Chris, Thanks for that. You have consoliated many ideas that have been spinning around my head as I move my company towards its next business model. In other words, my current mapbasic programming (particularly the ideas behind it) will most likely need to be ported to the internet somewhere down the track. However, that said, MapInfo needs to be aware that much of its present desktop mapping client base are angry both at being taken as "stupid" and at being thought of as "milking cows". MapInfo corp needs to be aware that it exists for its clients and not the other way around. Other than spatial and aspatial compatibility with other systems, MapInfo has added very little useful/meaningful functionality since its initial windows release. Historically I have been a great proponent of Mapinfo. I used it as a postgrad, integrated it into university teaching & now use it centrally in my business. However, MapInfo's failure to provide "meaningful" upgrades has dented my confidence in the software and has forced me to re-evaluate my relationship with it. I for one am very much looking forward to evaluating Manifold V 5.0 when it is released. From what I read, this is a product that is looking towards the next generation of GIS use, rather than, as you suggest MapInfo is doing, simply making existing MapInfo functionality available on the internet ie. more of the same but using a different provider model. Regards, Ian Allan Christopher DuBuc wrote: > (Please delete this long-winded diatribe if you are not into spirited > debate) > > My two dollars.... > > As an old-time MapInfo Pro desktop application user, I understand some of > the frustration with MapInfo spending more and more energy on their MapX > line, seemingly to the detriment MI Pro users. But I must admit I've heard > many of these same complaints before- when MapInfo decided to move > development efforts away from their bread and butter DOS product and devote > more resources to developing on "that silly Windows platform". In order for > MapInfo to thrive, it must be ahead of the curve when it comes to new > technologies and platforms. The reason MapInfo is as strong as it is today > is because 10 years ago they "bet the farm" on the idea that computing would > be ruled by graphical user interfaces. Their main competitor at the time > (ArcView didn't come out until a few years later) was Strategic Mapping > (Atlas GIS), who didn't embrace the new GUI paradigm until it was too > late...and we all know what happened to them. In addition, it could be > argued that the only reason MapInfo made a dent in ESRI's market share at > all was that MI was the only GUI mapping application in existence for > several years. The Internet and rapidly expanding broadband access > represent another major paradigm shift that is changing the way people use > computers, similar to how Windows (and of course the Mac) opened up the > power of computing to a whole new class of non-technical users 10 years ago. > In order for any software to be successful over the long term, it must be in > the business of predicting how people will interact with computers several > years into the future. It seems the MapX product line represents MapInfo's > response to what it believes is the next generation of information > technology. > > While obviously the move towards internet-based mapping now and the move to > the Windows platform 10 years ago are not strictly analogous, I believe the > concepts still apply. MapInfo must devote much of it's time into making > sure it is in position for the next wave of "distributed" applications. > This means more developers working on MapX/MapXtreme type technology, > leaving less developers for the maturing MapInfo Professional technology. > (And in a micro sense, within MapInfo Pro itself more attention will be > given to newer technologies, such as 3D mapping, internet connectivity, > etc., and less towards tweaking the interface) Now I don't think anyone > believes MapInfo Pro is being abandoned anytime in the near future, but if > you look ahead 5 years from now most experts envision that many if not most > computer applications will be internet/service based. Imagine if you will a > MapInfo Pro level "service" that you sign up for and use over the Internet > through your browser, without installing or downloading anything on to your > local hard drive except your own data. > > In regards to pricing of MI Pro and its upgrades, that is a business > decision that can be argued over until every one is blue in the face. The > more money MapInfo brings in, the more developers and support people (i.e. > MapWorld magazine editors) can be hired, which is better for all of > MapInfo's product line. However the higher the prices, the more certain > users will be "priced out" of buying MI products and upgrades; Which leaves > a market niche open for lower priced alternatives (such as Manifold, > Maptitude, etc.) to enter the picture. Each individual user has to decide > for his/herself whether the extra money needed to purchase a MapInfo product > or upgrade is worth it given the alternatives. But one must keep in mind > that just as successful software companies must keep an eye toward the > future, we users must be sure that the technology we invest in today will > still be relevant down the road. (Anyone thinking of buying a copy of Atlas > GIS? It only costs $295...) In theory it is possible that a company