AutoCAD for Mac is now available to purchase, as free trial to download and free* educational licenses to students and educators.
Here is from the press release Autodesk Brings AutoCAD Back to the Mac:
Styles&Wood, the UK’s leading provider of property services to retailers, banks and commercial organizations, is one of the more than 5,000 participants who were part of the AutoCAD for Mac beta program. “We have been waiting a long time for AutoCAD to come back to the Mac,” said Andrew Handley, CAD development manager. “Our experience has been that AutoCAD for Mac is similar enough to the PC version that the transition is easy. We’ve found it to be a very powerful and reliable product that has all the functionality we need.”
AutoCAD for Mac has an intuitive interface that will feel familiar to Mac users and takes full advantage of Mac OS X, including graphical browsing of design files with Cover Flow and use of Multi-Touch gestures for pan and zoom on Mac notebooks, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad. With native creation and editing of files in the DWG file format, AutoCAD for Mac also supports easy collaboration with suppliers, customers, clients and partners regardless of platform. AutoCAD for Mac is also integrated with AutoCAD WS, so users can also upload and manage designs in their online workspace directly from the desktop and easily edit and share those designs through a web browser or Apple iOS devices using the free* AutoCAD WS mobile application.
AutoCAD for Mac is also now available for free* to students and educators through the Autodesk Education Community, where more than 25 Autodesk software products are available for download to inspire learning and help prepare students for successful careers. Recognizing the popularity of the Mac platform among students, Autodesk is providing AutoCAD for Mac so they can build skills by having access to the same software that design professionals use every day.
AutoCAD for Mac is now available for purchase in English in North America and Europe from leading resellers, online retailers and Autodesk.com. For details, purchase options or to download the free 30-day trial, visit http://www.autodesk.com/autocadformac. Students and educators are also eligible to purchase commercial seats of AutoCAD for Mac at a substantial discount. For more information and to download the free* education version, visit http://www.autodesk.com/pr-mac4students.
Some FAQ:
1. How is AutoCAD 2011 for Mac software similar to AutoCAD 2011 software?
AutoCAD® for Mac® software includes familiar AutoCAD® capabilities like 2D and 3D design tools, including 3D free-form modeling capabilities; 3D visualization and rendering; advanced customization of the menu, as well as support for LISP and ObjectARX®/DBX applications; and more. AutoCAD for Mac creates files in the same native DWG™ file format as AutoCAD.
2. How is AutoCAD 2011 for Mac different from AutoCAD 2011?
A primary difference is in the user interface. AutoCAD 2011 for Mac has been designed to follow common native Mac application user interface guidelines. Instead of a ribbon, AutoCAD 2011 for Mac has the familiar Apple menu bar and a number of workflow-based palettes. AutoCAD for Mac also supports native Mac OS® X behavior, such as Cover Flow navigation and Multi-Touch gestures.
The most commonly used functionality of AutoCAD is included in AutoCAD for Mac. However, there are a few commands that are not included in this first release, including layer filters, layer groups, and layer states; Sheet Set Manager; and DGN, PDF, and DWF™ underlay support.
3. Can I transfer my AutoCAD license between platforms (from AutoCAD to AutoCAD for Mac, and vice versa)?
AutoCAD and AutoCAD for Mac are licensed separately. You can transfer your AutoCAD 2011 license to a license for AutoCAD 2011 for Mac, or vice versa, by contacting your local reseller and paying a platform exchange fee. You can also upgrade from a previous version of AutoCAD to AutoCAD 2011 for Mac.
4. Can I open and save DWG files created in previous versions of AutoCAD in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac?
AutoCAD 2011 for Mac reads DWG files from the following previous versions of AutoCAD software: AutoCAD Release 14, 2000, 2004, 2007, and 2010. AutoCAD 2011 for Mac has a built-in Save As function, so you can save drawings to and from AutoCAD releases using the AutoCAD Release 14, 2000, 2004, 2007, and 2010 DWG format(s). In addition, you can use the Save As AutoCAD Release 12 DXF™ command to support drawings to and from releases prior to AutoCAD Release 14.
4. Does AutoCAD 2011 for Mac support network licensing?
The first release of AutoCAD 2011 for Mac does not support network licensing.
5. Do third-party applications based on previous Windows versions of AutoCAD software work with AutoCAD 2011 for Mac software?
You can create custom scripts, linetypes, hatch patterns, and command aliases, as well as AutoLISP® and ObjectARX applications, in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac.
Most LISP routines that work in AutoCAD 2011 will run without modification in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac. LISP routines that are dependent upon DCL or COM interfaces such as VLA or VLAX are not supported in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac. Technologies specific to Windows®, such as Visual Basic for Applications, OLE objects, and Windows Media® Audio, are not supported in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac.
Existing ObjectARX applications will require some effort on the behalf of the developer to work in AutoCAD for Mac. At a minimum, ObjectARX applications need to be recompiled for Mac OS X. The API (application programming interface) libraries used by those applications, and the availability of those libraries on Mac OS X, will give some indication of the modification necessary for the application to work in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac. For example, the ObjectARX sample applications compile without modification. Conversely, an application making multiple win32 system calls will need to be modified.
*Free products are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license agreement that accompanies download of the software. The software is for personal use for education purposes and is not intended for classroom or lab use.
Previous post when AutoCAD for Mac OS X was announced.
AutoCAD for Mac on JTB World with more information.