Instead of a normal lab today for my map class, we all went to the cartography lab and listened to the head cartographer talk for an hour about the history and of cartography and how it is done now.

I was surprised to find out that they don't make makes with the GIS software that I am learning. Instead they primarily use a graphics program. The NIU cart lab uses Macromedia Freehand MX. They do a lot of maps for not-for-profit organizations, state, county, and city governments, as well as any University maps.

I have wanted to have a graphics program at home, and the fact that they use it to produce all of their beautiful maps was enough of an endorsement for me. I went to the campus bookstore (I had to go there anyway to exchange a shirt for Mom) and picked up the student version. On Amazon the software goes for $385! The NIU bookstore sells it to students for $99. (Thanks Sheri.) Yeah me!

I had a few nice graphics programs when I had my Macintosh, but I never got around to buying one when I switched to the PC world.