[Manifold-l] Manifold reference clients

[Michael Sumner]

>1. Active columns (potentially powerful but the only interface to them
is scripting 7
>language -good luck attracting hundreds of millions of users to
scripting.  Active Columns 
>should be as easy as creating a complex Excel function or even an Access 
query)

I agree with this, but I'd like it to be as easy as "typing an expression 
that described the result I wanted". This is partly a
language/environment choice topic, but also partly where things are going 
in general, OS-wise. In the meantime, R&D resources are faced with
multiple interest pressures. 


>2. Basic display functions seem slow compared to Mapinfo (it takes too
long to pan and >zoom around a data set.  I know the technical reasons
for this but they don't really >matter; hundreds of millions of users are 
not going to wait 10-15 seconds to adjust the >view of their GPS track
over the last 3 months)

I wonder if this conclusion (about users, in aggregate) is based on data, 
or just a hunch. 

>3. Finding the distance between two or more points (probably one of the
more common >thing people want to do with geocoded datasets requires an
in-depth technical knowledge >of Earth geometry and scripting to pull it
off in Manifold. The default units that are re

That's not true, just hold Ctrl, or choose a projection (!) and the (good 
enough) answer  is there.  I don't think that subtlety is too much to
ask, when the reality really is complex and well worth being pedantic
about.  It *really* does matter how you tackle the question, depending on 
context. Making assumptions about those contexts is simply asking for
trouble, or pure arrogance. 

>4. Because Manifold can be programmed with visual basic scripting it is
a very powerful >and flexible tool.  However, unlike with microsoft
office products Manifold does not offer a >very easy way for the average
user to start using that capability.  Most users start using >the
programming capabilities of Excel by recording, viewing, editing and
debugging >macros.  Manifold's lack of these capabilities will sorely
curtail its extensibility by the >average user. 

This is an OS-level request, IMO.  (Meaning, other priorities bubble to
the top. Still.)

>5. . . . .  [Google linked images] . . .  I was interested in this
feature and am relatively computer literate but it took >maybe 1.5 hours
to figure out how to setup and use this feature. 

Can you provide more detail on this?

> ... A casual user would probably never get around to it.  

 How do you define "casual" or "probably"?  Manifold/CDA presumably can
perform meaningful analysis on these questions, given that they have
access to the most pertinent data.  How you can make apparently confident 
assertions without those data is not clear to me. 

>I understand that there are maybe some legal issues but this is just one 
example of an >awesome and generally useful capability that it is worth
making a lot easier to find and >use.

"some legal issues" is arguably an understatement. The conclusion
regarding marketing strategy is interesting, but I am sure there are
definitive details and complexities that I can't even begin to imagine. 

>  But here is the problem, if this list is anything to go by your
customers are GIS >professionals and experts.  This narrow focus is going 
to keep driving your development 

Big if. 


>Even the feature request process that you tout is not well geared to
making Manifold >attractive outside of the professional GIS community.  

What is this conclusion based on?  Poor results?

>The requested features with the most votes are probably from the same
self-selected >group of current Manifold users.  If you keep talking to
yourself how are you going to >make a product relevant for people who are 
not currently even casual GIS users?   

... 

>Manifold is a great product and to make it awesome only requires making
its capabilities >useful to a wider audience; cost (at the current pretty 
low price of 245), I believe, may >be less of a factor than you seem to think. 

Oh I wish I could sit in on a marketing strategy meeting at Manifold
headquarters too. 

You've given me a lot to think about, I've only given some terribly terse 
answers!

Cheers, Mike.