HLS 6070 DF4 Assignment Comments Part 2: GIS Software

Comment on these 2 postings as if you were talking in my voice, do not lose the name above each post. 100 words and 3 sources each:
Tyler Cuming:
The top 5 GIS software applications that are being used today are ArcGIS (Esri), QGIS (Quantum GIS), GRASS GIS, MapInfo (Pitney Bowes), and Global Mapper (Blue Marble). While there are many different effective technologies, I chose these 5 because of their overall usage and popularity.
Esri ArcGis – by most reviews, Esri seems to be the best and most used application out there on the market. Touted as being the largest GIS software company, Esir is known for being easy to use, thus cutting down the time it takes to complete tasks on the software. Esri provides a number of different programs including ArcGlove, ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap, Geostatistics, Netowrk Analysis, 3D analysis, and spatial analysis. Its functionality, large user community, and date driven pages, all contribute to its place at the top of the GIS Software space.
QGIS – QGIS is a little bit different from Esri in that you can “create, edit, and publish geospatial information without a cost”. While Esri has a high price take, QGIS is free and even available in the app store. QGIS is regarded as the top open source, free product on the market.
GRASS GIS – developed by the Army, GRASS GIS is an up and coming software tool that has taken the GIS market by storm. GRASS GIS is often used when conducting research for academic papers and thus has become a favorite tool for academia and the open source community. With GIS Analysis as its main priority GRASS GIS is great to spatial modeling and image processing. Because of this, NOAA, NASA and USGS all use the application. The only downside of the program is that it can be difficult to learn how to use. In relation to our class thus far, it is often used in LiDAR data collection.
MapInfo – Mapinfo is a less expensive yet very practical GIS tool for businesses. Very similar to Esri, MapInfo lets you create “detailed mapping, data analysis, and pattern identification”. This software is often used by business intelligence units because its quick and easy to use.
Global Mapper – Global Mapper is yet another GIS software tool that allows for a slightly different application. What Global Mapper was originally created by USGS and provides an easy way to analyze topographical maps. Its ranked in thte top 5 because of its low cost and easy to use capability. Its main purpose is to analyze elevation models using 3D viewing and other resources. Its main way of ascertaining this information is through LiDAR data collection, similar to GRASS GIS.
Brian Sullivan:
The most commonly used and popular GIS software applications being used today, in order, are ArcGIS, QGIS, GRASS GIS, MapInfo, and Global Mapper. I will discuss some key features, and strengths and weaknesses of each application according to industry analysts.
1. ArcGIS. The most commonly know and widely used GIS software platform is Esri's ArcGIS. Some strengths of ArcGIS include availability of GIS tools to complete otherwise complicated tasks, variety of software applications (ArcGlobe, ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap, and several other applications, output, the sheer number of ArcGIS users, as well as other advantages. One disadvantage is the high cost for ArcGIS, however, the cost of the software is often worth the quality of product users attain from using ArcGIS. 
2. QGIS. QGIS (Quantam GIS) is the leading open source GIS application software available. One of the most significant advantages of QGIS is that it is free. Additional advantages include that it has 400 "plug ins" to offer users that enable users to process data quickly, and users can integrate data, map layers, and create maps very quickly. It is a strong competitor with ArcGIS and is quickly gaining ground due to the fact that it is a quality product for free. 
3. GRASS GIS. GRASS (Geographic Resource Analysis Support System) is also a free GIS software application and was originally developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Some of the advantages of GRASS, aside from being free, are that it offers 350 modules for GIS, including graphics production, data management, and image processing. Additionally, it has open source code and can be tailored for specific needs and it can be used through QGIS. Some drawbacks of the GRASS GIS are that it takes a while to learn to use and the user interface can be awkward to use. 
4. MapInfo. MapInfo is a GIS software application that allows users to develop detailed maps for consumer and business use to identify patterns and trends. Some advantages of this software are its ease of use, low cost, and applicability for businesses to map trends and conduct analysis. Some disadvantages include some software and customer support issues.
5. Global Mapper. Global Mapper, by Blue Marble, is a cost effective software application to to show topographical maps and digital elevation models (DEMs). Some advantages of Global Mapper include ease of use, flexibility, affordability, 3D viewing, and can be used to work with elevation. Some disadvantages include substandard sybology and database support. 
Work cited: http://gisgeography(dot)com/mapping-out-gis-software-landscape/