Does it seem that the GIS choices are getting
increasingly more difficult? What I mean is I am confounded by choice -
desktop, server, palm, NT, Linux, SHP, TIF, JPEG, 4.0, 5.0, etc. In the
same breath, I personally believe that MapInfo is slowly emerging as the only
real challenge to ESRI's domination over GIS thinking. My greatest worry
is I believe I have a terminal case of desktop myopia in a emerging world of
far-sighted internetization of our World.
Hind sight seems to always be clear and unconfused. I
actually commend MapInfo for not leaping into the free GIS browser
non-marketplace. Why? I now believe ESRI was panicked in that they had no
real product for the desktop user; that their historic SUN and Oracle alliance
was not generating a future that their culture had learned to expect; and that
they were freaked out at the success of MapInfo, Blue Marble and the other
GIS-mites that were slowly but certainly eating at the roots of their might
tree. That was yesterday.
Today it looks to be one where the Internet connection opens
new vistas so vast that it hurts the eyes to gaze upon its promised
valleys. Data sets that live in its seemingly virtual and endless on-line
storage; new and super powerful spatial processing tools that are simply called,
linked and executed; and software design and methods that leap frog from
desktops, to servers, to palm computers almost in the blink of your eye. I
bought a PalmPilot III several weeks ago and I am astounded what it and other
devices like it might predict for our information furture.
We who live and breathe our spatial futures with and through
MapInfo felt our collective adrenal glands squeeze with a rumor that Oracle
seems to be searching for and willing to buy in to a spatial future as
well. A phantom opportunity? Now there seems to be a rumor that
MapInfo may soon redefine the map browser with a "free" JAVA Spatial
Browser. Is this a PC tool, an internet opportunity, or simply a fake and
drive to the basket? In this list we have seen the put-down of JAVA by
trusted friends as a silly distraction. To me jMAP viewer sounds really
cool in a vogue sort of way and on deeper thought potentially a landmark for our
industry and the little Troy outfit that lead the desktop-ization of GIS.
But is it real?
The love/hate relationship that Microsoft's success has
generated and confirmation of all the dirty tricks by them that we all more or
less knew about is now confirmed. Our National social justice now looks to do a
public execution of the Microsoft revolution. Just as we sit in stunned
silence pondering what a breakup may mean to us individually suddenly a new
player throws a Red Hat into the emerging Internet Server wars. Meaning -
if Microsoft hates it its got to be great. But then reality strikes back
and we again read on this list and those of the ESRi-ites that printers don't
print (very well), that nifty features don't ever quite work right, and on and
on.
The endless churn; the commerce of GIS and its ever growing
economic insights makes me reach for Tums all to regularly.
Myself, I guess I am sticking with Troy and will add some more
shares, appreciate their line of credit on product, trust the people I know
believing and trusting that they have a vision beyond mine. But mostly I
want to see ESRI knocked back once and I just think MapInfo may be the David
about to make the eye of a Goliath blink. Will this reduce the confusion
of choice? I doubt it but I will feel a whole lot better as a result of
it. I want to see the world in a stereo vision - not as a monocular one
way or no way ESRI landscape.
For what it is worth,
MidNight Mapper
