Thinking of moving to a Mac - software options?

[Andrew Brydon]

A persistent friend is trying to get me moved from a PC to a Mac.
Most of my computer use would appear to be transferable with
reasonable ease, though I've not yet seen easily comparable Mac s/w
for genealogy. Partly of course because it's trickier to see what
software looks like and how it behaves etc.

I'm currently using FTM v9 - what are my options for equivalent
(or better) products in Mac-land? Or for genealogy am I better sticking
to PCs?
--
Andrew Brydon
Genealogy: shaking the family tree to see what falls out

[Gerry]

In article <PxjYvxAo7asFFwNq@isbjorn.demon.co.uk>,
Andrew Brydon <research@isbjorn.demon.co.uk> wrote:

A persistent friend is trying to get me moved from a PC to a Mac.
Most of my computer use would appear to be transferable with
reasonable ease, though I've not yet seen easily comparable Mac s/w
for genealogy. Partly of course because it's trickier to see what
software looks like and how it behaves etc.

I'm currently using FTM v9 - what are my options for equivalent
(or better) products in Mac-land? Or for genealogy am I better sticking
to PCs?

Reunion is an excellent genealogy program for the Macintosh computer.
The website with information and a link to joining ReunionTalk The free,
online community of Reunion users. A place where people discuss Reunion.
All information can be found at:

http://www.leisterpro.com/doc/version8/ ... upport.php

As a long time Macintosh user (20 years now) and a former genealogy
librarian at a Historical society, I find the program easy to use and
full featured.

I read the Macintosh newsgroups on a daily basis and I've noticed that
almost every day 1-3 people are commenting on having just switched from
the PC to the Mac and generally commenting on how much easier it is to
use their new computer. Also the newer Intel based Macintosh computers
can with the addition of one of two software products run Windows XP and
Windows programs, so its like having two computers in one.

[Dave Hinz]

On Sat, 20 Jan 2007 05:55:52 +0000, Andrew Brydon <research@isbjorn.demon.co.uk> wrote:

A persistent friend is trying to get me moved from a PC to a Mac.
Most of my computer use would appear to be transferable with
reasonable ease, though I've not yet seen easily comparable Mac s/w
for genealogy. Partly of course because it's trickier to see what
software looks like and how it behaves etc.

Reunion. It's really, really good. Actually for me, seeing it in use
was the final thing that pushed me over to switch to Mac.

[Andrew Brydon]

Once upon a time, Dave Hinz <DaveHinz@gmail.com> wrote

On Sat, 20 Jan 2007 05:55:52 +0000, Andrew Brydon
research@isbjorn.demon.co.uk> wrote:
A persistent friend is trying to get me moved from a PC to a Mac.
Most of my computer use would appear to be transferable with
reasonable ease, though I've not yet seen easily comparable Mac s/w
for genealogy. Partly of course because it's trickier to see what
software looks like and how it behaves etc.

Reunion. It's really, really good. Actually for me, seeing it in use
was the final thing that pushed me over to switch to Mac.

2-0 recommending Reunion is a consistent message. On the very practical

side of switching, what's it like for importing GEDCOMs?
--
Andrew Brydon
Genealogy: shaking the family tree to see what falls out

[Hugh Watkins]

Andrew Brydon wrote:

A persistent friend is trying to get me moved from a PC to a Mac.
Most of my computer use would appear to be transferable with
reasonable ease, though I've not yet seen easily comparable Mac s/w
for genealogy. Partly of course because it's trickier to see what
software looks like and how it behaves etc.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ma ... gle+Search

I'm currently using FTM v9 - what are my options for equivalent
(or better) products in Mac-land? Or for genealogy am I better sticking
to PCs?

see my old posts on the subject

I dithered between a Vaio and a MacBook Pro in June 2006
and when I got the Mac I read about Parallels in a Mac magazine and
downloaded it in the first version, and installed WinXP (it took a
couple of weeks to get it right and learn the software)

I use FTM 16 (on a VM on my macintosh)
which has a far better GUI in Family View and charting which you can use
to navigate your data and by selecting a person go to
an edit window or a family page

Reunion 8 which seems to be limited to a basic 1024 x 720 fixed
window "library card" which is far too small for my old eyes and this
set up. I just opened Reunion to check that.

