PC based GIS is necessary for education and training with minimum functions at inexpensive rate, particularly in developing countries.
The following PC based GIS will be recommendable.
Hardware
- PC : Pentium : 32 bits microprocessor
- 64 M bytes memory
- 1 G bytes and more hard disk
- Floppy disk
- CD-ROM driver
- Color Graphic Monitor (17 inches is preferable)
- Digitizer (A3 size at minimum)
- Laser Printer
- Color Ink Jet Plotter
- UPS (power stabilizer)
Software
- OS : WINDOWS
- Compiler : C, FORTRAN etc.
- Public domain or cheaper GIS software ; GRASS (free), IDRISI (560 US$), PC ARC/INFO (500 US$ only for education)
For education and training, a PC will be better, shared by two students or trainees at maximum.
Therefore 10 PC’s are required for a maximum capacity of 20 students or trainees.
- Teaching materials such as text books, manual of software, educational dataset for map digitizing and analysis etc. should be well organized and prepared. For hands-on-training (HOT) with PC based GIS, at least two- week long courses (three weeks are preferable) should be planned.
Table 5.2 shows a typical curriculum of short course for elementary GIS.