Lab #4 ArcGIS

ArcGIS is the most professional mapping system I have ever used. Compared to the Google map we used in the previous lab, ArcGIS provides more details and more professional maps. You cannot do much on Google Map, but you can do a lot about mapping on ArcGIS. You can highlight and crop the information you want to present through ArcGIS, but apparently you cannot do the same task through Google map. ArcGIS makes maps look nice and detailed.

I follow the tutorial in order to create my first map poster. I have never created a professional map before. Following the straightforward steps, I was able to create the above poster in the least amount of time. I really enjoyed making this poster. It was a fresh experience for me. I found it interesting to create my own map poster, but it required me long times and patient to accomplish it.

The potential for ArcGIS is that professional users would like to use ArcGIS to create their detailed maps instead of using Google Map. ArcGIS provides more geographic function than Google Map, for instance, highlighting, layers, and backgrounds. Furthermore, ArcGIS provides aesthetic looking. It not only looks nice, but also provides detailed information.

The pitfall for ArcGIS is that it requires very accurate information input. For amateur users like me, I did not know if my input data were correct. If my input data were wrong, then my map would show incorrect information. I would not even notice whether I input the wrong data because I was not familiar with ArcGIS yet. Therefore, ArcGIS will be more complicated to amateurs like me.

All in all, ArcGIS is a modern and useful tool for professional geographers.