Date   : Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:22:35 +0100
From   : stuart@... (stuart)
Subject: making replica acorn cards

> I used to use Eagle for all my stuff, until I actually spent time
> with RS's DegisnSpark PCB software. Once you get to grips with it,
> it's really quite good, and has the advantage of being completely
> free for any size board, none of this LOLPRICE that Cadsoft charges
> once you go over 80x100 for the commercial licence, or Eurocard size
> for the Freebie one.
> 
> Another advantage of DesignSpark is that it can import Eagle
> libraries and files, so you can use your entire library with it, as
> well as all your design files.
 
A friend of mine used to use Eagle but has now switched to DesignSpark,
so I have seen what it looks like and how it behaves.
I do not think I will be switching simply because whilst it does work
under wine there is no native Linux version, and I have too many years
of using Eagle to start again. I have literally hundreds of past
projects and dozens of bespoke libraries, all of which would have to be
converted, and the conversion does take some work.

Of course that is not stopping somebody else doing the conversion of
the designs. Trouble is we can not go the other way (limitation of
Eagle) so to me it makes sense to do the work in Eagle and let a
DesignSpark expert convert the finished article.

YMMV.

-- 
Stuart
Microsoft - products from convicted criminals