On the Dearth (or Abundance) of GIS Data Viewers


Last week I received in the mail a nice glossy brochure from ESRI, titled: “ArcGIS Desktop | Tools for Authoring, Editing and Analyzing Geographic Information”.  Note that “Viewing” is missing.  This brings me, again, to one of my favorite subjects: What is ESRI’s solution for GIS end-users, those who populate the base of the GIS pyramid?  Apparently, ArcGIS-ArcView is not it.

Is the solution ArcGIS Explorer (AGX)?  AGX is an expensive proposition, as one would need to also buy ArcGIS server to feed it.  Is the solution then something else that’s coming down the pike that we don’t know about?

James Fee called me a crybaby for my nostalgic missive about ArcView 1.  I stand by it.  Nothing to do with ArcView 1’s technology, everything to do with the clarity ArcView 1 introduced and for years maintained in the marketplace.  Windows 95 killed ArcView 1, and so began the fragmentation of the GIS Viewer market.

Posted by Atanas Entchev at 1/8/2008 11:59 AM
Categories: AGX, Business, GIS, Software, ArcView, Opinion, ESRI, Technology, ArcGIS, ArcGIS Explorer
Tags: Technology AGX Business GIS Software ArcView Opinion ESRI ArcGIS ArcGIS Explorer
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  • 1/8/2008 1:45 PM Kirk wrote:
    Hi Atanas -
    Anyone with ArcEngine Dev kit can create a viewer by simply creating a new EngineWindowsApplication from a template VS project. It does not provide datagridviews of tables, but that can be added with a bit of programming. The app would require a $500 runtime license, but the licensing is per machine, so installing more engine based apps do not require additional licensing. I'm not sure why we don't see more of these simple viewers available for purchase, given how easy they are to create.

    Regards, Kirk
  • 1/8/2008 1:56 PM Mangocrate wrote:
    Why do say you need AGIS Server to feed AGX?

    Works well as a standalone viewer to bring in spatial content.....though I still think that ArcView 3.3 should be made free.
    1. 1/8/2008 2:10 PM Atanas Entchev wrote:
      "ArcView 3.3 should be made free."

      Yep, I agree. But ArcView 3.3 does not read the geodatabase, and must thus be in conflict with ESRI's overall strategy. Only speculating, of course. I have no knowledge of ESRI's overall strategy, or even of the existence of one.

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