Best design software and board lab

[Dig]

Hi all I am new to this forum and hope I am in the right section for this question.

We are building a guitar amp and the fellow doing the designing asked for some software.

Being new to the industry I have found a few options that I would love to have some opions on.

Searching the Internet I found a couple fo companies that will give you software for free hoping that you will use their board manufacturing after it is designed.

Their software is a combo of schematic and pcb drawing. The companies are PCBexpress and PCB123.

Are either of these products good for drawing and layout and are they good for initial board manufacturer? Or is there a cheaper solution that is also good.

Thanks

 

[ante1]

Dig,
Welcome to this forum.

Eagle is good for schematics and pcb design: http://www.cadsoft.de/ and it

 

[trigger]

PCBExpress and PCB123 aren't that free as the only way to get PCB or gerber file is to pay them....

Eagle is good, but I just play with it a little bit. Can't give much comment to it.

 

[surajbarkale]

At first you may find Eagle frustrating. But withine one or two hours you can master it. It is the best free package around if you r into making PCB's.

 

[surajbarkale]

It runs too slow on my P4 2.6GHz & 3D view dosen't impress me much i guess i will stick to eagle