Customer Comments on Manifold Products

User Comments on Manifold Database Commander

Comments on Manifold System

Favorite Postings in comp.infosystems.gis about Manifold

Spanish Language GIS Threads on Manifold

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At manifold.net we're lucky to be an Internet company because all of our customers are online and can tell us what they think about our products. Here are excerpts from recent email we've received regarding Manifold System and other products:

User Comments on Manifold System Release 5.00 Professional:

"Anyone who hasn't worked with ArcIMS or MapGuide has no idea of the joy it is to be able to work with just one program and not worry about formatting etc.etc. of two programs." (Canada - posted in Manifold-L, speaking of Manifold IMS as being easier to use in comparison to competitors.)

"I second all that; my employers' corporate system is IMS. All I will add is that Manifold IMS does much more than originally promised and I'm very happy with it." (UK - posted in Manifold-L in response to the previous comment.)

"I just purchased Manifold GIS Release 5.00.  I'm impressed with all the features and relative intuitiveness of the program.  Actually it does more-or-less about the same thing as MicroImage's TNT MIPS.   Are you familiar with it?  It costs $5, 000.00! " (USA)

"I routinely import shp files which are quite large (3 municipal parcel fabrics and lot & concessions ~56mb) and have not noticed any real performance drop. Granted, I use a P4 1.6 w/ 512RAM, but still, the performance is much faster then using ArcView 3.2 or ArcInfo 8.1. Just thought I'd pass it along." (Canada - posted in  Manifold-L)

"The Tools-Save to component options enable me to import the files into my image editor and then into my desktop publishing software.  I have been able to produce the kind of output I desire.  This is pretty amazing, considering I had no experience with GIS about six weeks ago." (USA)

"Engineering software that works effectively with georeferenced files in raster and vector format seems daunting; not to mention the integration of a quality database function, development of the file import protocols and GPS integration.....   All this functionality for about $250.  What a great value!" (USA)

"I can't see why people are spending $5000 on MapObjects from ESRI ... when we have 10 times more with Manifold at 20 times less ?? **&%!! :-)" (Canada - posted in Manifold-L)

"You guys have a great product!  I'm very happy to have found it.  The documentation/examples, user interface, functional design, your timely support responses.....everything adds up to a very good thing!"  (USA)

"This product is AWESOME. Not only does the price blow everything else away but it's capabilities are seemingly endless.

I'm new to the world of GIS. I use Manifold 5 to create trail maps for the Front Range here in Colorado. Although I've encountered a few hurdles, Manifold 5 has been extremely simple to jump into and be productive after just a few hours in the help file and no real previous experience in GIS. The customer service has been top notch and in my case, extremely patient and helpful to a GIS newbie.

Because I'm not an experienced user of GIS applications I may not be able to trumpet all kinds of technical jargon about this feature or that, but I do know Manifold seems to have it all wrapped up into one amazing package." (USA)

"Your support and responsiveness is second to none." (USA)

(About Manifold IMS): "I must say I am a frustrated user of ESRI's Arcims and Mapinfo's MapXtreme. I hate them. Why exporting a map to a web involves taking lessons about Java servlets or server settings? But with Manifold, wow, is there anything so simple?" (Spain)

"You are so good at taking care of your customers that I often want to make your performance as the bench mark for my client service. " (India)

"I want to congratulate manifold for developing this great software. I'm and ArcView-ArcInfo user for more than five years and manifold have giving me what I was looking for, great capabilities for cartographic visualization and unlikely capabilities for Internet Web Cartography.

I have recommend manifold to our Staff and they are amaze of all the capabilities it have. Probably they will be getting manifold licenses for the institute.

Once again, thanks for Manifold 5.00, is simply the greatest GIS software I have use so far." (The Netherlands)

(After suggesting an improvement) "I don't mean to sound like a complainer. I think Manifold is a vast improvement over other MUCH more expensive GIS's I've used. I just want perfection :-)" (Canada, Government Agency user)

"Thanks for the quick reply. Service from Manifold has been the best I have ever seen from any software company." (USA)

(commenting on speed) "I find Manifold blazingly fast against ArcView 3.2 and to be on par with AutoCAD Map 2002." (Canada)

"Great Program! I am somewhat new to GIS programs, but having to use ArcView occasionally ( which is a pain in the neck, as far as I am concerned ), I really appreciate the ease of use of Manifold." (USA)

