Maybe I missed it, but Inventor doesn't seem to have been mentioned in detail.
AutoCAD is, and probably will always have the 2D market as people say. However on the Solid modelling front it's much more open. I use ProE and Catia an awful lot, and wouldn't say one is better then the other, both have different advantages.
However Inventor from Autodesk (AutoCAD makers) is an amazing bit of software. It is by far the quickest to use and easiest to learn. I must admit I came across problems when trying to draw some more complicated systems, but unlike most solid modellers I didn't have to spend ages working out where everything was, and the right procedure to run things. It works simply, the in-program documentation/help is the best out there and I think its dimensioning etc is the best. The rendering (has a built in, scaled down, version of 3d studio max engine) is the best out there too. So not the best for complicated drawings, for a beginner it's a perfect intro and it is capable of some good drawings.
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