Hello all,
I am a student who wants to get more hands on experience with ArcGIS, but I cant afford to buy a new laptop and the software. However I would like to still get some hands on experience working with ArcGIS through the online platform. Is ArcGISonline comparable to ArcGIS desktop? Will using one help make me proficient in the other?
Thanks all!
Rachel Stevenson
Hello Rachel.
Answering your questions, ArcGIS for Desktop and ArcGIS Online are two different elements, the first one it´s a Software and the other one it's a Platform. Starting with ArcGIS Online will help you to create, manage and share content but you are working with results and authored content. ArcGIS for Desktop is the solution to author this content, manage data, perform analysis and create high qualyty maps.
As you can see both are complementary elements. Online won't help you directly to make you proficent in Desktop but it would help you to understand the role of Desktop as a tool to author content as a professional.
For more information look each product description in ESRI Site.
ArcGIS Online - Create Web Maps, Applications, and Data in the Cloud
Hope it can help you.
Greetings
Awesome, that is helpful, As a student on a budget how do I go about getting hands on experience using desktop? outside of my classes, how do I become proficient in using the industry standard? Is there a student price on desktop software?
Well, you have two ways to do it.
1. You could use a free 60-day Trial of ArcGIS Desktop.
ArcGIS for Desktop | Free Trial
2. You could look at ArcGIS for Home Use. It's a US$100 annual license to use ArcGIS for Desktop Software. And the main benefit it's that with the license you get 100 credits in ArcGIS Online.
ArcGIS for Home Use Program | ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced for Personal Use
Greetings
Are you a college student? At my college, our Geography professors gave out ArcGIS desktop student evaluation copies with all the extensions. You may check with your department and see if they have these. These are 1 year licenses at no cost to the student.
Also, ArcGIS Explorer is free from ESRI. It was some similar tools to the desktop software. There is an Open Source GIS program called GRASS. I have no familiarity with it other than I know it exists. It looks to have some basic tools similar to ArcGIS Desktop. It may be a starting point.
Good Luck!