Capricorn Posted August 10, 2016 Report Share Posted August 10, 2016 (edited) Hi people, I've just installed MapInfo 15.2 x64 to setup some data for my friend using (in the firm he works with) legal MapInfo and all the time I have that feeling of something is missing or hidden in this software. I started using ArcView in 2001, and now for many years I use ArcGIS and QGIS, and also tried many others, including Geomedia Pro. Is there any particular reason to buy MapInfo when QGIS is so good lately. I do not see anything that MapInfo has and QGIS doesn't have. Or I miss something? Even I am still much more productive in ArcView 3.3 then in MapInfo. My first experience of MapInfo was v7.0 and in that time it didn't look so simple to me. I can't even get symbols scaling with zoom yet. Edited August 10, 2016 by Capricorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jorrarro Posted August 10, 2016 Report Share Posted August 10, 2016 Simple answer - ignorance and tradition. To elaborate, if your workplace has only used MapInfo, if it's the only GIS software taught in school etc and you're not particularly interested in widening your horizons, then it is only way to get stuff done. Historically, MapInfo has been cheaper, so it is easier to find money in the budget also. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batiporky Posted August 10, 2016 Report Share Posted August 10, 2016 Mapinfo is a tool to low technical GIS Users, so 6 or 5 year losing market on other options, yours pals are good people but are simple in GIS needs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 jorrarro correct it just a matter of feels, you said that you came from ArcGIS and Arcview users, that is the first barrier for you , you expect same function and tools just like arcgis/arcview. the second one is the purpose, if you have a lot geoprocessing or analisis stuff, yeah you cant compare arcgis with mapinfo, but if you want to make a nice map, go for mapinfo. but I found that the recent mapinfo have a really nice improvement, if you combine it with some extension like encom or some others , you got nice GIS Software suite 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meodensi Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 MapInfo is getting bigger, heavier and slower and it just serves "information" as its name. Previously, it was good to use MapInfo for vector editing, map layer preperation, printing and database conversion. Nowadays, all these things can be done with QGIS or ArcGIS. If it's fast, compact, light-weighted and cheap, MapInfo can be used for some standard GIS applications. One important thing MapInfo is left behind other applications, which is "Internet" thing. Poor WMS, WFS and no WMST service with this app. Direct data format reading is poor as well. Of course, no raster processing is the biggest negative thing. I prefer MapInfo to be compact and cheap, not like now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capricorn Posted August 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 (edited) Thanks for your inputs people. It is true that I come from Autodesk and ESRI World. I made thousands layouts in ArcView GIS and lately I made some identical (even better) in QGIS. In the era of ArcView GIS, MapInfo was good news for those wishing better Windows compatibility. I won't talk here about ArcGIS, because I don't think MapInfo (or any other software) can be compared with ArcGIS. I also know about strength of Encom products, and I understand those people using MapInfo with Encom. To my mind, (I may be wrong or blind) QGIS is better then "core" MapInfo. That's where I want clarification. I work in spatial planning firm, so final product for me is a map layout, not only analysis. Edited August 11, 2016 by Capricorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 I really interesting CAD like editing in Mapinfo, and if you use MapCAD extension, it will be awesome gis software for building data Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uriendemonav Posted August 12, 2016 Report Share Posted August 12, 2016 in the mining industry we prefer mapinfo because its cheap and it has Encom Discover Module which is more oriented towards our industry. in your case maybe it boils down on usability or ease of use or whichever you are confident to use. in the mining industry Mapinfo alone without Encom discover is like having a car without an engine. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted August 12, 2016 Report Share Posted August 12, 2016 as uriendemonav said, mapinfo + encom really popular in mining industry, and it is cheap 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capricorn Posted August 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2016 And do you agree with my conclusion that "core" MapInfo is not better than QGIS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliusmall Posted August 12, 2016 Report Share Posted August 12, 2016 I can tell that MI+Discovery is an essential tool in the exploration and mining industry. Example: I can generate in less than a hour a grid for soil geochemistry and in the second hour to load in the GPS units the coordinates and send people to work. No such module in Arc. And they are a lot of such specialized modules in MI/Discover It is not about the core MI vs Qgis,it is about the final products. Same in geophysics, you will never find Qgis or Arc, you will find products processed in Geosoft..... Same in the oil industry. Other families, not Qgis or Arc So, see what you are targeting...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capricorn Posted August 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 Hi juliusmall, As I already said, I work in the field of urban planning and make final documents (spatial plans) with 20-25 layouts, so no sending data from me to others for further processing. I collect all the data (some of them I make myself, in many different applications) of an urban area and after making decisions I make maps and layouts. Layout is the final product for me. No layout = no plan. Finished layout becomes the part of law. That's why I talk about core products, because I think making GIS maps and layouts should be the basic part of them. Making layouts in QGIS became very easy and intuitive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliusmall Posted August 15, 2016 Report Share Posted August 15, 2016 @Capricorn Perhaps you haven't understand. I am not giving data to other to post processing. Just sending people to work in the field according to our goals. I suppose also your urban planing layouts are put in place by some people, starting with the architects, engineers etc and finishing with the last shovel guy. I am returning to the definition: GIS.... Geographical Information Systems. That System from the end is including far, far more than a collection of maps, layouts, etc. ArcInfo maybe it is ended far more powerful, full of analyses capabilities, etc. But it was started on exclusive Unix machines. At ESRI they recovered slowly, migrating late, during the end of '90 to Windows machines. But as you said, we have only the core. Nothing to go, lets say, beneath the the surface. Of earth, water..... @batiporky Low technical users, loosing market ? I know some attempt of ESRI to enter on specialized markets...... and..... So: Exploration, mining: MapInfo/Discover (they are all now, ENCOM-Discover-MapInfo at the same company), Surpac, Vulcan, MicroMine Oil (exploration-production): Petrel, Kingdom Geophysics: Geosoft, Surfer Engineering: Underground water, foundations, etc Just count the possible business figures and try to find the ArcGIS or QGIS corespondent modules. Also, you will discover that they are a lot of highly specialized "low level" experts working in multi trillions industries....... Successful, with high tech results..... and without ArcGIS or QGIS. As I wrote before, beware to what you are targeting, to the appropriate software.... and to the GIS definition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capricorn Posted August 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2016 This goes off the title topic ... My specialization is HVAC, I also work in the field of civil/road design, photogrammetry, water supply, sewer and storm, 3d visualizations for architects (from 1996.), web design ... These all have their specialized tools/software I use to make the job done. But they aren't the topic either ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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