linguistic geography - program for maps?

[Elena Boudovskaia]

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I am trying to locate some software that lets one download (or draw, or
scan) maps of certain areas and then put on them some dialectological data.
Does anyone know such software? Someone recommended to me ArcView 3.x, but
it costs $1,195.00 (ArcView 8.3 - even $1,500.00). Does anyone have any
experience with cheaper products like XMap, or anything else?

Thanks a lot in advance,

Elena