Sweeney,
With that information on your background, I would rate your intentions to be a bit more than in the 'fooling around category'
If you hobble yourself with cheap cadcam, you won't get the mileage out of your machine. Granted that first machine may not be a workhorse, but a good experience in machining can lead to new avenues, even new businesses, and better machinery later on.
OneCNC is in the midprice range. Actually, the starter packages are priced cheap for the technology you get in them. But having said that, OneCNC is intended for the serious part maker who intends to recapture that cost in parts produced. In that light, it is cheap to own, because it does the job.
I'll concede that some guys don't like how the modelling works in OneCNC. Some of us don't like Autocad. They are two distinctly different methods of working (and thinking), as far as I can tell. So I believe that you will know, just from a live demo, whether you like the style, or not.
Most guys in your situation will want OneCNC XR2 Mill Professional, sooner or later. So I feel if you buy another cad in the interim for x dollars, that's just x dollars total, more than you'd have to spend anyways.
Good luck in your search.
