Initial Publication Date: March 6, 2010

Install GIS Software for Mac Users

Mac Users

ArcExplorer Java Edition for Education (AEJEE) runs on the Macintosh platform, is available through free download, and is what you will be using for this course unless you have a duel processor machine with the Windows operating system already on it. We are not expecting you to purchase new software for this program. AEJEE can be used by your students even on their home computers. It is meant to be installed and used on individual computers rather than from a server. Your goal this week is to install at least one GIS software package.

Download and Install AEJEE

  • Check the system requirements:
    MacOS 10.3 or above, 100 MB hard drive space, Internet connection; G4 or faster processor and more than 64 MB RAM recommended.
  • Click here to download ArcExplorer Java Edition for Education. Scroll down the page and select the version for your computer. Hold down the control key and click "Save Link As.." to download the zipped file aejee_232_mac.zip.
    AEJEE_Download_Mac
  • If the downloaded file does not unzip automatically, then you will need to manually unzip it with your unzipping software. (StuffitExpander for the Mac is one program that can do this.)
  • When the unzipping is complete, double click the installer and follow its directions.
  • AEJEE defaults to install in [hard drive]/ESRI/AEJEE. However, you can install AEJEE wherever you like, such as in the Applications folder.

Find Out Options for Running ArcGIS on Mac

If you can run Windows on your Mac, then you can install ArcGIS. There are several ways to run Windows. Three of the most common are described here. Once again, we do not require that you purchase software, but do want you to be aware of the options. The information below comes from the Education Community at ESRI, the provider of ArcGIS software.

  1. Run Windows on Mac using Boot Camp.
    Apple has released a product called BootCamp, available for MacOS 10.4 and higher. It allows Intel-based Macs to load a full version of WinXP or above, and run Windows applications at "full speed." Upon boot-up, the user chooses to boot into MacOS or into Windows. Testing done by ESRI staff and others seems to confirm that such a setup is indeed able to run Windows and applications at "full speed", and that ArcGIS applications are able to run even heavy-duty analytical operations very swiftly. The user must have a properly licensed copy of WinXP or above and must be facile with running Windows.
     
  2. Run Windows on Mac using Parallels.
    Parallels has a "virtual machine" product called Parallels Desktop for Mac which allows the Intel-based Macs to load a full version of Windows (many versions) and run applications at "high speed." The user can move back and forth between Windows and MacOS applications. Testing done by ESRI staff and others seems to confirm that such a setup works quite well, and current versions of ArcGIS applications (including 3D applications) run swiftly even for analytical operations, though perhaps not quite as fast as on a native PC or under BootCamp (since memory is split between the two operating systems). Here again, the user must have a properly licensed copy of Windows and must be facile with running Windows-based applications.
     
  3. Run Windows on Mac using VMware Fusion.
    VMware has released a "virtual machine" product called VMware Fusion which allows Intel-based Macs to load a full version of Windows (XP and above) and run applications at "high speed." The user can move back and forth between Windows and MacOS applications. ESRI staff has not tested Fusion but reports from others indicate that such a setup works well, and current versions of ArcGIS applications run swiftly even for analytical operations, though perhaps not quite as fast as on a native PC or under BootCamp (since memory is split between the two operating systems). Here again, the user must have a properly licensed copy of Windows and must be facile with running Windows-based applications.
     

Install ArcGIS

Follow the ArcGIS PC Users installation instructions on the next page.

Launch GIS Software and Take a Screenshot

  • Launch AEJEE by double-clicking its icon or launch ArcGIS by clicking its icon in the Windows launch bar.
  • When the program opens you will see a blank mapping space.a
  • Press Command-Shift-4 (Command key = Apple key) all at the same time and drag a box over the area of the screen that you want to capture. This will produce a file named Picture1.png on your desktop. Move Picture1.png to your Eyes in the Sky folder or to a place where you can easily find it. Double click on the file to open it in Preview. Rename the image and save it as a jpeg, giving it a name that describes it, such as Launch_AEJEE.jpg.
  • This is the screenshot you will post to your discussion group.