Tipster Danny Korem reminds us about Autodesk's online app store, Autodesk Exchange.

"Once in a while, I'll find myself looking at apps on the Autodesk Exchange Marketplace. Affordable, user-friendly apps are making our lives so much easier. We are much more in our comfort zone with these apps than with big, expensive add-ins, plugins, and other third-party conservative software programs.

"Look at the setup, for example. You don't need to leave AutoCAD or its verticals when you set up an application. Although some apps offer wider functionality, most have a very focused mission. They don't require a learning curve or use many options, but they deliver the goods."

Notes from Cadalyst tip reviewer Brian Benton: The tipster is right: The Autodesk Exchange Store is easy to get to (for recent versions of Autodesk products), use, and manage. There are Exchange App stores for most of Autodesk's products. If you don't already have one, create an Autodesk account, log in, and make your purchases. If your computer crashes or if you get a new workstation, work on a different machine, or work at home, that's OK; your account follows you. Just log on and download the apps you have already purchased.

Autodesk doesn't get any money from these apps. Autodesk is only providing a marketplace where developers and users can do business. Autodesk doesn't test the apps, either, and all tech support for the apps is provided by the app developers. There are places in the App Store for comments, app ratings, and reviews. You will need a PayPal account to buy or sell apps there (remember, PayPal will take a cut of your earnings). Some apps are free; others cost real money. Most are not very expensive at all.