Comments on: Still undecided http://bluebonnetcountrygenealogy.com/2008/07/01/still-undecided/ Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:59:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: onepointintime http://bluebonnetcountrygenealogy.com/2008/07/01/still-undecided/#comment-73 onepointintime Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:01:05 +0000 http://bluebonnetcountrygenealogy.wordpress.com/?p=730#comment-73 You might want to try Legacy Family Tree; the standard version is absolutely free and full of features! Very powerful, very efficient. The Deluxe edition is the same price as RootsMagic, and has Microsoft Virtual Earth built in. It can export the entire tree or portions, has a To-Do list, lots of options, built-in research guidance, can search the internet from within the program in both versions, good reports, Deluxe edition has a publishing center to combine reports into a full-length book, lots else! One of my favorite features is the SourceWriter, which lets you enter information about the source and it will automatically create the text. Very capable. Unfortunately, I have had problems with this feature; it often freezes up my computer, but I think that's mostly because I'm on a Windows 98. Legacy is compatible with that operating system, but I think it's mostly designed for later versions. (Everything is now. :( ) But if SourceWriter isn't for you, there's also the option to enter sources the normal way. There's lots of other minor features, too--"bells and whistles," basically, but nice to have. The only thing that bothers me is it seems not to keep statistics very well. It would say, for example, that there are 170 people in the tree when there are actually 260. But, you can get the correct number from the RINs, and it will also tell you the number when you export the tree. I would definitely recommend Legacy. Other programs have their advantages as well, but IMO with Legacy you get more for the money. (Oh, and both versions also come with Legacy Charting. I don't use it, as that freezes my computer too, but you may have better luck with it if you have an XP.) You might want to try Legacy Family Tree; the standard version is absolutely free and full of features! Very powerful, very efficient. The Deluxe edition is the same price as RootsMagic, and has Microsoft Virtual Earth built in. It can export the entire tree or portions, has a To-Do list, lots of options, built-in research guidance, can search the internet from within the program in both versions, good reports, Deluxe edition has a publishing center to combine reports into a full-length book, lots else! One of my favorite features is the SourceWriter, which lets you enter information about the source and it will automatically create the text. Very capable. Unfortunately, I have had problems with this feature; it often freezes up my computer, but I think that’s mostly because I’m on a Windows 98. Legacy is compatible with that operating system, but I think it’s mostly designed for later versions. (Everything is now. :( ) But if SourceWriter isn’t for you, there’s also the option to enter sources the normal way. There’s lots of other minor features, too–”bells and whistles,” basically, but nice to have. The only thing that bothers me is it seems not to keep statistics very well. It would say, for example, that there are 170 people in the tree when there are actually 260. But, you can get the correct number from the RINs, and it will also tell you the number when you export the tree.

I would definitely recommend Legacy. Other programs have their advantages as well, but IMO with Legacy you get more for the money.

(Oh, and both versions also come with Legacy Charting. I don’t use it, as that freezes my computer too, but you may have better luck with it if you have an XP.)

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