like > Caliper is so efficient that it can make money building and maintaining a > MapInfo Pro quality desktop product for a sub $500 price tag while still > getting itself ready for the next generation of information technology. If > it can achieve this feat consistently and over the long term then the > marketplace will reward it, and we might all be chatting on Maptitude-L in > five years. However until this business model is proven, I believe the bulk > of desktop mapping users will "dance with the one who brung 'em." > > Feel free to argue, > > Chris > > Chris DuBuc > Sage Software > VP Florida Operations > Authorized MapInfo Reseller > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Dick Hoskins <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Bill Thoen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Friday, May 05, 2000 3:06 PM > Subject: Re: Anyone used MI 6.0 yet? > > > I might augment your predictions a little: I suspect that the average MI > > user is getting tired of cosmetic upgrades that cost > $500. Much less, > many > > of us are not real nuts about MapExtreme, the big price tag and the > profound > > lack of ease in implementation. (The lack of Internet capable mapping from > > the major vendors is overwhelming) There is no way that the wool-dyed MI > > user can support any notion that MI Corp is listening to the ... user, > that > > is, their customers who have the greatest capacity to really use the > > product. I would take issue with your comments, or the tone concerning > > "cheap" Low price doesn't mean necessarily cheap. it might mean that a > > competitor is attempting an end-run and trying to break through the > current > > dominance in the market by AV and MI. I would say the same for AV. MI has > a > > lot of nice features, AV has a few, but there are other products that have > > long since passed by and catching up ... and they are cheaper. Taking on > the > > metaphor of "Rule Makers and Rule Breakers" - www.motleyfool.com the > popular > > investment site, MI is neither. ESRI remains the "Rule Maker" - it is the > > dominant force in GIS and ... makes the rules. MI and everyone else must > at > > best be the occasional mosquito as far as a threat to their dominance > goes. > > It was once a "Rule Breaker" ... it did new innovative things and to some > > extent still does. (Compare ESRI magazine with MapWorld - no comparison. > > MapWorld is by any measure an almost pathetic competitor.) In my view MI > > does neither - it doesn't make the rules and it sure doesn't break them. > But > > "Rule Breakers" are appearing, and one of these days whether its Manifold, > > or Caliper, or GeoMedia, or who knows who ... there will appear a > > substantive competitor unless ESRI or MI can get make some changes. I > > predict ESRI will make some, and MI will miss the boat. (the American Way > > and all that) > > > > One of these days there is going to be a GIS vendor who responds to > > customers, doesn't always have its hand out, provides credible tech > support > > that ordinary people can afford, training that non-high-end business types > > can put in their budget (read government and education), etc. WHEN that > > happens, AV and MI users are going to leave the sinking ship like the > > proverbial rats. Dick Hoskins > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > GIS uses in public health summer course: > > http://healthlinks.washington.edu/inpho/gis/course.html > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Bill Thoen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Friday, May 05, 2000 10:14 AM > > Subject: Re: Anyone used MI 6.0 yet? > > > > > > > It's not shipping yet. June 1st is the scheduled date for North > > > America. I think the only thing out now is the beta version, > > > which no one is supposed to talk about in public. > > > > > > I think that most people actively using MapInfo now will upgrade. > > > Casual users will probably think harder about it, but I really > > > think most people will get it. A certain percentage will almost > > > certainly try one of the cheap competitors, but will be back here > > > in a year or so saying that their alternative makes a nice > > > supplement to MapInfo. A smaller percentage will leave forever, > > > and probably throw out all commercial software and switch to > > > Linux and GRASS. At least that's what will happen if history is > > > any guide to the present. > > > > > > - Bill Thoen > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > > > > > Just curious, > > > > does anyone have any experiences with MI 6.0 yet along with any > comments > > > > on new features or views on if many users will flock to the recent > > > > upgrade. > > > > > > > > any comments would be appreciated > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > To unsubscribe from this list, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and put > > > "unsubscribe MAPINFO-L" in the message body, or contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from this list, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and put > > "unsubscribe MAPINFO-L" in the message body, or contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from this list, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and put > "unsubscribe MAPINFO-L" in the message body, or contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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