|
|
| GeoCommunity Mailing List |
| |
| Mailing List Archives |
| Subject: | [gislist] ArcINFO...Follow-up |
| Date: |
01/14/2004 03:00:01 AM |
| From: |
GIS (IPS) |
|
|
Following quite some response, I'd like to follow up on this by sort of
replying to some of the comments and making myself clear regarding some of
the statements.
Firstly I want to say that there's nothing wrong with ArcGIS and that the
functionality is very good. My main concern is in the fact that we pay the
amounts of money that we do for software costing us ten times what the
ArcView license would, but for what? That's what I'd like to know. To me
the main difference between the two is the Geodatabase, but is it really
worth paying that difference for a GDB? When we go to clients and tell them
what a GDB can do, they're very impressed, but then we tell them what it'll
cost them and immediately we get the good old "thanks, but no thanks". Then
they turn around and buy ArcView. This is why I've been asking myself and
the list, why we really need a GDB.
I've been suggested by some of the listers that I should have a couple of
ArcView lisenses and one ArcINFO 7.x for coverages (topology and all) and
it's something my boss has always been for. Even though it makes perfect
sense to me and I don't see why it shouldn't work, I'm someone who likes the
new ArcGIS and its editing capabilities (UP TO 8.2). I put in 8.2 because
we've gone through two maintenance payments before the editing actually
improved in 8.3. We haven't got 8.3 so we're still virtually in the dark
ages regarding editing. It feels like we took a step backwards with 8.1 and
8.2 when it comes to editing.
Now, when it comes to the extensions, I really don't know what and how to
put it, but let's try this way. When I still worked with ArcView 3 and
didn't have the opportunity to work with ArcINFO, I thought to myself that
owing to the cost of ArcINFO, you would obviously also have all the luxuries
like the extensions (this was before I knew how the extensions structures
worked) like Spatial Analyst, Network Analyst, 3D Analyst, etc. You know,
all the goodies. I was quite shocked when I heard that it wasn't included.
Then I though, okay maybe it's got a lot more functionality in it. Again I
was shocked to find out that I could do lots of things in ArcView 3 that
ArcINFO couldn't do. I was on ArcScripts almost endlessly and I got
extensions to suite my every need. So again, why pay that amount of money?
To take a good example, MicroSoft sells XP Home and XP Professional for
what...about double the differnence? I'd be more than prepared to pay
double what I'd pay for ArcINFO than I'm paying for ArcView (even tripple).
I would associate the difference between Home and Pro with ArcView and
ArcINFO. Yes okay, maybe there's a bit more, but that's why I said tripple!
As a last point, again why the high prices if ESRI's the world's best
selling GIS software? It's like the scenario we have in South Africa with
Toyota. They're the best selling manufacturer (even though the other
manufacturers are just as good), but they have rediculas prices on servicing
and parts and car cost (and you know their customer service sucks mostly).
You know how sheepish the public can be...if half the population has one,
then I need one too. I feel that this is the same with ESRI. If they're
making the amount of money from customers that they are, why ask the costs
that they do. I must add that I have never had a problem with the support I
receive from them, but then again if I charge that amount of money to
customers you only supply support to once every three months, I'd be sent to
a very warm place, very quickly.
This whole thing can be thown back in my face by people saying that other
non-GIS software also charges big amounts for the software and maintenance
(and sometimes additionally for support), but my question is:
WHY!!
(I only have good experience with ESRI software, but this might as well
apply to any software in the same situation)
Ciao
Dean Carstens
AfriGIS Environmental Solutions
George
South Africa
Tel: +27-44-8015017
Fax: +27-44-8015031
Mail: <mailto:ipsgis@mto.co.za> ipsgis@mto.co.za or
<mailto:dean@envirogis.co.za> dean@envirogis.co.za
Web: <http://www.envirogis.co.za/> www.envirogis.co.za
"This message and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for
the addressee. If you have received this message in error, please notify
Safcol immediately, tel +27 (0)12 481 - 3500. Any unauthorised use,
alteration or dissemination is prohibited. Safcol accepts no liability
whatsoever for any loss, whether it be direct, indirect or consequential,
arising from information made available and actions resulting therefrom."
_______________________________________________
gislist mailing list
gislist@lists.geocomm.com
http://lists.geocomm.com/mailman/listinfo/gislist
___________
|
|
Sponsored by:
For information
regarding
advertising rates
Click Here!
|
