Can I Do the Same GIS Tasks With OS as With ESRI?

By James Fee | Published: April 29, 2008

A thread has developed on the OSGeo email list (out of an “open source career” post in fact) asking how one can perform the same tasks using open source software as they do with ESRI.

Paul Ramsey as usual writes a spot on response to the question:

My general synopsis: for server-side, for scriptability, for automation, for web-based, open source wins for most use cases, given a technically savvy user; for ad hoc, for cartographic production, for a user who is used to a point-n-click experience end to end, proprietary still wins.

Nacho Libre – defender of open source

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6 Comments

  1. Lefty
    Posted April 29, 2008 at 5:51 pm | Permalink

    I assume Nacho Libre’s brother, Salsa Gratis rolls with Google?

  2. JRigs
    Posted April 30, 2008 at 3:49 pm | Permalink

    I was thinking more warez, myself.

  3. Sean Gillies
    Posted May 1, 2008 at 8:52 am | Permalink

    Shorter Paul Ramsey: no, but.

  4. Sune
    Posted May 5, 2008 at 11:39 am | Permalink

    Why not reverse the question?

    The answer would still be: no, but.

  5. Lefty
    Posted May 5, 2008 at 12:12 pm | Permalink

    @Sune: Sure, but does anyone really ask that question? I think the general feeling here is how folks can move toward open source, not toward closed systems…

  6. markusN
    Posted May 8, 2008 at 6:42 am | Permalink

    concerning the latter, see the OSGeo Wiki at http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OSGeo_Cartographic_Library

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