> EWB -layout is actual the UltiBoard layout package.  I've got experience
> with it, and I cannot say I'm happy with it (That's an understatement !).

I'd have to second that understatement. I have UltiBoard Designer
series (about US$10k) and I've battled with it for long enough. It's
going in the rubbish. It's not a decision taken lightly but I can't
see the point in paying for updates to get more beta versions and
hoping that they might get it right eventually. In the mean time, I
am better off with something that doesn't rename half of my GND net
to something else.

What to replace it with ?
Here, PADS and Protel seem to have the market to themselves.
PADS seems to have matured in the Windows environment compared to
the earlier offerings. With the DRE option it is quite a capable
system for general PCB use. I haven't had a play with Protel98 but
the previous version seemed to be heading in the right direction in a
Protel sort of way. You have the ability to write components for it
which is quite attractive.
PADS is cheaper at an entry level than Protel but the price soon
rockets up if you need more capability.

Having been burnt once by buying something that wasn't supported
here, I am reluctant to do it again but I am quite impressed with
CSiEDA from Korea. It's quite cheap (it's good to have an economic
crisis sometimes) and includes a lot of the things that you usually
only see in the higher versions of PC software. (www.csieda.com).

Steve.

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Steve Baldwin                Electronic Product Design
TLA Microsystems Ltd         Microcontroller Specialists
PO Box 15-680, New Lynn      http://www.tla.co.nz
Auckland, New Zealand        ph  +64 9 820-2221
email: steveb@tla.co.nz      fax +64 9 820-1929
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