them too.

[H.O]

so if pads v altium, what is the pads desginer + pads schematic you can get bundled from digikey for 849$ (the unlimited connections bundle).

Don't know about Altium or Pads but the stuff at Digikey (Mentor Graphics Schematic & Layout Bundle P/N MGDLDS365-PREM-BNDL-ND  $849) is as far as I can see a lease. You pay $849 and you get to use the software for a year. Then you pay again - or not.

BTW, the 1500 connection bundle is $864, the unlimtied bundle is $849...

[BloodyCactus]

so if pads v altium, what is the pads desginer + pads schematic you can get bundled from digikey for 849$ (the unlimited connections bundle).

Don't know about Altium or Pads but the stuff at Digikey (Mentor Graphics Schematic & Layout Bundle P/N MGDLDS365-PREM-BNDL-ND  $849) is as far as I can see a lease. You pay $849 and you get to use the software for a year. Then you pay again - or not.

BTW, the 1500 connection bundle is $864, the unlimtied bundle is $849...

it does not say lease, so its not clear, I thought it was going to go against Eagle or Circuit Studio or something. it would be nice if such things as being a lease were spelled out

[H.O]

I agree, it's not really spelled out so you can't miss it but on the Digikey product page it does say 1 year license and if you read the comments in the blog post you linked to it's pretty clear that after a year you need to renew the license - at whatever the price is at that time....It doesn's say what actually happens if you don't but I suspect it stops working after a grace period. Personally, with the cash comming out of my own pocket....no thank you.

[Gazza9]

I believe there's merit in all of these offerings. It really does depend on what your individual needs are. Which product can get the job done, address your technology needs, the easiest & within your budgetary constraints?

[DerekG]

I believe there's merit in all of these offerings. It really does depend on what your individual needs are. Which product can get the job done, address your technology needs, the easiest & within your budgetary constraints?

You are 100% correct.

As they say, some people use a sledge hammer to crack a coconut.

I'm sure there are thousands of users out there who pay for Altium, when they could pay less than $500 for DipTrace & still get their board done just fine (I'm ashamed to say I was one of these people - mind you DipTrace only became a really good package with the last upgrade in July last year, but Proteus has been a great package for some 10 years now).

There are some people who just buy Altium so they can say "I use Altium". As it is known to be expensive, it is like saying "I've got plenty of money & I'm a snob".

As the saying goes "Fools & their money are easily parted".