Clooz vs Custodian

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Steve Hayes

Clooz vs Custodian

Legg inn av Steve Hayes » 28 des 2004 03:21:01

Some time ago I asked if any users had experience in source recording
programs, like Clooz and Custodian. It seemed there were no takers, and as the
programs were expensive, I wasn't keen to buy a pig in a poke (having been
bitten by paying for TMG, which then didn't work as advertised).

Now, however, thanks to the practice of popular magazines like "Family Tree
magazine" and "Your Family History" including software in cover CDs, I've got
demo versions of both Clooz and Custodian II on my computer (one came with
Custodian III, but that wouldn't run on my machine). So at last I can compare
them.

Initially I was prejudiced in favour of Clooz, because Legacy can export data
in Clooz format, though the demo version doesn't support the import.

Both programs allow you to enter data from source documents, and then index
the data to let you get a clearer picture of what you have, and where your
research should go next. Both use MS Access databases for storing the
information. Clooz actually runs under MS Access (or a run-time version),
while Custodian seems to be compiled into a stand-alone program.

From what I've seen of them so far, Custodian is more comprehensive and more
versatile than Clooz, as it has special entry forms for a much wider variety
of source documents -- birth marriage and death certificates, census data,
church records, monumental inscriptions etc. Clooz seems to major on census
records, and has a few generalised entry forms for other types of documents.
It also requires people to be entered separately before they can be linked to
the documents -- which is one reason why the export feature in Legacy could be
useful. Custodian, however, picks up "people" data from the entry forms. On a
birth certificate, for example, it picks up the names of the father and mother
for the index.

In Custdian, too, the screen input form (at least for BMD certificates) is
laid out like the document itself, which makes data entry easier and more
intuitive.

Each one seems to be fairly country-specific. Clooz is more oriented to US
genealogy, though it does have input forms for UK censuses. Custodian is
better for British genealogy, having specific entry forms for English,
Scottish and Irish BMD certificates and other documents. It would certainly be
very useful to anyone who had ancestors or relatives in the British Isles
after 1837, though less so for those who didn't.

I haven't finished playing around with them yet, so this is more "first
impressions" than a full-blown review, but since the Custodian II demo was
included with the November 2004 issue of "Family Tree magazine", perhaps
others have been trying it, and those with more advanced operating systems may
even be able to compare Custodian II and Custodian III.




--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

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