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General Category => Off the Record => Computer Affairs => Topic started by: Syt on July 23, 2014, 09:35:20 AM

Title: Free alternatives to MapPoint?
Post by: Syt on July 23, 2014, 09:35:20 AM
What it says in the header: are there any freeware or cheap alternatives to MapPoint?
Title: Re: Free alternatives to MapPoint?
Post by: Grey Fox on July 23, 2014, 10:13:02 AM
Google Earth.

There's nothing free out there.
Title: Re: Free alternatives to MapPoint?
Post by: DGuller on July 23, 2014, 10:36:59 AM
Yeah, Google Earth is the only free alternative I can think of.
Title: Re: Free alternatives to MapPoint?
Post by: Syt on July 23, 2014, 10:40:28 AM
The Excel integration isn't so good with that one, though. ;)
Title: Re: Free alternatives to MapPoint?
Post by: Vricklund on July 23, 2014, 12:54:44 PM
Grass GIS? What are you up to?
Title: Re: Free alternatives to MapPoint?
Post by: Syt on July 23, 2014, 11:49:23 PM
Mostly for visualizing country numbers or the numbers of subregions within a country.
Title: Re: Free alternatives to MapPoint?
Post by: Syt on July 24, 2014, 12:04:19 AM
I see that MapPoint will be discontinued at the end of the year.

It'll be replaced by PowerBI's PowerMap features for Excel, it appears. Only 400-600 bucks per year per person. :lol:
Title: Re: Free alternatives to MapPoint?
Post by: DontSayBanana on July 24, 2014, 09:14:48 AM
Quote from: Syt on July 23, 2014, 10:40:28 AM
The Excel integration isn't so good with that one, though. ;)

It's not so intuitive, but it's doable: http://ramblings.mcpher.com/Home/excelquirks/getmaps

Basically, the trick is to think of it as using Excel to generate KML files instead- so you're not generating maps so much as generating overlays for an existing map.
Title: Re: Free alternatives to MapPoint?
Post by: Syt on July 25, 2014, 07:20:31 AM
Thanks. :)

The colleague just went ahead and bought MapPoint, anyways. :P