jeric@tybalt.caltech.edu.UUCP (10/03/87)
I apologize in advance to anyone who may have received this twice. I tried posting a few days ago, but I never saw it on the net. A couple of weeks ago, I requested info on genealogy software packages for the Mac. I received several informative replies, some of which are excerpted below. In summary, there appear to be 4 leaders, 3 of which are listed in the purple pages of Macworld. (1) MacGene(tm), version 2.0 (see purple pages for description). $145. Applied Ideas, Inc. PO Box 3225 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 (213) 545-2996 (2) Family Heritage File (see purple pages for description). $149. + $3. s/h. Demo $7. StarCom Software Systems Windsor Park East 25 West 1480 North (no kidding :-) Orem, UT 84057 (801) 225-1480 (3) Family Roots (tm) (see purple pages for description). $185. Quincept Box 216 Lexington, MA 02173 (617) 641-2930 (4) Roots and Roots II COMMsoft I have used a PC :-( version of (2) extensively. It allows for a variety of complex family relationships (adoptions, second marriages, etc.), searches quickly for individuals already entered, and allows extensive free-form notes with or without keywords. However, its output is a little funky and FORTRANish (flames to /dev/null), which is I guess typical for PC software, and it neglects such niceties as copying from one field to the next (e.g., how many times do you want to type "Big Springs Presbyterian Cemetery"? ). A good program, but certainly far from ideal. Some of the old mail forwarded to me by julian@riacs.edu contains claims that Family Roots (3) is best. The statements were themselves second hand, so it's not obvious what the conclusion was based on. As you'll read below, "the reason why will be obvious to you." ll-xn!robb@pdx.mentor.com permits me to say that he is working on a Hypercard genealogy database manager, with the comment, "No objection, so long as it is done with the statement that it may never happen in a way that is useful to others. I will post it to the net when it is (if it is) ready for public consumption. I am pretty impressed with the way it is coming along, and the only question I have is whether I will be able to sustain the interest in it long enough to get it complete. I think so." Hypercard does seem to be well-suited for this application. Julian Gomez (julian@riacs.edu) passed along several interesting notes, highlights of which follow. > Date: Sun, 25 Jan 87 21:59:16 est > From: magill@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Operations Manager) > > There have been several requests tecently about MAC software for Genealogy. > There are two excellent publications (newsletters in the field). They > are both only about 5 years old. They list just about all software for all > PC systems. They have reviews of each of the various versions as they are > available and have a chance to be tested. The software falls into about > 4 basic program groups with versions for various machines: > 1- PAF - Personal Ancestral File - from the Mormons > 2- Family Roots - from Quinsept, inc. > 3- Roots and Roots II from COMMsoft > 4- everything else. > The first three are considered "the leaders" (They have been around the > longest I think.) > I'm not going to pass on any reviews here, however virtually every genealogy > program has a FREE demo disk available from the manufacturer. > Publication number 1 - GENEALOGICAL COMPUTING (ISSN 0277-5913) is published > quarterly. $25. per subscription year, by > Ancestry Incorporated > PO Box 476 > Salt Lake City, UT 84110 > 801/359-2000 > There is a virtually 100% complete listing of all know PC Genealogical > software published in every issue. > Publication number 2 - THE GENEALOGOCAL COMPUTER PIONEER is published > bi-monthly by Posey International > POBox 338 > Orem, UT 84057 $25 for 6 issues > 801/377-5504 > Posey is also a "supplier". They maintain an inventory of much of > the software and associated genealogical supplies that one might > want. They are very friendly and helpful over the phone. > Computer network 1 - Ther is the "Genealogical Round Table" available over > GEnie(tm)- but that costs bucks > Computer network 2 - This is just being formed and is based upon FIDOnet. > I can't begin to detail it here, but get the Vol 5 number 1 and > especially number 2 issue of the Pioneer. They cover the computer > communications aspectes of genealogy in depth. > > ------- End of Forwarded Message > > > > Date: Fri, 5 Sep 86 20:15:37 edt > From: pur-ee!topaz!shulman (Jeff Shulman) > > QUINSEPT, P.O. Box 216, Lexington, MA 02173 (617) 641-2930... (makers of "Family Roots" (jeg)) > > ... I understand they use the Mac interface extensively. > > This same friend said the LDS's "Family Heritage File" does not use the Mac > interface at all. > > Today I started reading the book "Computer Genealogy: a Guide to Research > through High Technology" by Paul A. Andereck & Richard A. Pence ($12.95; > published 1985 by Ancestry Incorporated, P.O. Box 476, Salt Lake City, UT > 84110). On page xii, the authors state the following: "'Genealogical > Computing' chose... [Steve Vorenberg of Quinsept] Family Roots as 'the > genealogy software to beat' in its September 1984 issue. The reason why will > be evident to you." > >------- End of Forwarded Message J. Eric Grove jeric@tybalt.caltech.edu ...rutgers!cit-vax!tybalt.caltech.edu!jeric