AutoCAD for Mac 2011 now available for purchase

Mac-loving engineers, drafters, designers, and students have been waiting for a Mac-native version of AutoCAD to reappear on the platform for many years, so when Apple and Autodesk announced AutoCAD for Mac 2011 in late August, there was a lot of excitement.

Autodesk reported today that AutoCAD for Mac 2011 is available for purchase. The application isn't cheap -- the MSRP for the software is US$3,995, although one online retailer is offering $500 off that price. Upgrades from previous versions of AutoCAD on other platforms are $1,995. There's a free trial available, and students and educators can get a free copy of the application.

Several designers I have talked to are thrilled about the availability of the Mac edition of AutoCAD, as it takes advantage of the features of Mac OS X and the Mac hardware, but uses the native DWG file format for cross-platform compatibility. AutoCAD for Mac also features integration with the free AutoCAD WS app for the iPhone and iPad.

Full system requirements are listed here, and include both minimum and recommended Mac systems.