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the calculation speed is likely to be improved by 
increasing the main memory size. Cost down of RAMs is 
allowing users to increase the main memory size of their 
PCs to create better environment for image processing. 
2.1.3 Display Ability 
Displaying colorful images is a essential function in 
remote sensing as well as in GIS. In displaying images, 
the number of pixels and colors for display are limited by 
the resolution of the CRT display and the capacity of 
the display memory. Nowadays, most of the PCs can 
display at least 640 pixels x 480 lines on CRT with 256 
colors or more. For remote sensing data analysis, full 
color(8bit x 3ch) display ability is required. 
2.1.4 Data Storage/Exchange Media 
Handiness, large memory capacity, compatibility, access 
speed are important parameters for selecting 
data storage/exchange media. Various kinds of media, 
such as floppy disk, MO, CD-ROM, 8mm tape, etc., are 
now used with PCs. Among these media, due to it's high 
cost performance, large capacity. and mass productivity, 
CD-ROM has become one of the most poplar data stor- 
age media for PCs. Various kinds of satellite data sets are 
now distributed with CD-ROMs. 
2.1.5 Printer 
Recently, low cost color ink jet printers are available in 
the market which are useful for making color hard copies 
of processed images in remote sensing and GIS. 
2.2 Software 
2.2.1 08 
Nowadays, most of the OS for PCs, such as MS-Windows, 
Windows95, MacOS, are using Graphical User Interface 
(GUD. The GUI allow users to operate PCs easily with 
mouse, icon, and windows. When a software is developed 
with GUI, the basic I/O operation procedure becomes 
similar to other software. This helps beginners to 
concentrate in learning about the main concept of the 
software. 
2.2.2 Application Software 
Various kinds of good application software for PCs are 
currently available in the market, which include ER 
Mapper, 128, Imagine, Mapinfo, and ArcView2. Due to 
hardware advancement, the functions of these software 
are becoming close to those of workstations. However, it 
should be noted that good application software are not 
always good software for training. Beginners are often 
confused with various functions of the software. Moreover, 
25 
not many beginners are able to buy these software for 
themselves. 
3. CRITICAL MATTERS IN HANDS-ON-TRAINING 
3.1 Computer Operation 
When you are performing a hands-on-training to 
beginners in remote sensing or GIS, the main objective is 
to let them understand the concept of the technology. But, 
since you are using certain system for training, trainees 
have to learn the operation how to use the system first. 
So, if the operation of the system is too complicated, they 
are more likely to be learning how to use the system than 
the concept of the technology. To avoid this, the operation 
of the system should be as simple as possible. 
3.2 Software Availability 
As described in the Chapter 2, there are so many good 
software around which could be used for training. 
However, mostly, they are not free. Some are even quite 
expensive. If the trainees do not have the software or 
similar ones at their offices and do not afford to buy the 
software, they cannot utilize what they have learned at 
the training. They are soon likely to forget how to use the 
software, or how to use the technology for their works. 
3.3 Data Set Availability 
Usually, a data set used at a training is a small data set 
which can only be used for the training. If the trainees 
want to try the remote sensing or GIS technology to some 
other application, they need another data sets. But 
satellite data or GIS data are not cheap in general, and 
the beginners can not afford to buy those. Lack of data is 
a serious problem for the beginners of remote sensing or 
GIS. 
4. PC BASED HANDS-ON-TRAINING 
This chapter describes about the PC based hands-on- 
training which is organized as a part of the Regional 
Remote Sensing Seminar on Tropical Ecosystem 
Management. The main objective of the training was to 
transfer the basic technology of remote sensing and GIS 
to beginners. Total of around fifteen beginners are invited 
to the training every year from various countries in Asia, 
and eight to nine instructors perform the training. This is 
to make the number of the trainees per instructor to be 
less than three. One PC was given to every two trainees. 
Ideally, each trainees should have one PC. But, we have 
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXI, Part B6. Vienna 1996