Heredis 10.2.3 loks more attractive with integrated pictures
but did not capture my interest because I have an established way of working


FTM 16 is also integrated with ancestry com or co uk and has browser
like forward and back buttons

Reunion would be OK for beginners once you learned it
but FTM is much more mature software

Basically newer genealogical software like Custodian 3 / PC creates a
database on an underlying MS or Borland application and if SQL is your
world will be infinitely customizable

PAF and FTM use a text file exportable as a gedcom
any of them take months to learn and years to use fully becuse thre are
so many options

For example FTM can make an ahnentafel but the option is hidden under
report options

I use World Connect as my web application which enables me to spot some
typos easily and review my data in a different way
http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=hughw36

I am here
http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi? ... 6&id=I0503
as the Living Watkins in virtual one-name study of the danish STRØMSHOLT


MacGenealogy.org seems to be down
http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl ... tnG=Search
look at googles cache

a rahter old FAQ
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mac/faq.html


enjoy you new Macintosh

Hugh W




--

a wonderful artist in Denmark
http://www.ingerlisekristoffersen.dk/

Beta blogger
http://snaps4.blogspot.com/ photographs and walks

old blogger GENEALOGE
http://hughw36.blogspot.com/ MAIN BLOG

[Gerry]

In article <yd5XEXBBfmsFFwIs@isbjorn.demon.co.uk>,
Andrew Brydon <research@isbjorn.demon.co.uk> wrote:

Once upon a time, Dave Hinz <DaveHinz@gmail.com> wrote
On Sat, 20 Jan 2007 05:55:52 +0000, Andrew Brydon
research@isbjorn.demon.co.uk> wrote:
A persistent friend is trying to get me moved from a PC to a Mac.
Most of my computer use would appear to be transferable with
reasonable ease, though I've not yet seen easily comparable Mac s/w
for genealogy. Partly of course because it's trickier to see what
software looks like and how it behaves etc.

Reunion. It's really, really good. Actually for me, seeing it in use
was the final thing that pushed me over to switch to Mac.

2-0 recommending Reunion is a consistent message. On the very practical
side of switching, what's it like for importing GEDCOMs?

Very Easy!

When you launch Reunion the window contains a "New Family File..."
button, clicking this will allow you to name your new file, then you
have the option "Import Gedcom File..." select your file and Reunion has
a few options to select how you want the file treated then click OK and
you now have Reunion family database of your previous gedcom file.

[R00tsMagic]

Hugh Watkins wrote:

see my old posts on the subject
Hugh W

I remember seeing a Hugh Watkins who served in the Great Bore War. Could
you be the same person? I'm guessing "yes".

[Dave Hinz]

On Sat, 20 Jan 2007 19:04:33 +0000, Andrew Brydon <research@isbjorn.demon.co.uk> wrote:

Once upon a time, Dave Hinz <DaveHinz@gmail.com> wrote

Reunion. It's really, really good. Actually for me, seeing it in use
was the final thing that pushed me over to switch to Mac.

2-0 recommending Reunion is a consistent message. On the very practical
side of switching, what's it like for importing GEDCOMs?

The only thing I had problems with were the Nordic characters, but that
turned out to be an OS thing (hadn't asked it to know about them) rather
than Reunion itself. That was pretty early in the days of MacOSX so I
don't know if it'd be a problem today.

[saki]

Dave Hinz wrote:

On Sat, 20 Jan 2007 05:55:52 +0000, Andrew Brydon <research@isbjorn.demon.co.uk> wrote:

A persistent friend is trying to get me moved from a PC to a Mac.
Most of my computer use would appear to be transferable with
reasonable ease, though I've not yet seen easily comparable Mac s/w
for genealogy. Partly of course because it's trickier to see what
software looks like and how it behaves etc.


Reunion. It's really, really good. Actually for me, seeing it in use
was the final thing that pushed me over to switch to Mac.

Same for me. I tried out Heredis for a bit but Reunion (while pricier)
had better features for my needs.

There's a demo version of each that may help you decide what you want.

----
saki@ucla.edu
http://sakionline.net/familypage

[Ranier von Tits]

GEDitCOM has full GEDCOM support and scripting language to modify output
etc See http://www.geditcom.com/

--
This posting contains nobody's opinions - just plain facts.

[Hugh Watkins]

Ranier von Tits wrote:

GEDitCOM has full GEDCOM support and scripting language to modify output
etc See http://www.geditcom.com/

yes but who wants to learn to write program?

take the easy way use FTM 16 on WinXp (wait one year before using Vista)
on Parallels on MAc OS 10.4.8 on Intel


That VM is good for everything except intense graphics for the lates PC
games - use a dedicated PC for that

Hugh W

--

a wonderful artist in Denmark
http://www.ingerlisekristoffersen.dk/

Beta blogger
http://snaps4.blogspot.com/ photographs and walks

old blogger GENEALOGE
http://hughw36.blogspot.com/ MAIN BLOG

[Steve W. Jackson]

In article <538jahF1rad0dU1@mid.individual.net>,
Hugh Watkins <hugh.watkins@gmail.com> wrote:

Ranier von Tits wrote:

GEDitCOM has full GEDCOM support and scripting language to modify output
etc See http://www.geditcom.com/

yes but who wants to learn to write program?

