Jeff's Blog

Dell M4300

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, you'll know how much I've enjoyed the Dell M90's I've used in the past. Both of them were provided by my employer at the time and I really didn't have many issues with them. My new employer, being a complete tightwad, opted for the M4300. (Ok, so I'm self-employed. I'm still being a tightwad.) The system specs are:

• Dell Precision M4300, Intel Core 2 Duo T8300, 2.40GHz 800MHz, 3M L2 Cache, Dual Core
• 15.4 inch Wide Screen WXGA LCDDell
• 4.0GB, DDR2-667 SDRAM, 2 DIMM
• NVIDIA QUADRO FX 360M 512MB Turbo Cache Memory (256 dedicated)
• WINDOWS XP PRO SP2 with Windows Vista Business License

It came with a free 19" monitor, which I upgraded to a 22". I'll be loading up SolidWorks this week, and will then be putting my new toy through its paces. Naturally, I'll let you know the good, the bad and the ugly.

Also, I've been in touch with SolidWorks Corp regarding product reviews and we're getting the ball rolling again. If there's a partner product out there that you're curious about, let me know and I'll see if I can't get my greedy hands on it to try it out.

SolidWorks 2009 Launch

It's Alive! The SolidWorks 2009 launch site is up and running for all of you curious about it who, like me, were unable to participate in Beta testing. The launch site is chock full of videos demonstrating some of the 250 enhancements in SW'09. Go to www.solidworkslaunch.com and check out the content, then sign up for a free seminar in your area.

Shapeways

Have you created what you think is a pretty cool design but wonder how it's going to look in real life? If so, you should check out Shapeways, a new online way to transform your SolidWorks, or any other 3D CAD designs from digital to physical.

What, you don't have 3D CAD skills? Well, read this excerpt from a Shapeways press release:

August 12, 2008 – Los Angeles, CA- SIGGRAPH, Booth #138 - Shapeways, a new platform and global community for 3D-design and production, takes
a major step towards the next generation of consumer co-creation with the announcement of the Shapeways Creator Engine. For the first time,consumers without 3D modeling skills can shape, mash, imprint anddesign their own 3D products in just a few mouse clicks at Shapeways.com. From lamps with a personal message to fruit bowls linking back to memorable moments, the Shapeways Creator Engine has a beta library of predesigned product templates which is expected to grow rapidly over 2009.

Yup, that's right, even those who are 3D challenged can now create works of 3D art. Head on over to www.shapeways.com and check it out for yourself. If you're wondering how 3D printing works, you can check out this video.

SolidWorks World '09

That's right, the countdown has begun! The SolidWorks World 2009 website is up and running. Go to: http://www.solidworks.com/pages/swworld09/index.html and check it out!

If you haven't heard of SolidWorks World, where have you been? If you've never gone, you need to. 150+ breakout sessions, some of them hands on. The opportunity to see partner products that can make your job easier. The opportunity to network with other users. All of it adds up to improved performance.

If your boss is reluctant to send you, there are links on the website to a podcast interview with my former boss, Bob Jordan, detailing why it was worth the money for him to send me, and my coworkers, two years in a row. There's also a link to Jason Raak's blog post that has a letter from Bob outlining the same thoughts.

SolidWorks 2009

For the first time in years, I wasn't able to participate in a beta release of SolidWorks. Simply put, I'm bummed. While Ricky, Mike and Gabi are off and running with their reviews, all I can do is sit here and be jealous. If you want to know what's going on, click on any of the blogger links on the sidebar. You could also use an aggragator like SolidMentor or Novedge Pulse to keep up to date on their posts. I know I'll be paying attention...