COMO Comparision (pros and cons)

This page compares the benefits (and drawbacks) of using the COMO system comapred to the  leading proprietary program.

Pros

• Use of database allow for good collaborative mapmaking. Several people could edit and access the map data simultaneously
• Use of database give revision history, who have changed something and when
• Possible to use for different  GIS applications. You can add information about objects or use relations.
• Objects on map have absolute positions (lat/long). Easy to merge maps.
• Open file format permit people to make new programs
• Free software, you can make your own additions and many can contribute to the code
• No licence cost, new (unexperienced) cartographers can download the software and try it
• Most programs and the database work well in many operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac OS...)
• Possible to combine ISOM, ISSOM, School maps, etc. in the same database and then render them for different purposes
• ....

Cons

• Ther is no (fully)  WYSIWYG editor, will be perceived as difficult by accustomed Windows users.
• Probably not easy to use for course setting. However, see  Purple Pen, or convert to Ocad.
• Quite hard to render own objects (shall not usually be done)
• Maybe problems to convert Ocad files to COMO files (different projections)?
• ...