I am an Australian user of Student Edition of SolidWorks 2015. I plan to upgrade soon to the full paid-up software so as to achieve its use commercially. The quotes that I have received from the local resellers in Victoria (for such a purchase) seem too excessive for my pockets. I have three questions about the purchase of SolidWorks 2016 (Standard or Professional):

1) What costs (all inclusive / in AUD) are considered reasonable for payment by a small-sized (one-person) Australian user for purchasing a SolidWorks license (Standard or Professional version)?

2) Can I legally purchase from, say, Sydney, Singapore or USA (or elsewhere), if I get a better price from a reseller there?

3) Is paying the Annual Subscription Fee mandatory/required for use during the first year, when I would have paid significantly upfront for the license purchase anyway? My logical guess/thought is that payment of the Annual Subscription Fee should be required only for second year onwards (for upgrades, tech support, etcetera). The upfront license purchase price should include the upgrades/tech-support during the first year anyway.

Regards,

- A Student User