Hi Neil
Neil Havermale wrote:
> Ian -
>
> You have to be joking! Do it all over again? ESRI's AkeView superior to
> MapInfo?
>
I think that you need to read what I wrote again. As an "overall" product,
ArcView is in many ways superior to mapinfo because it is so well integrated
with other components (3d, raster, image processing,...). Mapinfo has
concentrated its efforts on desktop mapping and it is good at that. I chose to
use it because it met my needs at the time. In many ways it still does meet my
needs. I use it centrally to my business, but do not have tunnel vision about
it.
>
> Given your small summary and last (and almost missing) detail on your
> uplifting story of ESRI's AkeInfo 8.0 (to be confused with AkeView), that is
> its price tag of, what, $51,000 AUD or $27,500 US, I think you have had your
> mind ESRI-ized!
>
You're right. There was much missing detail because I thought I had deleted that
comment from the email. I apologise for that. However, I am confused about
exactly what you mean by having my mind ESRI-ized though. Is this good or bad? I
would be grateful if you would explain.
As for the rest of your email, I'm afraid that I only understand a little of
what you're on about. I do take your point that mapInfo has gone the internet
way, & rightly so. But I do think you have missed the point that many of us have
been making about your friends at "NapInfo". This is that much of its client
base uses desktop mapping & not net based mapping. In many parts of the world
networks are too slow to allow this to happen at the moment, & within many
organizations there is neither the budgets or expertise to allow this to happen.
Also, some organizations are either too specialist or too small. As users of
specialist software, we would like an upgrade to include increased functionality
in addition to improved WinTel compatibility.
Perhaps what you seem to be saying in that bit of your email that I have
difficulty deciphering is that MapX meets your business needs. I am very pleased
for you on that one. The world would be a wonderful place if your experience
could be repeated for all of us.
Regards
Ian Allan
>
> Here are a couple of other biased opinions you also need to provide to those
> contemplating AkeView:
>
> AkeView's language, Avenue, is in my opinion DOA given ESRI's absorption by
> the Microsoft BORG. Their nomination of NT, adoption and special-issue of
> VisualAkeBasic is Jack-came too-late COM-ization of the AkeInfo flagship
> The AkeView give-away has essentially stolen the growth from ESRI as its
> WINTEL orientation beheaded the AkeInfo money stream. They have to kill
> AkeView off lest they have to compete with the Manifolds, BlueMarbles,
> IDRISIs, and yes even MapInfo. (Use the old FUD effect!)
>
> And lastly, the unholy GIS trinity of SUN-Oracle-ESRI is gone. SUN sees a
> looming Linux slowly creeping up on them via Intel and its clones. Oracle?
> Well Oracle has made their choice and that as far as I can tell is MapInfo.
> And ESRI, what of ESRI?
>
> ESRI has been absorbed by the BORG - Microsoft. ("LINUX, I don't want no
> stink'n LINUX", exclaimed Jack and he and Bill map a common interest.) I
> can not imagine how all of the SUN workstation GISers who see the future of
> their skill being captured by NT and VisualAkeBasic feel. It must be a
> horrible. A slow and painful death as they see the lowly NT and
> VisualAkeBasic programmer eating away at their Unix-FUD foundations. Gulp!
>
> Yep, its an easy target to go after NapInfo. You know, that company that
> put a GUI on your WINTEL machine long before Jack felt the need ($) to do
> Windows. And it was that little-old NapInfo that still can provide to every
> EXCEL user who has interest, TAB mapping. And lastly it has been MapInfo
> that has changed the competitive landscape on the Internet by going ESRI one
> better compliant JAVA, and being a partner of Oracle.
>
> For all you nap-sters who think it may be NapInfo and not MapInfo, get a
> life! We saw the writing on the wall along time ago and believe MapX is the
> best pathway for investing our limited resources. Our mapping results
> remain compatible to Professional and we have an excellent bridge to
> scalable GIS tools via the NET. And for those willing to ride out the
> ESRI-ite-FUD plant on "our" un-edited list, the next step - MapJ and a CORBA
> design? Hmmmm.... gosh, I just don't get it?
>
> FWIW
> MidNight Mapper
> aka Neil
> 5/11/00
>
> PS. Don't let these, the "absorborg" ake-lurkers on the MapInfo-l list pipe
> you away. You fear the rats and scheme how you'll short change the piper!
> The longer term price you may pay is the loss of your children.....
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ian Allan [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 9:23 AM
> To: shepherd stewart; MapInfo-L
> Subject: Re: MI Best GIS for dollar
>
> Hi Shepherd
>
> You're going through the same dilemna that many of us must continually go
> through. To be honest, if I was starting with GIS from scratch, was doing
> GIS
> for just myself, had a good budget & wanted a mainstream desktop system that
> could deliver the best stuff both both in terms of social & environmental
> geography, I would undoubtedly go the esri (arcview) path. It is my belief
> that
> esri have substantial updates, the most academically sound products, and
> also
> some of the fastest running code. A big reason for this is Esri's size, and
> its
> range of products. However, that said, often there is a bigger picture. For
> example, although arcview may be a better GIS & includes the Avenue
> programming
> language, it does not include a code-capturing window. MapInfo has its
> mapbasic
> window, & being able to cut & paste code from this into a mapbasic program
> makes MapInfo one of the most productive programming environments I have
> seen.
> What "exactly" do you want GIS for? If its simply map making then MapInfo
> may
> be the way to go. If its "complex" spatial queries then ArcView may be the
> way.
> You need to be aware that you may need to be compatible with other users, or
> potentially may lock them into decisions you make. If you're a programmer &
> trying to sell your wares, you'll need to be sure your target market can run
> your software. There is also the issue of price & cost of upgrades. You need
> also to be aware that some GISs work really well on small datasets but not
> on
> larger ones. For example, I purchased IDRISIs CartaLynx topology builder
> last
> year, but in > 4 hours of processing, it could not achieve what PC ArcInfo
> could achieve in around 2 minutes.
>
> You mention Manifold. I cannot comment on this yet. Its web page makes it
> sound
> very impressive but my biggest concern is that it may turn out to be another
> CartaLynx performance-wise. I will be evaluating V5.0 when it is released &
> intend posting a review on MapInfo-L once I have done this.
>
> Please feel free to email me again if you have any more queries.
>
> Regards,
>
> Ian Allan
>
> For example, I got a quote from esri recently for ArcInfo. At $51K AUD for
> the
> basic product, this is well out of the range for my small business
>
> shepherd stewart wrote:
>
> > Hi Everyone,
> >
> > I have been reading the threads on MI and ArcView in the same office and
> am
> > interested in peoples opinions as to value. I am considering purchase of
> a
> > GIS but would like info on value vs functionality.
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