Palm: My Roots, GedStar or what?

[Donald Newcomb]

I searched Google Groups but didn't see anything dealing with this subject
here in the last 6 months. I recently purchased a Palm T5 and would like to
be able to carry my genealogy database on the Palm. It looks like the two
leading programs for this platform are "My Roots" and "GedStar". I
understand that "My Roots" allows editing while "GedStar" is a database
viewer. I've used viewers on my old Psion and don't see the read-only aspect
as a big problem. My main database has about 9400 persons. Both programs
cost about the same.

Has anyone who tried them both recently care to comment on their relative
merits or demerits?

--
Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

[Lesley Robertson]

"Donald Newcomb" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

I searched Google Groups but didn't see anything dealing with this subject
here in the last 6 months. I recently purchased a Palm T5 and would like
to
be able to carry my genealogy database on the Palm. It looks like the two
leading programs for this platform are "My Roots" and "GedStar". I
understand that "My Roots" allows editing while "GedStar" is a database
viewer. I've used viewers on my old Psion and don't see the read-only
aspect
as a big problem. My main database has about 9400 persons. Both programs
cost about the same.

Has anyone who tried them both recently care to comment on their relative
merits or demerits?

It might be worth checking to see whether Pocket Genealogist is available

for the Palm. On the advice of others, I bought it for my PDA and like it
very much.
Lesley Robertson

[Joe Makowiec]

On 31 May 2005 in soc.genealogy.computing, Donald Newcomb wrote:

I searched Google Groups but didn't see anything dealing with this
subject here in the last 6 months. I recently purchased a Palm T5
and would like to be able to carry my genealogy database on the
Palm. It looks like the two leading programs for this platform are
"My Roots" and "GedStar". I understand that "My Roots" allows
editing while "GedStar" is a database viewer. I've used viewers on
my old Psion and don't see the read-only aspect as a big problem. My
main database has about 9400 persons. Both programs cost about the
same.

Has anyone who tried them both recently care to comment on their
relative merits or demerits?

I use GedStar; it's great to be able to whip out your Palm while you're
standing in a cemetery and say, 'Oh, yeah, that's Great-grandaunt Sadie,
so that must be her son Timothy in the next grave.'

As to editability of records: I like to think I'm pretty fair with the
stylus. I just can't imagine trying to do actual data entry on the Palm.
Also, you run into the usual problems of keeping the database on the Palm
in sync with the one on the computer. GS does allow you to export a
person's information to a (notepad) memo, to which you can then add
notes.

GS will import directly from The Master Genealogist, Legacy Family Tree,
Family Tree Maker and Personal Ancestral File, so you don't have to go
through a GEDCOM if you use one of those programs.

--
Joe Makowiec
http://makowiec.org/
Email: http://makowiec.org/contact/?Joe

[Donald Newcomb]

"Joe Makowiec" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

I use GedStar; it's great to be able to whip out your Palm while you're
standing in a cemetery and say, 'Oh, yeah, that's Great-grandaunt Sadie,
so that must be her son Timothy in the next grave.'

This was the sort of use I made of the viewer I had on my Psion S3c.
Unfortunately when I went to the Psion 5, there was no update.

As to editability of records: I like to think I'm pretty fair with the
stylus. I just can't imagine trying to do actual data entry on the Palm.
Also, you run into the usual problems of keeping the database on the Palm
in sync with the one on the computer. GS does allow you to export a
person's information to a (notepad) memo, to which you can then add
notes.

I agree, unless there is some way to sync the changes between the two
platforms, it would be an invitation to trouble.

GS will import directly from The Master Genealogist, Legacy Family Tree,
Family Tree Maker and Personal Ancestral File, so you don't have to go
through a GEDCOM if you use one of those programs.

Well, I'm using Family Origins, so I'll have to go through the GEDCOM step
anyway.

--
Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

[Gjest]

On Tue, 31 May 2005 18:13:45 -0500, "Donald Newcomb"
<[email protected]> wrote:

I searched Google Groups but didn't see anything dealing with this subject
here in the last 6 months. I recently purchased a Palm T5 and would like to
be able to carry my genealogy database on the Palm. It looks like the two
leading programs for this platform are "My Roots" and "GedStar". I
understand that "My Roots" allows editing while "GedStar" is a database
viewer. I've used viewers on my old Psion and don't see the read-only aspect
as a big problem. My main database has about 9400 persons. Both programs
cost about the same.

