Which version to purchase?

[Bruce]

I work in an environmental consulting company and regularly need to generate
basic sample diagrams of sites, buildings, rooms, etc. I simply want to have
a page with a rectangular border template with space at the bottom for
general project info such as project number, site address, etc. and then be
able to draw a basic floor plan and put text on the diagram. What do I need
to purchase?

 

[Philippe C.]

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/FX101757911033.aspx

So the question is : do you have enought with the office template and can
you live without data link ?

 

[Bruce]

To be honest I am not sure what you typed means. I will explain a little
further. I have used 2003 Visio the Standard version, not the professional.
I am not sure I can still purchase the 2003 versions so I am trying to figure
out if I need the 2007 standard or professional version. All I want to do is
generate a simply floor plan with straight lines for walls and such and be
able to type small amounts of text on the floor plan to indicate where I have
collected environmental samples.

 

[Philippe C.]

Yes, that can be done in Standard.
And to be sure, download the Evaluation copy.

Even thoughl, I for one would give the free Google Sketchup a try.
Visio is for nerds in big organisations who want to please their managers.

Are you maybe family of Antje Carlson from the previous message ?
I remembered it because it is a dutch sounding forename.

 

[Bruce]

Thanks. I will take a look at Google Sketchup as well. No relation to Antje.

 

[Philippe C.]

So you'll meet Bruce in Sketchup.
That's the name of the male figure used to have some sense of measure and
direction in Sketchup.
The choice of a drawing tool depends also on yourself. What are youre
future plans ? Is it your money you spend ? There are basic things
Autocad cannot do and Visio can and vice versa. They are different programs.

And Visio is in its current version a bit behind in e.g. ease of use.

Autocad : CAD
Visio : programatic diagrammatic representation
Sketchup : modelling ?

Visio is not priced to empower the working classes. Otherwise Microsoft
might be sued for dumping practices.

There is also a cheap basic Visio alternative. Google for "visio alternative".