A significant percentage of Mac programs have for many years included
support for AppleScript -- fully supported by the operating system
itself. Does that mean that those programs require their users to
"write program" in order to use them? Of course not.

I've never used GEDitCOM and highly recommend Reunion, but this is
hardly a valid argument against it.

Maybe you should stop being a shill for FTM.
--
Steve W. Jackson
Montgomery, Alabama

[Hugh Watkins]

Steve W. Jackson wrote:

In article <538jahF1rad0dU1@mid.individual.net>,
Hugh Watkins <hugh.watkins@gmail.com> wrote:


Ranier von Tits wrote:


GEDitCOM has full GEDCOM support and scripting language to modify output
etc See http://www.geditcom.com/

yes but who wants to learn to write program?



A significant percentage of Mac programs have for many years included
support for AppleScript -- fully supported by the operating system
itself. Does that mean that those programs require their users to
"write program" in order to use them? Of course not.

I've never used GEDitCOM and highly recommend Reunion, but this is
hardly a valid argument against it.

Maybe you should stop being a shill for FTM.

I started with FTM as a newbie because it was in the shop in 1999 in a
big impressive box. I continue with FTM 16 because it just works and is
easy to use and has been improved litle by little with each update and
has massive support , boards, lists, online knowledge base

The user interface is more Mac like than any mac tree programme I have seen

I have Heredis 10.2.3 and Reunion 8.06 both of which I found difficult
to use for massive data entry and I tried a third which could not even
manage and extended alphabet for other european languages than english

all three seem to be mini - businesses run by solo programmers

back I 1996 I used to use quick keys and AppleScript
but I never needed to make much use of it so get on OK by knowing my
keyboard short cuts
but it is all to easy to waste time on customising a mchine insted of
using it - KISS principle - is the machine itself the hobby, or the work
you do on it?

Obviously any program has is quirks
I don't like the swiss knife approach and never mix graphics and data
except on web pags

I stick with txt for all mail
html mail is prettier but clumsy so I leave it to advertisers and hobbyists

One of my aquaintances has all available family tree programs in his PC
but that is because he is a retired database / mainframe type

my pleasure in this hobby is slowly advancing my own tree, helping other
people every day, knowing as much as possible about census (because I
find the broad picture of the age of steam fascinating) and trying to
keep up with my LAPHAm one-name study up to 5900 names back to de
Lopham around 1150 to 1165 with a lot of gaps and around 16000 more to
enter from older sources known to me AND daily new contributions from
three continents

I looked at a database - Custodian 2 and upgraded to 3 - but decided to
settle for two programs FTM 16 onwards
and WorldConnect on line which in minutes generates thousands of web
pages from any old gedcom and within 48 hours integrates with and
updates the index of more than 460 million names

BTW Randy Winch has posted an announcement that WorldConnect is being
moved to a new server over the next couple of weeks and that there may
be outages and slow running http://wc.rootsweb.com/


http://wc.rootsweb.com/wchistory.html
"The WorldConnect Project is a set of tools, which allow users to
upload, modify, link, and display their family trees as a means to share
their genealogy with other researchers. The program used to day has a
genealogy of its own.

In the early days of 1994 and 1995, there were very few genealogical
databases online and only a few genealogy related websites. A group of
people joined together to discuss the possibilities and the GenWeb group
was formed . . . ."

From the google tool bar I came via the blog this button my other hobby
http://www.blogger.com

I am a published writer, freelance from 1960, and decided in future to
self publish on the web using these simple tools

the digital photography I do is another freebie
I typically take up to 90 pictures a day using my videophone - which is
also a "Beam me up Scotty" when I am on the street.
so I can view and refere to my database on worldconnect at any time when
I am in an archive or library or with the java browser via the 3g net on
my Sony Ericssson K800i videophone

The Virtual machine on the Mac is fun
2 machines for the price of one

I nearly got a Sony Vaio for the second time but went for the 17"
MacBook Pro

I believe in getting one really expensive well made machine and using it
for about 5 years - it costs about the same as running a modest second
hand car.

Aftre 7 years with FTM I see no point in changing
and a I still only use a fraction of the tools available in FTM
newbie mistakes I made by not following these rukes:-

Rule 1
lean how to add sources from the beggining
Control + s

Rule 2
never merge 2 gedcom files (or import a second)
until you have read and edited every single entry of the second file
preferably down to merging two individuals

Cleaned the second file by exporting as a gedcom - drops all images and
stuff

Rule 3
back up off site
by using World connect or as an attachment to google mail

I do shoe string genealogy and have fun every day

Hugh W


--

a wonderful artist in Denmark
http://www.ingerlisekristoffersen.dk/

Beta blogger
http://snaps4.blogspot.com/ photographs and walks

old blogger GENEALOGE
http://hughw36.blogspot.com/ MAIN BLOG