Can I get an opinion on this?

[demaina]

I am a very frugal person, and decided to get myself a new computer so I can start working towards my career.  My goal is to do 3D modeling either for movies or video games.  Anyway, after spending the cash to get the computer, I've been debating getting one of the famous softwares for these jobs (either Autodesk Maya or Autodesk 3DSMax).  However, both of them are really expensive.

Some of my friends think I should just get the software so I can get the experience using it and that would make me a better candidate for a job.  To me, it bugs me to drop that much on software when I could use a free software that can do most of what these can.  The downside though is then I can't say I know how to use these popular software.

Any thoughts on this?

[de3ik]

I was leery of giving advice since I'm not in your field, but I decided to give this a try since I wasn't sure if you'd get any replies to your topic.

Since you definitely need a computer for your career and it seems like you said you can use the free software to accomplish your goals of creating what you want, maybe you should use the free software for now. Hopefully you will be able to get a job or create something that will generate enough cash for a computer and allow you to focus on your next goal of getting that more expensive software your friends said you would need. Because if your need for a new computer is that pressing at least you'll know that you have the money to get it and not have spent it on the paid software that you could have waited to get at a later date. I think it's best to weigh the pros and cons and see how much the pros outweigh the cons. If your computer is in really bad shape and you need it for a job then get a new computer and free software. If you really need a job that utilizes these software and your computer is in good shape you might want to consider the software purchase if you think the job will come soon.

Let me know if that helps.

[ArashiNoSaophone]

Buying the software at the moment isn't critical, but some freelance or professional jobs in the future might require you to have some years of experience with certain proprietary programs, or only want you to work with some due to compatibility issues or etc. It really depends on whether or not you would feel comfortable with starting with freeware and then relearning/unlearning tiny intricacies between its proprietary counterpart later; though, experience with many different programs would probably make you more successful in your endeavor as well. Don't shell out the money if you can't afford it or don't need it at the moment, but I'm sure you already know that.

[kapeh12]

My recommendation is if you are just starting to learn to do this to invest in taking classes at a technical school first.  There are online and physical schools that teach how to use those programs and would give you a broader range and deeper understanding of those tools.  Plus getting the certification or degree will look good on a resume.

The other reason for this is most schools offer discounts on educational versions of such software.  By enrolling, you might be able to get learning copies of the software you want at a significant discount.  An example, I went to online school to get my comp sci degree (even though I had been in the field for 7 years at the time, I went back as our contract was under renewal and if I needed to get a job I either needed a degree or 10 years experience...).  While in school, I was able to take advantage of educational discounts to get a copy of Macromedia Studio MX for web designing.  The package contained 4 Macromedia programs plus a bonus.  It retailed for $900 on the market, and I got the educational version for $100.

If you are certain this is what you want to do, this may be an approach to pursue.

[bowrunner]

I know nothing about your topic but I agree that going to a technical school would be a good idea and for now I would get the free software that does most of the same things.

[dreamyxo]

Consider it an investment in your future.  You're not wasting your money if it will be something you can learn from which in turn will lead to earning more money.  The software will pay for itself in the long run.

[mc1962]

It is always a good idea when you are able to save a few dollars.   

[EDW39A]

You might also consider a refurbished computer or a past year computer more powerful than you require. Refurbished is not always a dirty word. Sometimes you can get an old version of the software for free or a Beta version or any of the combination. (As a former Senior Admissions Representative at a technical school I should have been fired for telling some students to skip the school and buy the software to teach yourself. Or take classes and not sign the check then go to college, test out or CLEP out of easy classes. But I wasn't fired so add that opinion to your options.)

[demaina]

Everyone has sorta touched on the issues I've been debating.  The free software is a great way to go to get used to it, but when most of the jobs I see say "must know Maya/Max" in the requirements, it makes me think just getting the paid version would be better.

It's really frustrating cause there doesn't seem to be an obvious answer.  I looked into the school versions of the paid software, and you can't use their school version to do job stuff, so it's sorta useless if I want to do freelance stuff. 

Someone brought up the idea of going to a technical school.  I actually just got out of college getting a degree in Computer Science.  The last few years of that, I spent most of it making characters and other art assets, so to sorta drastically change from everything I was taught during my years at school.  The problem was I spent a few of those classes where it said we were going to be taught this stuff, and we weren't taught it.  I believe I learned more teaching myself than I did in those classes, so the idea of doing another school thing sorta worries me cause I don't want to pay for a class that doesn't teach me anything again.