Software Reviews : Electronic Atlas Shell Reviewed by Staff Publisher: National Collegiate Software,Duke University Press,6697 College Station,Durham,NC 27607 (telephone: [phone]) Year of Publication: 1989 Materials: Program disk,14-page manual in vinyl binder Price: $30 Availability: MS-DOS computers Systems Requirements: Must have PC Datagraphics & Mapping package ($35) from same publisher;requires graphics card Effectiveness: Excellent User-Friendliness: Excellent Documentation: Good

Abstract

This package allows instructors to combine local statistical information with mapping and simple statistical analysis. After creating an atlas, the package makes the data, maps, and analysis available for students or other users. A sample is included for the Shreveport, LA area, illustrating the versatility of this package for instruction. It easily produces black and white choropleth maps of data for the city in which one's college is located, or for any other area. Three-dimensional fishnet maps with oblique viewpoints are also possible, as are scatterplots, data lists, and printouts of data descriptions. It is an outstanding, low-cost geographic information system designed specifically for course use. In combination with PC Datagraphics and Mapping and Menu-Stats, both also from National Collegiate Software, Electronic Atlas provides an instructional value and features not found in packages many times their cost.