Has anyone who tried them both recently care to comment on their relative
merits or demerits?

I use MyRoots and I do enter about 99% of information via the Palm.
There is a conversion program that is very easy to use. This exports a
GED file that can be inputted into any desktop genealogy program that
uses them which is most.

I've not used GedStar but looking at the screenshots on their site I
can't see anything that it does that MyRoots doesn't. If it is true
that GedStar does not allow inputting of data then I can't see the
point. I find that I find information in many places away from a
desktop, talking to relatives, in libraries etc.

As I say I haven't used GedStar so it may have features I don't know
about. Features that MyRoots doesn't have, so I can't say which is
best but on the face of it MyRoots seems better to me.

[Sherry]

"Donald Newcomb" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

I searched Google Groups but didn't see anything dealing with this
subject here in the last 6 months. I recently purchased a Palm T5
and would like to be able to carry my genealogy database on the
Palm. It looks like the two leading programs for this platform are
"My Roots" and "GedStar". I understand that "My Roots" allows
editing while "GedStar" is a database viewer. I've used viewers on
my old Psion and don't see the read-only aspect as a big problem. My
main database has about 9400 persons. Both programs cost about the
same.

Has anyone who tried them both recently care to comment on their
relative merits or demerits?

I *love* GedStar. A few years ago, I tried all the ones available for
the Palm and liked that one the best.

I've seen demos for the Pocket Genealogist for the Pocket PC device.
That program can be edited like My Roots. Several users of that
program who were at the demo said "think of it as a look-up program -
don't bother editing in it". They weren't comfortable with
transferring the data back and forth.

I wholeheartedly agree with Joe's comments!

Sherry

[Lesley Robertson]

"Sherry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

I've seen demos for the Pocket Genealogist for the Pocket PC device.
That program can be edited like My Roots. Several users of that
program who were at the demo said "think of it as a look-up program -
don't bother editing in it". They weren't comfortable with
transferring the data back and forth.

I haven't had any trouble using it to edit files, but I don't use it for

editing very much. That's for the same reason that I don't edit in the FTM
on my laptop either - if I don't keep myself strictly to editing on one
machine only, I lose track and end up with several slightly different
files.... The file on the pc is the one that gets modified and then the
others get updated.
Lesley Robertson

[Donald Newcomb]

"Lesley Robertson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

I haven't had any trouble using it to edit files, but I don't use it for
editing very much. That's for the same reason that I don't edit in the FTM
on my laptop either - if I don't keep myself strictly to editing on one
machine only, I lose track and end up with several slightly different
files.... The file on the pc is the one that gets modified and then the
others get updated.

As a larger issue, it would be nice to have a genealogy program that allowed
you to sync the copies of your databases in the same way you sync your pda.

--
Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

[cecilia]

"Donald Newcomb" wrote:

[...]
I use GedStar; it's great to be able to whip out your Palm while you're
standing in a cemetery and say, 'Oh, yeah, that's Great-grandaunt Sadie,
so that must be her son Timothy in the next grave.'

This was the sort of use I made of the viewer I had on my Psion S3c.

Can I get a viewer for a Psion 3mx ?

[Donald Newcomb]

"cecilia" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

Can I get a viewer for a Psion 3mx ?

On the 3c I used a program called "Geni 1.52" by Martin Dunstan. Not sure
where you would find it today.

--
Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

[Donald Newcomb]

""GSS"" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:10c801c56886$a37928a0$4400a8c0@WOL...

I used to have a Psion 5 and there was a family history program called Gen
5
that worked with it. See http://perso.wanadoo.fr/michel.catton/. It is not
as good as the programs available for the palm or pocket PC but it did
work.

I think I tried it but was not too impressed. I can't remember why. That's
all water over the dam now. I have a few more applications/databases to move
and the Psion 5 will be "put out to pasture."

--
Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

[GSS]

Hi Donald

I used to have a Psion 5 and there was a family history program called Gen 5
that worked with it. See http://perso.wanadoo.fr/michel.catton/. It is not
as good as the programs available for the palm or pocket PC but it did work.

Gillian

----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald Newcomb" <[email protected]
To: <[email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2005 1:00 PM
Subject: Re: Palm: My Roots, GedStar or what?


"snip"

This was the sort of use I made of the viewer I had on my Psion S3c.
Unfortunately when I went to the Psion 5, there was no update.

"snip"