Pros
- Quick to learn as it's similar to ArcMap desktop
- Variety of templates and API's available
- Multitude of online resources for troubleshooting
Web Mapping Software
Pros & Cons
Google Lite Pros
ArcGIS Online
- Easy to stand up a point data map quickly
- Ability to import data from Google drive
- Customizing icons and styles very easy & intuitive
- Can set location data without manipulating dataset in other software (no gx_location column required)
- Easy to share maps with others
Google Lite Cons
Cons
- Uses credits for tasks such as analysis and geocoding
- Typical to ESRI suite whereas the technology does not always work the way you might want it to!
- Not as easy to share maps
- Limited to 500 records
- Limited to 15 columns
- Extremely limited functionality customization (polygon data, analysis, scale dependencies etc.)
- Easy to "accidentally" move the data while panning around without even realizing it!!!!
Google Map
Engine Cons
- Cannot import data from Google Drive; have to first manipulate data in Microsoft &/or ESRI products
- Can only use geocoded Google data in a google map; ironic considering the first bullet!
- Mapload (200K/user) and Storage (10MB) limitations
Google Map Engine Pros
NOT intuitive or easy to use
- No limit in number of data rows or columns
- Ability to use a wide variety of customizable API's to add functionality
- Easy to share maps with others
Another example is when you delete data you have to go through several steps....un-publish the layer, delete the layer, un-publish the data source and then delete it--rather than just deleting the layer
Cumbersome editing steps--
One example is that you have to edit your layer on its own and then bring it into the map. If you want to change the layers style you have to exit the map, go back into layers and make changes there.
- Because it's a relatively new Google feature there is not much online documentation or help when it comes to troubleshooting