130 replies to this topic

[KlausDE]

How much longer are you prepared to wait for the release of Version 9 before you give up on Manifold Software Ltd, jump ship and migrate to another GIS product?[/b]

My analysis is based on vector data. When I need to model or automate processes I code them. When I need other symbols I customize them. So non of Nick's problems is mine because Manifold 8 still is unbeaten in this respect and the layout capabilities more than adequate to - no, not what I would wish but - what efforts and time my customers pay for .
Dimitri would push us to use the best tool for the task. I never was "loyal" to manifold violating this advice (AutoCAD MAP and Civil 3D, ArcGIS 9 and 10, qGIS/PostGIS). The pair Manifold/Enterprise Server on PostgreSQL still is my personal favorit to get complex things done quick in a group of coworkers.
But for all that I have a problem with the uncertainty of the release date of version 9 that has not been addressed: As raster data is not my main concern I don't share the worship of future GPU computing and doubte that the long wait is worth it. For my team the announced internationalization would be by far more important to accept manifold as THE now tool. Now that ArcGIS 10 has gained a lot of stability (for an ESRI product) it's hard to make them stay with ArcView 3 until finally Manifold comes in a customizable or finished german version. There is one of Art's video tutorials in german. Still it would take a lot of time for me to familiarize them with the Manifold GUI. It's hard to recognize the simple and stringent handling when you don't understand the keywords. The Manifold style of not refering to well-rehearsed vocabulary of legacy GIS is no help nor the new style of the forum, that asks for more Manifold skills to put a question in correct and complete english words than the answer will have.
I nevertheless vote for continuing participation in the forum, tonyw, perhaps to NOT disappear in the faceless thing that once was a community.

[Brawnyllama]

Not wanting to start a new thread..

Does anyone out there have a handle on Winders 8 and how its dev kit may influence Manifold's direction? If indeed they are still working on putting out a desktop GIS, will there be room in a browser based - cloudy approach to new applications? Or perhaps their parallel efforts are taking them into a broader cross platform development?
Thoughts?

I'm tired of waiting and considering migrating away from manifold.

[mdsumner]

Not wanting to start a new thread..

Does anyone out there have a handle on Winders 8 and how its dev kit may influence Manifold's direction? If indeed they are still working on putting out a desktop GIS, will there be room in a browser based - cloudy approach to new applications? Or perhaps their parallel efforts are taking them into a broader cross platform development?
Thoughts?

I'm tired of waiting and considering migrating away from manifold.

FWIW, I'm pretty sure they will stick to Windows only. Not sure what you mean about the "cloud", the IMS support is pretty comprehensive already and has not changed all that much since version 5 - you can write applications on top of Manifold that run in browsers. One newish thing is that v9 will apparently be able to be installed alongside an already installed earlier version, so the refreshed activations that existing licenses get can be be used to keep 8 alive forever even if you move to 9 as well.

[Brawnyllama]

Not wanting to start a new thread..

Does anyone out there have a handle on Winders 8 and how its dev kit may influence Manifold's direction? If indeed they are still working on putting out a desktop GIS, will there be room in a browser based - cloudy approach to new applications? Or perhaps their parallel efforts are taking them into a broader cross platform development?
Thoughts?

I'm tired of waiting and considering migrating away from manifold.

FWIW, I'm pretty sure they will stick to Windows only. Not sure what you mean about the "cloud", the IMS support is pretty comprehensive already and has not changed all that much since version 5 - you can write applications on top of Manifold that run in browsers. One newish thing is that v9 will apparently be able to be installed alongside an already installed earlier version, so the refreshed activations that existing licenses get can be be used to keep 8 alive forever even if you move to 9 as well.

I agree that they have shown to be dyed in the fibres MS centric. That also means that when Winders moves architectures they will need to as well. Winders8 seems to be going the way of IOS, android and Ubuntu, in that the newer UI seems very mobile friendly. This hints to me that one OS + many flavors run on many platforms. This Metro front end with only metro apps from only a single store tells me that they are moving straight into the idea of your OS is leased, and all your apps are belong to us (cloud thinking). I am sure that desktop apps will still be supported, at least for another iteration, but it also looks to be a good time to abstract a development company app into the cloud as well. Persistence being a major obstacle for the pumping back and forth of data that Manifolds' model seems to need, lots of need for local storage of both database, and tmp file varieties. Now if all data is natively available and pumpable across only large pipes, via multiple virtual machines working in unison, then the IMS /WMS updating of the browser data could work.

re: the release of side by side licensing with older / newer versions. This does seem to be a move to keep operational the traditional desktop apps made in the tradition of past dozen years or so, and IMO, tells me that compatibility between v.9 and v.<=8 is in question. Maybe not at the file level, but perhaps the way a vertical app might fit into a more parallelized approach. Clearly there are newer approaches to creating desktop apps(all platforms incl. Web), and simply exposing API's with the license wouldn't be in Manifold's best interest. So rapid App development either with the scripting/coding from within Mfd, and also having the exposure to an IMS or as more of a Cross pollinated platform API would IMO be an optimal route for them to Refactor the Following version.