"First of all I would like to tell you that manifold R5 is one of the best software I have ever seen, especially for its quality/price ratio. My true compliments." (Italy)

"At the risk of sounding crass, Manifold 5 kicks ass. I just installed some Globe30 dems in order to make a map as a.pngt to someone. It's beautiful.  Please tell the staff at Manifold that I continue to appreciate their craftsmanship." (USA)

"Just wanted to mention that Manifold 5.0 is a great product that exceeds all my expectations. I'm looking forward to a great year of working with it.  I hope my students here learn to use it for their research work." (USA)

"First of all I would like to congratulate you on creating an excellent program! You have come a long way on creating a program that makes it easy for people such as me to create maps quickly and easily. I also do like the interface - much better than a lot of the programs I considered before buying Manifold." (Norway)

"You guys are the best company with the best software, like I have always said. Forget the competition! YOU always come through!" (Canada)

"I'd just like to thank the Manifold team for such a great product at a great cost. Manifold has features only dreamt of in a GIS package, all rolled up in an easy-to-use package. If it stays on the path it's now headed, it will easily become one of the most sophisticated, most comprehensive GIS systems on the market. I just wanted to convey my admiration and appreciation." (USA, Federal Government User)

"I can only think of high praise for your product." (Puerto Rico, USA) 

"Your product rocks!!"  (Spain) 

"[Selection capabilities are] clearly the most comprehensive of any GIS package I have seen." (USA)

"M5 is great.  I haven't had too much time to explore it, but so far I'm particularly impressed with its ability to deal with projections.  Wow!  Also its import capabilities.  Also the fluid shifts between rasters and vectors.  Wow, again!" (CANADA)

"I'm very pleased with the software, which is substantially more capable and easier to use than than the already capable 4.5." (USA)

[After suggesting some feature changes and export formats] "I'm a critic because I like very much R5, it's the best GIS software I ever seen, and I'm trying to contribute to its development." (Italy}

"This is just a thank-you. The persons who responded to my witterings about the subject of weighted tilings went above and beyond what is expected of a tech support service (in typical Manifold style, too), pointed out the problems inherent in my requests politely and clearly, and gave useful suggestions on how to proceed." (South Africa)

"... it is so refreshing to find someone who is committed to creating a great software product (or someone who will even listen for that matter ) . . ."  (USA)

"Manifold 5, by the way, is a great product." (Germany)

"Spring is finally here, the magnolias have finally bloomed in my neighborhood, .. and I've  been lucky enough to be beta testing part of the long awaited Manifold System Release 5. [ http://www.manifold.net ]

...WOW!!  :-)

Preliminary impressions:

- It is much faster, more intuitive and fun to use than the previous version  4.50

- Raster effects are very good. Many Photoshop-style manipulations are possible. Even on a 600Mhz PIII Sony laptop they are very fast.

- Lovely integration between Raster and Vector data

- My favorite feature and the one I have been waiting for is Alpha channel. It is called 'Opacity' in Manifold R5. Thus 100% means just what it says. With even a few layers one can produce the most beautiful balanced color relationships just by setting a few basic colors with the Palette selector  and then tweaking the 'Opacity' values to create soft but very legible aggregate maps. I am a multimedia developer and spend most of my time working with superbly designed graphics tools [Flash, Fireworks, ]. I have thus come to expect sophisticated fast features which are well-organized, and allow me to experiment directly with visual balance and data manipulation. R5 is the first time I have felt this in a GIS thanks to the approach taken and the Raster processing. This tool makes sense.

- There is super 'create' menu which allows one to include all kinds of components in a MAP [MAnifold Project]: palettes, notes, scripts, drawings, images, tables, maps etc.. Easy to see how one can iteratively develop focused data presentations from large complex inputs, recycling and refining them rapidly for wide distribution using import, export, create features.

- R5 has a clean, consistent interface well oriented for map publishing as well as the querying shortcuts which Manifold pioneered in version 4. 

