Forget KeyCAD. It has one of the worst interfaces of any software I've used.
Plus it is full of bugs. (At least the Mac version is.)
 
I've heard good things about TurboCAD in the under $100 price range but I
haven't tried it, so I'm not recommending it.
 
I would recommend getting a demo version (no save features) from the
manufacturer before spending any serious money, especially with a 386. Some
demo versions can be downloaded from commercial on-line services. (Virtus
Walkthrough for Mac and MiniCAD can be found on America On-line.) There are
also numerous forums where people give very uncensored opinions on software.
 
In general, many industry-types are predicting that CAD prices will take a
huge dive in the next 6 to 12 months. CAD prices have long been unreasonably
high compared with 2D graphics software, such as Photoshop, Pagemaker and
Illustrator. But with the new PPC chips, the hardware needed to run them is
more affordable and many software developers are putting out new CAD
programs for an expanding market.
 
Finally, I don't know of any software (for under $1000) that will do
everything on the curator's list, so it's necessary to prioritize your needs
or buy more than one program. Virtus will do 3D walkthrough, but is not
accurate enough for producing blueprints. So, your software choices should
be determined by whether you need to produce snazzy renderings to get
funding or whether you are trying to produce usable shop drawings for
sub-contractors.
 
Hope this helps,
 
Jennie Baker
Shadows & Light Exhibits
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