Seeking advice in comparing GIS software
connoll...@hotmail.com
As a non-tech-savvy person, I am comparing some GIS software products
for my non-profit organization. I am looking for the most
cost-efficient way of meeting our GIS software and data needs. I have
limited experience with ARIS (Atlanta Regional Information System) and
Maptitude.
I am comparing:
ESRI
Maptitude
MapInfo
Our mission is to feed the hungry in Cook county (Chicago).
Conceptually, will use the software to assess need using Census data,
and assess how well we are meeting that need using our data in various
database applications.
Data needs:
-Frequently updated high resolution street and zip code boundary files
-Boundary files of 108th Congressional districts, local political
districts, Census tracts, centroids, etc.
-Census data Summary files 1 and 3
Question: What are important things to consider when comparing the
different GIS software?
Question: What technical issues should I consider?
1. Local university and city data sources use ESRI. Would this pose a
problem when using the other applications?
Question: What GIS software best matches our use?
1. Our use of GIS will remain within our mission. I am considering
that we do not need ESRI ArcView 9.0, rather a simpler software
program. It will be widely used among the staff.
Any advice is greatly appreciated. I have read everything on line,
compared services and prices, and have talked with a rep from each
company. No one I have spoken with is able to help me with the
comparison.
Thank you for your help.
connoll...@hotmail.com
YAMADA,Yasuharu
> I am comparing:
> ESRI
> Maptitude
> MapInfo
I wonder why you are comparing only those software.
There are many GIS software all over the world including freeware.
> Question: What are important things to consider when comparing the
> different GIS software?
What functions do you require for the GIS software?
What is your target and purpose using GIS?
How much can you spend for the GIS project?
> Question: What technical issues should I consider?
> 1. Local university and city data sources use ESRI. Would this pose a
> problem when using the other applications?
If the GIS is following OGC criteria, the differences between some GIS
software
should be only to have rich functions or less.
> Question: What GIS software best matches our use?
> 1. Our use of GIS will remain within our mission. I am considering
> that we do not need ESRI ArcView 9.0, rather a simpler software
> program. It will be widely used among the staff.
If your staff are already familiar with ESRI ArcGIS series, those questions
which you mentioned above are meaningless. You should use it.
That is simple answer.
I wonder why you posted this article to comp.infosystems.gis.
Because I have much and long experiences in using various GIS and Remote
Sensing
analyzing software, I change the software for the purpose and the budget.
Y.Yamada
Japan
willem van deursen
problem. The defacto standard of most GIS projects is going to be the
shapefiles as defined by esri anyhow, but most software is able to
import and export these files. Also grid files and RS data can be
handled, imported and exported by most systems. So, from a data point of
view, no problem.
I think your question should be more related to what functionality you
want your GIS to perform. Where is the actual analysis taking place? Is
that inside your GIS, or is that a database analysis, for which your GIS
is only the mapmaking interface? What is the actual analysis? Do you
want to used methods and techniques developed by the local university
and city administration? If so, this forces you towards their software,
if not (only using their data) then you're almost free to choose your own.
If complex analysis is what you're after, then ESRI or MapInfo is
definitely your choice. If less complex analysis is what you're after,
then also consider Manifold (www.manifold.net). If a viewer for your
database is what you're after, then consider cheap or freeware viewers
(I myself use tatukgis viewer at www.tatukgis.com for this, but many
options are available. Mayby you want to consider MapPoint for doing
this, although I have no experience with this.)
Complex analyis I would define as lots of operations that depend on
geographic characteristics, so creating overlays, buffers,
intersections, network analysis, distance analysis. Not so complex
analysis I would define as analysis on your database only, so which
could be performed with only the non-spatial data in your database.
Hopefully GIS is not going to be the core of your organisation, so try
to keep investment low, both in software and knowledge.
Hope this helps
Willem
--
Willem van Deursen, The Netherlands
wvandeursen_nospam@nospam_carthago.nl
replace _nospam@nospam_ for @ to get a valid email address
www.carthago.nl
YAMADA,Yasuharu
> ESRI
> Maptitude
> MapInfo
Please visit the following site.
http://www.microimages.com/
The MicroImage's TNTmips can be analyzed Vector maps, Raster maps,
Remote sensing data, etc. It is all in one software.
Addition to that, TNTLite is free software and a kind of trial version of
TNTmips,
the commercial software. TNTedit or TNTview is another choice in TNT
families.
Y.Yamada
Japan
Maptitude
http://www.psjournal.com/gis/Seeking-advice-in-comparing-GIS-software-858-.htm
:
There are reviews here that compare the Maptitude mapping software <
www.MappingSoftware.com > to other GIS software:
http://www.caliper.com/Press/Reviews.htm
connoll...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Hi,
-------------------------------------
www.Caliper.com
<br>www.MappingSoftware.com
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Paul Cooper
much of the functionality of ArcGIS, but less cosmetically packaged.
Fot better English support, use the version distributed by Oxford
Arcaheology.
Paul Cooper