- What I am really waiting for is the Python scripting. Not released yet... [stay tuned"]  (USA)

"Georegistration and raster handling is the best I have ever seen in a GIS - and I have seen a few! Same with the help file." (Germany)

User Comments on Manifold Database Commander:

"If the formula for a killer application is to combine powerful and unique features with ease of use and a reasonable sticker price, then Database Commander 1.10 (Enterprise Manager Edition) by Manifold.net easily reaches critical mass -- and then some." (InfoWorld Review, USA)

"I just downloaded your Commander program. It's already been a great help in just one or two hours of fooling around with it." (USA)

"Commander is a very good product, with an excellent interface." (Argentina)

"If you really need to know more from your data than is on the surface, Manifold Database Commander is one must-have addition to your analytical toolbox. Even the price is outstanding… I’ve seen software that does just bits and pieces of what Commander offers in the $500 to $1000 range." (USA)

"Again a great product in Manifold-like manner!  I did not expect such a complex application behind the easy-to-use interface.  I was also surprised that it did not crash a single time during operation!"  (Germany)

"Awesome packaging!" (USA)

"This program is excellent at first blush. It seems to do everything one could want" (USA)

"As a database person for close to twenty years, I am excited about Database Commander and look forward to reviewing it." (USA)

"I am very enthusiastic regarding the possible impact that Database Commander can have at data processing sites. Having been one and knowing many more, I  know there is a great need for a robust utility that can translate and transpose data in a stand-alone mode. That is, without a programmer present." (USA)

"I have had a chance to play around a bit with it as I needed to prepare some Stats on some data - Wow! This product is just what Local Government Valuers need for testing the valuation of a property against the sale price of the property - truly awseome !!  I can now prepare stats on a variety of pre- prepared queries in my property database - produce the results and email to my Supervisor, all in one operation - very impressive. ... The size of our property database (124Mb) does not seem to faze Commander at all." (Australia)

Our Favorite Postings About Manifold System Release 4.50 GIS in comp.infosystems.gis

comp.infosystems.gis is the Internet newsgroup used by most professional GIS users for GIS discussions.  A good search engine that can search the archives of this group and various GIS lists (such as Mapinfo-L, now maintained by www.directionsmag.com) will reveal numerous comments about Manifold in recent months.  Most of these are short comments of the form "It's great!" but a few are longer.  Here are our favorites:  

"Manifold System is not just excellent value, but it is great design too, notable for an interesting underlying perspective on what GIS is, and how data can be spatially handled. Thus the future is very bright for where one might 'go' with this system."

[Click here to read the rest of the above (long) thread]

"I really like Manifold's use of the Windows paradigm and DB/ODBC tools. I got the standard evaluation copies of ArcView and a few others and Manifold was head and shoulders above them. I can't even begin to figure out how I would integrate my existing business data with ArcView and the others, but there seem to be several alternatives with Manifold." (comp.infosystems.gis)

[Click here to read the rest of the above thread]

"[Using a Manifold competitor] ..to convert some 35,000 polylines to regions was a job of some *7 days* in my Pentium II 400 Mhz, 128 RAM, but its is a matter of some *4 hours* with the solver included in the Manifold 4.5 release." (comp.infosystems.gis) 

[Click here to read the rest of the above thread]

"I needed a GIS but couldn't afford any of the standard products. I finally reluctantly decided to get Manifold 4.5, not expecting much at a tenth the price of the standard systems, but hoping I could make it serve my needs. What I found was a program about as stable as any large Windows application, with a clear, Windows-friendly interface and an enormous but well organized and well explained set of functions. It reads almost all of the data I have in native formats, and outputs in forms I can readily use. While it won't do absolutely everything I might desire, it seems at least as powerful (in all the respects that matter to me, at least) as the GISs that cost ten or more times as much.

What's missing from this picture? I have never seen a case where there was anything like this great a disparity in price between the big-sellers in a software market and a product which seems not only functionally competitive but also well packaged. Can anybody offer an explanation?" (comp.infosystems.gis)

[Click here to read the rest of this thread....]

"There's no question that Manifold is software for grownups, with great
potential uses that I'm only beginning to explore." (comp.infosystems.gis)

Spanish Language GIS Threads on Manifold

"Siempre me ha gustado los triunfos tipo David contra Goliat, que pronto puede ser el caso con el SIG Manifold (www.manifold.net)." (Spanish language thread)

[Click here to read the rest of this thread, with English translations by e-lingo.com]

Other User Comments on Manifold System Release 4.50 GIS

"As a professional archeologist, I find Manifold indispensable for advance research of an area under study." (USA)

"By the way, I love 4.5. I think it was terrific software because it was powerful. By powerful I mean that the return for good intellectual effort on the part of the user by making use of what 4.5 could do was immense, and the price was accessible, the service as accessible and thorough, the data and maps and helping tools on your site were the same way...it was great."  (USA)

"I am amazed with the Manifold System 4.5 and look forward to the 5.0 upgrade." (Denmark)

