I don't think that porting a desktop software, either MapInfo Pro, ArcView
or any smaller packages is good way to make solutions for big public market.
These are just like strange plugins for netscape, nobody uses them because
nobody wants to use service which can't be accessed very simply. There could
be some tools for specialists like ArcPad, but WAP seems to be only way to
go to mass market with GIS solutions. I try to describe our way of using
MapInfo and Oracle technologies for a wireless application. This has acually
been very effective way to have a working solution, so maybe it gives some
good ideas.
- We've made a mapserver using MapXtreme, and added wbmp support for WAP
pages (there is just a stand-alone gif2wbmp converter for that). Mapserver
can show maps and add mobile positioning data to maps.
- Underlying database is Oracle8i, which contains positioning data and
Yellow Pages data, geocoded in Spatial format. Actually most of map data
(static one) is still in MapInfo tab files.
- There are quite simple basic "find nearest" and "find route" functions
within Oracle8i database, to prioritise presented data.
- MapInfo+Oracle alliance is used for just one thing - there is nice tool
(easyloader) for uploading MapInfo data to Oracle8i spatial database.
Actually, the easyloader can be downloaded from mapinfo testdrive web page
for free ;-) Maybe MapXtreme (MapX within it) can also load spatial data
directly to map, but it seems that using database application to read
geometry from database and add to map "manually" is safer and probably
faster too.
You can see it at wap.locategsm.com (the site asks your phone number and
some password to do positioning, but if you just don't enter anything and
just click GO then you can get to most things, or see Help page to look at
several demo positionings). The positioning tool is currently Ericsson's
MPC, so the accuracy is as good as it can be with CGI-TA technology.
Jaak Laineste
Regio/Locategsm
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Neil Havermale [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2000 12:21 AM
> To: 'Alistair Edwardes'
> Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'
> Subject: RE: MobileLBSList: GIS and Wireless PDAs - MapInfo versus ESRI
>
>
> For you "mobilebslist"ers interested in GIS we "mapinfo-l"ers have an
> interest in wireless......
>
> We MapInfo GISers are very curious about the pending wireless era. I guess
> the thread that we pickup on in the G3 thing is that one of the increasing
> common features on WEB sites are maps and instructions on how to
> get to some
> place (if you know where your are) - a Yellow Pages with
> instructions on how
> to get there. There are a number of internet and intranet designs we could
> go on about.....
>
> The PDA GIS model we are concerned with is the difference between the ESRI
> ArcPad which is a tiny(?) WinCE PDA stand alone GIS for heads-up feet-down
> GISing and note taking versus the MapInfo design of I what I may reference
> as GIS-just-in-time via the wireless revolution.
>
> For MapInfo the key technology is MapInfo's alliance with Oracle.
> Oracle as
> you may know is really pushing the envelope to provide wireless access to
> their 8i and now 9i Oracle WEB data servers. While 2MB+ G3 remains a
> glimmer in eyes of the stock market, it offers to the PDA form of wireless
> access, a very powerful and enabling GIS opportunity.
>
> I doubt I will ever carry a GIS in my mobile phone but I just might carry
> access to a powerful GIS via my wireless PDA.
>
> I don't know what the "LBS" thing is other than potentially a reference to
> how much a person can carry in a pocket? We MapInfo-ites are a bit new to
> this G3 and wireless thing. May be you could contribute to our
> discussion?
>
> MidNight Mapper
> aka Neil
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alistair Edwardes [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2000 9:20 PM
> To: Neil Havermale; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: MobileLBSList: GIS and Wireless PDAs - MapInfo versus ESRI
>
>
> Neil, Carolyn et al.
>
> Do you think there is a risk of placing too much importance with
> respect to
> LBS in the PDA Market?
>
> As the saying goes "All that glisters is not gold". Whilst all the
> multimedia extensions may seem superficially tempting - is this
> really what
> the mass market wants? I think there is a strong argument to say
> that people
> want 'handy' devices that are optimised for making phonecalls, with
> supplementary data features that provide information useful in a mobile
> environment.
>
> If the supplementary features start to become to obtrusive to the core
> function, for example by draining battery power or increasing the
> complexity
> of interaction, then the device is no longer useful. Of course there are
> proven niche markets for PDAs, especially in areas such as
> forestry and data
> capture where a GIS in the field is exactly what is needed. But in
> comparison to the 1 Billion market that has been quoted, these are niche
> markets. Do people really want to carry or even wear a host of devices
> communicating via bluetooth? What new useful applications
> does this provide?
>
> It seems that many people are looking at super PDA phone hybrids
> and 2 Mbit
> 3G as a panacea for LBS, but I'm not sure if mobile GIS is what the mass
> market needs. What are needed are simple,effective, personalised and
> timely application services which can readily be implemented with thin
> clients on more pedestrian technologies. I hope this isn't too off topic
> from the original thread!
>
> Regards Alistair
>
>
>
>
>
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