ARCMAP

When using GIS, there are several benefits, and of course, disadvantages. A main concern for most people, would of course, be it's complexity and excessive details. Even though this does serve as a benefit to geographers and several other GIS scholars, it is frustrating and aggravating for students who are beginners in the program. Some of the difficulties are that even though there is an amazingly detailed tutorial, there are some technicalities that are beyond reach of the tutorial and are therefore difficult to answer. I experienced this many times when my screen was not exactly the same as the tutorial's window, which made it impossible for me to find some of the keys and tabs. This also brings me to my next point.

As a Mac user, not only did I have to install a pc windows on my Mac, but I had to log into an on-campus computer, which caused the program to be slow and freeze a few times. I had to restart my laptop about 5 times because "someone had changed the network or airport." Luckily, my work was still saved, but the amount of time it took to retrieve it was more than a few minutes. Lastly, another problem with this is that I had to get used to navigating a Mac windows and a PC windows at the same time, and going back and forth transferring downloads.

On the bright side, using GIS helps us understand every inch, literally, of the world. Unlike a map, GIS is more specific and can answer questions about distance, change, etc. Since it is all technological, it allows for quick updates and ready access to all sorts of data. Not only does this conduct better analysis, but it uses this analysis to answer our questions about Earth's locations.

Personally, I though this lab was a bit tedious, just because there were a couple of questions about the system I had and could not ask because it was more of a computer problem. I do have to admit though, the tutorial was beyond detailed and therefore successfully helped me navigate through the ArcMap, which I had never in my life used before.