"Whatever you do in R5, don't change this awesome support. You guys not only know your stuff, but you're easy and fun to work with ." (USA)

"I've been playing with Manifold for about 6 months and am getting to love it.  It is a steep learning curve, but its my first time with a mapping/GIS product. ... Great product and I'm looking forward to 5.0." (USA)

"Incidentally, Manifold is the best value software I have on my computer." (UK)

"First, many thanks to the technical support people for your really prompt and helpful answer! I used spatial overlays (as you recommended) to solve my problem of combining data from two maps and it worked great! (although it took a while for my Pentium III 733MHz to process the data...). Manifold is a great product and you people are doing a very good job indeed!" (Greece)

"(till today – 2 days use…) MANIFOLD looks like a GREAT tool, easy to learn, and TOO MUCH powerful for its low price." (Israel)

"Keep up the good work. I still can't figure out how you make money off this. We use ArcInfo and ArcView at work. They're getting better, but they're nowhere close to Manifold. And for the price, they're ridiculous." (USA)

"I have used Manifold for about a year now and enjoy it very much.  I just received a response to one of my questions from the tech guys at Manifold and was pleased that they offered a rapid response and an easy solution to my problem. Very good support." (USA)

"I must say that it's nice to be able to receive prompt and friendly help in matters such as this; far better than that provided by another company I could name..." (Australia)

"I was close to dropping several grand on PC ARC/INFO when I found your web site.  Thanks again for this great product!  I'm 100% behind you guys!  Keep up the good work!"  (USA)

"You continued to be unrivaled in your attention to customers and pride in your work." (USA)

"I am working with [colleague], and she is using software from you in a project.  I want to thank you for the amazing level of support you have given her. I know geography, but she knows programming. I help her with some vocabulary and cartographic thinking, but you guys blow me away with how detailed and generous you are with your help to her. You have made her job a lot easier and she is really happy with the work you do. So please know that you have an even more dedicated fan and apostle for your work, and I am looking forward to learning programming myself, as well as Manifold 5."  (USA)

"First of all my congratulations with your beautiful software. I worked through a number of your examples and was surprised of the many ways in which your program  can manipulate data." (Netherlands)

"I am just having the time of my life learning this program, and the functionality never ceases to amaze me. Mountains above ArcView. The only thing I have been using ArcView for since I got Manifold, is to make layouts (can't wait till that is fixed in version 5)." (USA)

"Many, many thanks for replying so quickly. The answer to 'dissolving' 6000+ polygons was 5 minutes on a 450MHz Pentium with 256k RAM. Very impressive! I started with a dummy file with only a few polygons, just to work out how to use the solver. It was very straightforward - well done.   This was my first real use of Manifold in two years and it looks so elegant compared to MapInfo and ArcView! I regret not having the time to learn to use your creation until now." (Scotland)

"I am quiet new to Manifold (until now I have been using MapInfo  for 3 years  now), but it's great to work with so far." (Germany)

"I have been using your 4.5 version (w/sp2 installed). I think you guys have done a fantastic Job!!!! We plan on buying 3 more copies of the EXCELLENT product." (USA)

"I like Manifold very much." (Japan)

"It is important for my being registered user because Manifold 4.5 is a great software. Mainly in their capacity of handling of databases and of the spatial analyses that he can carry out easily." (Chile)

"I am translating every files from MapInfo to Manifold, as I am, definitely, a Manifold user." (Spain)

"I must admit that MapInfo is my everyday working tool and originally purchased Manifold one, for its price and second, for its capability of handling different GIS file formats.  My experience so far involves converting SDTS vectors to TAB and trying to fix maps using the Topology Factory. But, little by little I am discovering that Manifold is really a gem as I am trying to use it more. " (Puerto Rico, USA)

"Viewbot is a GRAND IDEA, congratulations to the one who find out!" (Europe)

"Great newsletter! I was very excited to read about all the improvements and other new work being done to the Manifold products. I use Manifold quite a bit, mainly for transportation planning studies, and like it a lot." (USA)

"... your R4.5 beta5 service pack 2 will be put through the wringer on my own DXF holdings - thanks for incorporating those speed, block & text handling improvements! I'm still amazed that such useful fixes are implemented so fast based on requests from normal users. This contrasts sharply with certain other Unnamed GIS vendors who really can't hear you unless you are spending millions ..." (South Africa)

"I have purchased and been using Manifold 4.5 for about a month and it is now my main GIS tool. I have long used Atlas and more recently ArcView (last 4 years, as a viewer)." (USA)  See example map sent by this user: Percent Rented by Block

"I should also comment that your dissolve solver is tons better that the MapInfo counterpart, but that it still needs some attention as to memory usage and a better indication of whether this is actually running or not or if the system has hung. I also know what a hassle it is to work with Windows and the problems that come with it. Congratulations on a superb product and also note that is still needs a few refinements. Expect some more comments from us in the near future." (South Africa) [Editor's note: Manifold users are tough and demand a lot... several additions to the next release were prompted by comments from this site.]

