Critically evaluate ArcGIS

[DukaliCandid]

Dear all
in your experiences could you provide some information about "critically evaluate ArcGIS, drawing upon your personal experiences"

[MaxSquires]

It's Grrrrrrrrrreat!

[MichaelLacy]

That question is too personal.

[DukaliCandid]

If you want to criticize this program What can you say

[ChrisSnyder]

Are you referring to ArcGIS Desktop or ArcGIS Explorer?

Don't have much experience with Explorer (from what I can tell it's pretty buggy - I'd rather use Google Earth and KML if all you need to do is look at things), but as for the former, my praise/criticism would be:

ArcGIS Desktop is one of the (if not the) most complex and powerful pieces of software on the market today. Because it has so many bells and whistles, it sometimes difficult for ESRI to keep everything ringing a tweeting in harmony, while at the same time providing new functionality for new major releases (example: v9.3.1 to v10.0). Thorough beta testing (and fixing past bugs/issues in a timely fashion) is a continuing issue.

[DukaliCandid]

Thank you all, thank you Chris Snyder

I am looking for :Strengths and weaknesses; Ease of use;Intuitiveness;Level of functionality.

Thanks

[ChrisSnyder]

Some real basic answers for you:
Strengths: Industry/government standard. Superior analytical functionality
Weakness: Relatively high co$t, somewhat buggy, and a somewhat steep learning curve for advanced functionality
Ease of use: Good, depends on what you are trying to do...
Intuitiveness: Good, but again depends on what you are trying to do...
Level of functionality: Superior to anything else on the market

What is it that you need a GIS to do, and what other options are you considering?

[DukaliCandid]

Thanks Chris Snyder
be honest with you I have to write a short essay about this tobic and  back up with some personal experiences and examples.

[DukaliCandid]

Where the owners of experience in this program.