Are you still optimistic of the new versions arrival? Coincident with Winders8?
Thanks for the response.

[Dale A]

Mike Fisher has posted some more info on performance, and on the development of future versions of Manifold here

The post is very informative and gives an excellent overview of the situation as it stands.

Every 18 months of Manifold development has seen large jumps in speed, we may well be in for four years worth of speed increase, and who knows what functionality. Might have been worth the wait.

[BCowper]

Mike Fisher has posted some more info on performance, and on the development of future versions of Manifold here

The post is very informative and gives an excellent overview of the situation as it stands.

Every 18 months of Manifold development has seen large jumps in speed, we may well be in for four years worth of speed increase, and who knows what functionality. Might have been worth the wait.

Until we get 9 in our hands I see these kind of posts by Manifold staff as nothing more than a big tease.

[Dale A]

Mike Fisher has posted some more info on performance, and on the development of future versions of Manifold here

The post is very informative and gives an excellent overview of the situation as it stands.

Every 18 months of Manifold development has seen large jumps in speed, we may well be in for four years worth of speed increase, and who knows what functionality. Might have been worth the wait.

Until we get 9 in our hands I see these kind of posts by Manifold staff as nothing more than a big tease.

I was tending to disagree with you...

Not any more.

[Brawnyllama]

Manifold.net seemed to fall off DNS in the past hour. Transferring servers from UK to China? Might this be a prep for release? (HA.)

[BCowper]

Manifold.net seemed to fall off DNS in the past hour. Transferring servers from UK to China? Might this be a prep for release? (HA.)

Working now and no news of updates, quite a leap you made there, know something we don't?

Edit (I missed the HA, it's been a busy week )

[Brawnyllama]

Manifold.net seemed to fall off DNS in the past hour. Transferring servers from UK to China? Might this be a prep for release? (HA.)

Working now and no news of updates, quite a leap you made there, know something we don't?

Edit (I missed the HA, it's been a busy week )

I wish I knew more. just looking for that one glimmer that indicates, I can retool for my next system.

[Dale A]

Manifold.net seemed to fall off DNS in the past hour. Transferring servers from UK to China? Might this be a prep for release? (HA.)

Working now and no news of updates, quite a leap you made there, know something we don't?

Edit (I missed the HA, it's been a busy week )

I wish I knew more. just looking for that one glimmer that indicates, I can retool for my next system.

No upgrade, just another update:

Manifold System 8.0.27

[hypo]

newbie here, but amazed by the Manifold possibilities..and has been following manifold and the release of 9 for some time now.

Stumbled upon this info http://manifold.net.ipaddress.com/
Probably some of you have already seen this.

there are more names: Radianware, Polygondata, Radianmap etc..
Each takes us to similar sites..

Can we make any sense out of these..??

-hypo

[Dale A]

newbie here, but amazed by the Manifold possibilities..and has been following manifold and the release of 9 for some time now.

Stumbled upon this info http://manifold.net.ipaddress.com/
Probably some of you have already seen this.

there are more names: Radianware, Polygondata, Radianmap etc..
Each takes us to similar sites..

Can we make any sense out of these..??

-hypo

A now deleted post elsewhere from Manifold stated that Manifold would would use product names that translated to other languages, would have cultural significance for marketing purposes.

Polygonware has a product listing and prices for products that may or may not exist at the moment. The download button links to 9.0.43.zip. The downloaded package is still version 8.

Over on the georefence forums, Manifold staff have made qualified statements about likely release dates for version 9 over the last few years. In each case those dates have come and gone.

Prior to version 9, Manifold had 18 month major upgrade cycles . In each case version upgrades had significant feature improvements, and increases in speed. It has been four years or so since the release of 8. Manifold have made comment on the development of nine in recent months, stating that it has taken three years of work to re code Manifold from the ground up, to make nine multithreading and able to use any number and mix of GPUs.

Version 8 continues to have maintenance releases, the most recent included addressing an obscure SQL engine fault that was found and reported via the georeference forum. Version 8 as others have pointed out is still the equal of just about any other GIS out there. Factor in the price and it is far and away the best bang for buck GIS around.

When will nine appear? Who knows.

[vW Maps]

After some deliberation, I've decided to buy a $145 extension to Manifold. I don't think I'm nuts, am I??

Here's the website of the company through which the payments go. Interesting, eh?

http://www.paydollar.com/

[Dale A]

After some deliberation, I've decided to buy a $145 extension to Manifold. I don't think I'm nuts, am I??

Here's the website of the company through which the payments go. Interesting, eh?

http://www.paydollar.com/

Not at all. The product still works, surface tools is quite slick.

Interesting changes in the payment department. Absolutely no sign of nine or replacement to eight.

In searching for info on qGIS and its use as a second tier GIS, I found a rather interesting summary on comparing GIS packages including (if the very small graphic is correct) Manifold. Search on "DSE and qGIS" and you will find it.