ArcGIS 10 now available

After most extensive beta program ArcGIS 10 is finally out. There aren't many secrets about features of this release. For a while now ESRI has enabled access to web version of help system on support.esri.com site. Even annoyingly this link was pointing to documentation for version 10 before it was released! This is frustrating if you work in support role like I do. Other sites were changed and for a while it was a nightmare to find anything on ESRI's sites. But ESRI heard opinions of users and things were changed around.

ArcGIS 10 introduced a very wide palette of changes from installation process to developer's APIs. My intention is to discuss interesting ones as I use and/or try them. Here is the first one.


Installation media

Starting with with this version ArcGIS is distributes as downloadable ISO image. Desktop ISO image is 3.75 Gb If required users still can request software on DVDs. This type of distribution has advantages in my opinion. We have DVD that are scratched from frequent use and it is a matter of time when they will throw an error during installation.
Second disk for installation of Desktop is for Tutorial data. This ISO is 1.86 Gb and as always is optional install. I find it quite useful for various testing (that's why I have installed it several times more than Desktop)

Installation on HP EliteBook 8540w went very smoothly and complete installation (Desktop component only) was finished in 17 minutes.

This is a new splash screen

and look of new ArcMap.

This is all for the first post about ArcGIS 10. More coming soon.