Dear Anitra;
I have used MapInfo since 1993 and would like to offer several
recommendations.
Go with the latest technology as soon as the price starts down. For
example, consider a Pentium III 450 or 500 with 128 Mb of RAM now that the
PIII-550s are out. Add an extra 128 Mb of RAM if you have the budget.
Disk capacity depends on what you plan to do and how many people you have
doing it. If you have a work group doing MI, use a 100 Mbps LAN and a file
server with room to grow to 72 Gb of storage (18 Gb X 4 drives). GIS
databases can eat up 10 Gb at a time. We are now at 30 Gb for 3 work
stations. The file server also allows us to point MI to the same server
files from any workstation and this allows us to share standard templates,
base maps and other resources, and work from any available workstation.
If you are transferring large amounts of data to clients, invest in a CD-R
(recordable) to transfer those large files to your clients and customers. I
did a 575 Mb zipped (2.3 Gb raw) file transfer on CD this week. Keep in
mind that the CD-R and other applications may not be able to run
concurrently. We have a separate PII-350 set up with SCSI for scanning and
CD-R production.
As for the monitor, get the best you can afford. My experience has been
that the computer the monitor is connected to will become obsolete much
sooner than the monitor. As a minimum, get a top of the line 17". If the
budget allows, go to 21". I have used a 17" Trinitron for about 4 years now
and will be upgrading to a 21" Hitachi CM811 (US$800) in the next few
weeks. Would love to have an 814 (US$1350), but the budget will not permit
that.
The most critical component, in my opinion, is the video card. Complex maps
with considerable data take a lot of resources to redraw as you manipulate
the map or layout. You can spend a lot of time waiting on these redraws.
Get a card designed for CAM/CAD applications. I cannot make a
recommendation here because I have not used a card that I have been really
been satisfied with.
For output devices, it really comes down to what you need and can afford. I
have found that 600 dpi is sufficient for most applications. We use a
variety of sizes and media ( paper, glossy paper, clear film) and use HP
inkjet plotters capable of handling media up to ANSI E size (44" x 34"). I
have used HP plotters since the early 1980s and am very biased in this
department. They have always been there for us.
I hope this helps. Good luck in your GIS activities.
Best regards,
Bruce B. Blais
Principal Consultant
PCN Professionals, Inc.
Wireless Telecom Specialists
Richardson (Dallas), Texas USA
www.pcn-pros.com
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