GPS - Satisfaction with ArcExplorer?

Author

Satisfaction with ArcExplorer?

tbl

2005-09-26, 5:48 pm

Is ArcExplorer a good app for a Garmin Legend user, hiker,
and topo map user?

Thanks,

richo@mcn.org

2005-09-26, 11:48 pm

I think there are a lot of better alternatives. Does ArcExplorer have a
GPS interface now? Are you in the US? That would have a bearing on any
recommendations. Shameless self-promotion ahead.. My book, GPS Mapping
- Make Your Own Maps (http://www.makeyourownmaps.com), reviews and
instructs on 14 different software programs. Whether you are in the US
or not, it covers programs that should fit your needs.

Rich Owings
http://www.MakeYourOwnMaps.com/
http://www.GPStracklog.com/

"We were desert mystics, my friends and I, poring over our maps as
others do their holy books." - Edward Abbey

tbl

2005-09-27, 5:48 pm

On 26 Sep 2005 16:46:42 -0700, richo@mcn.org wrote:

>I think there are a lot of better alternatives. Does ArcExplorer have a
>GPS interface now? Are you in the US? That would have a bearing on any
>recommendations. Shameless self-promotion ahead.. My book, GPS Mapping
>- Make Your Own Maps (http://www.makeyourownmaps.com), reviews and
>instructs on 14 different software programs. Whether you are in the US
>or not, it covers programs that should fit your needs.

Thanks Rich!

I had intended, but forgot to mention, that I have the
Maptech Terrain Navigator set of maps for California, and
have used it quite a bit. But it's all raster, 300 dpi, and
quite limited in utilities for making one's own maps.

I know that in the big $ world, ESRI reins, but when I put
ArcView on my home PC, it added about 75,000 entries to the
registry, and a bazillion files, making my otherwise snappy
machine into a slow breed of dog. And when I went to
uninstall it, the uninstaller choked, and I had to spend
many hours cleaning out the registry. That's why I'm a
little gun-shy about ArcExplorer. On the other hand, my
career is heading towards natural resources, and that pushes
me toward wanting to be 'in' with ESRI stuff.

What I'd like is finer control than I'm getting with TN, but
without the monstrosity of ArcView.

Thanks for your comments. Employment permitting, I'll scoop
up your book--it sounds very much worth the cost.

richo@mcn.org

2005-09-27, 11:48 pm

tbl,

There are certainly some free GIS programs that others would be better
able to address. Otherwise, if you want relatively user-friendly
mapping software that allows use of shapefiles and .e00 files, you
might want to look into OziExplorer.

Rich Owings
http://www.MakeYourOwnMaps.com/
http://www.GPStracklog.com/

"We were desert mystics, my friends and I, poring over our maps as
others do their holy books." - Edward Abbey

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