"I have been reviewing your software that a co-worker purchased. Incredible! It would work so well for all I do. I work extensively in Access too. What a great tool!" (USA)

"As an experienced ESRI user, I am very pleased at the features of your product that come straight out of the box." (USA)

"I VERY highly appreciate the personal way you care customers. Congratulations! Keep doing on!" (Hungary)

"This product is great! I've worked with most GIS systems. So far, this is the easiest to work with." (USA)

"Manifold is the most versatile tool I have found to help me in my work as a civil/gis/transportation/its professional." (USA)

"Your new release is a great product!" (USA)

"This is the greatest vendor support *ever*! Many thanks for your quick and thorough response." (US computer manufacturer's tech support)

"I recently bought Manifold system release 4.5 and the first thing I should say is that I find it is a really good software, and the price is just incredible." (USA)

"Your GIS - it´s excellent, I´m amazed about its analysis capabilities and performance, ¡Good work!, In fact we are so impressed with the GIS, we think we buy another copy of Manifold." (Costa Rica) 

"The manuals are very useful and explain fairly well the function and use of each feature available in Manifold." (Belgium)

"Thanks for the quick response last night guys!  I very much appreciated it and was able to use the info right away without hardly a slowdown in my work... which is  why I forgot to show my appreciation. Keep up the good work."  (USA)

"Thank you - your support is simply amazing." (USA)

"The software is definitely worth the bucks. As an ArcView user I am always irritated by its weird system of menus and commands. Stone Age DOS or UNIX-like stuff." (Netherlands)

"This package is no lightweight. Already found something I cannot do with ArcView." (USA)

"You guys at Manifold are amazing. Your response is fantastic as is your GIS (especially for the price -- how do you do it? -- the last GIS I purchase cost 20 times as much and did not have many of the features -- it does have some such as geo-referencing, digitizing, and importing and stretching a scanned map to use it as a background). But, still for the price WOW." (USA user working with GPS).

"I have my dxf maps coming in. They are awesome! I am beginning to work with modifying the information and attaching a database. It doesn't seem too difficult to learn and that information is very well documented."  (USA).

"I have just received my copy of Manifold System Release 4.5 and am very impressed with it. I have looked through the help file and the documentation, but I cannot find the answer to the following question: How do I import a co-ordinate coded database file and then display the imported 'track' as a line rather than points? The Solvers seem to do many things, but not this simple task (that I can find).   I must admit that we had to write a custom Avenue macro for ArcView to do this, but I was hoping that Manifold System would do it for me. If it is not possible, could you please inform me how I can import a line into Manifold system from a geographic datafile. Thanking you in advance for your help and congratulations on producing an extremely good product - the speed gain over ArcView is most impressive." (European military user; tech support supplied a custom solver (make lines, soon to be publicly released) which prompted this reply:

"Thanks for this solver; it worked perfectly first time! I used the GetIDOf(self) formula because of the rather strange format of the date and time tag on the data. Thanks for the tip!   As suggested in your previous e-mail, I had actually written a utility to convert my point data into a format suitable for import as a text file using Solvers - Utility - Export/Import - Read Text File to generate the line data. However, your new utility works much better.  Thank you very much for the timely and high quality support. I will be recommending Manifold System to my contemporaries - the speed advantage over ArcView when using projected data is simply brilliant and the customer support is excellent." (European military user)

"OK, I am amazed. Firstly, by the improvements in 3D View Studio, and secondly by the speed in which you came up with the equivalents to Arc/INFO's clip & split for the Topology solvers.  So far, I've only fiddled with 3D View Studio for an hour or so in the mornings (you were right to warn people - it's addictive) ... " (South Africa)

"I hope you're making a good amount of money. Your products are great; and I've only used about 5% of their functions." (USA, Manifold and 3D View User)

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