Ancestry Magazine

What’s the Best Choice

Shopping for genealogy software can be a lot like looking for the perfect vacuum cleaner. Like vacuums, most genealogy software contains some common basic functions. Also like vacuums, the true differences in the products are the attachments and features, or “bells and whistles,” that come with them. And in the same spirit as technologies that were inspired by or built to work with vacuums (such as the hair dryer or those strange vacuum-based haircutting systems), there are software programs and service products that work with genealogical databases to help you use your data and further your research.

So how do you determine which genealogical software program or product is best for you? Let’s look at how to set goals when selecting software, the general types of genealogical software that are available, and some things to think about when evaluating the “bells and whistles” in genealogical software.

Determining Your Software Needs
Say you decide you need a new vacuum cleaner. Before you get to the store, you need to determine what you want the vacuum to do. Of course you want it to pick up dirt, but is the vacuum to be used inside your house? Do you need an outdoor vacuum for your garage? Do you need one that can vacuum water or one that is reversible and can be used as a blower? Perhaps you’re looking for a small vacuum for your car. Once you decide the purpose for the new vacuum, you’ve cut down the number of vacuums that you need to consider.

This principle is also true when choosing genealogy software. The first step in selecting software is to determine the main service you want it to provide. Here are examples of needs that genealogists might express:

• George has been collecting information on his ancestors for a number of years. Now he needs software that can help him create a book as a legacy for his children and grandchildren.

• Janet already has her information entered in a genealogical database. She recently found a distant cousin who is doing research on the same ancestors. They need to exchange information, but the cousin does not use the same genealogical database as Janet. She needs software that can reliably share information.

• Pat is having trouble progressing in her research about some of her ancestors. She has some information about them, but she’s not sure where to go next. She needs software that can guide her to useful resources to solve these problems.

Once you have your general needs in mind, you can start your software quest by looking at the types of genealogical software that are best suited to meet those needs.

Understanding the Types of Software
There are many genealogy software programs on the market. And most the advertising for these products generalizes the software’s capabilities or focuses on only one or two major selling points. As a result, many consumers get confused and become discouraged, believing that all genealogy software is the same. They then tend to ignore new software or products that are not in the mainstream market. But saying that all genealogy software is the same is like saying that all household appliances are the same. Just as each household appliance has its own function, different types of genealogical software assist you in various ways in fulfilling your research needs.

We can classify genealogical software in three broad categories: genealogical databases, genealogical database utilities, and data products.

Genealogical databases are programs that allow you to store information you have discovered about your ancestors and to generate reports using that information at a later date. Some genealogy databases also have features that help you figure o ut what your next research step may be or even attempt to find new information on the ancestors you have placed in the database. Some popular genealogy databases include Family Tree Maker, Family Tree Legends, Legacy Family Tree, The Master Genealogist, Personal Ancestral File, Reunion, and RootsMagic. (MyFamily.com, Inc., the publisher of this magazine, also produces Family Tree Maker.)

Sometimes you need another way of looking at or manipulating the information you have placed in your genealogical database. Small programs that provide these functions fall into the genealogical database utilities category. Some examples of these include Genelines (provides timeline reports), GenSmarts (suggests research resources based on information in your genealogical database), GenBridge (directly exports information from one type of genealogical database to another), Clooz (organizes the documents that you have collected), and the host of programs to convert the information in your database to something readable on the World Wide Web.

Rather than just storing or manipulating information, genealogical data products provide access to information that can help you further your research. These include products that contain images of original records or textual databases (e.g., indexes and abstracts of original records, compiled genealogies, and scanned books).

Keep in mind that the functions contained in each general type of software are not necessarily exclusive to that software type. Some genealogical databases contain functionality found in genealogical database utilities or data products. So if your needs don’t fit neatly within one particular software type, that’s okay. It’s likely that there’s a product or combination of products out there that can meet your needs.

Assessing Your Software Needs
Perhaps the easiest way to as sess exactly what you want from your genealogy software is to create a list of the features you need it to perform. Such a list might include easy data entry, hourglass charts, good source control, non-traditional family structures, support for multimedia files, and the ability to export to the Web. It may also be useful to place at the top of your list the specifications of your computer. Generally, you can find this in the documentation that came with your computer or by viewing the system properties on your computer. Having this information available when shopping around helps you ensure that the software product will run on your machine.

After creating the feature list, put it into a spreadsheet or word processor and then create software product columns next to each feature. This way you can put a check mark or “x” in the appropriate column for the desired feature when researching products.

At the bottom of the list it is useful to add a section of “cool to have” features. These are enticing features that go beyond those that meet your basic needs, and you will discover them as you research individual products. For example, if Product A offers timeline charts, which is something that would be nice to have even though it is not on your necessary feature list, you can note it and track whether other products contain that feature, too. This way, if there are a couple of products that meet all of the items on your “necessary list,” you can make a decision based upon your “cool to have” list.

Armed with your features list, you’re now ready to dive into researching genealogy software products.

Researching the Products
The fun part really begins when you start researching available products. At first, you might feel a little overwhelmed by the number of products and the variety of features. But if you keep good notes on your features list and stay focused on your product goals, things will becom e a lot clearer as you move from product to product.

When researching products, it is useful to get a few different perspectives on a particular product. You can get these perspectives by visiting product websites, talking with developers, reading product reviews, and trying a demonstration version of the software.

Start your research by determining what is available. This is a challenging task. With all of the software acquisitions and new products available, it is hard to keep an updated list that identifies all the current software offerings and their features. Kessler’s Genealogy Software Links website at <www.lkessler.com/gplinks.shtml> offers links to product websites, reviews, and comparisons.

Once you find an interesting product, go to its product website. These sites typically list the individual features of the product and may include a Help section. Be sure to have your features list available as you visit these sites so you can complete your chart.

Pay particular attention to the Help section of the product site. Does the site have a section for frequently asked questions? Is there a community board where individuals can get their questions answered by other users of the software? Are there multiple ways of getting technical support for the product (telephone number as well as e-mail address, for example)? If it doesn’t look like the software product has good support, you might want to consider another product that has similar features but more support options.

One of the best ways to research a product is to talk directly with a developer or member of the development staff. After all, who knows the software better than the person who built it? This is especially effective if you are looking at software produced by a small company.

Most product websites have contact information where you can ask questions through e-mail. It might take a few days to get a response, but it is usually worth the wait.

Of course, when looking at a product’s website or chatting with the developer, you are likely to get only one side of the story. For a more general and objective viewpoint, you’ll want to read some independent reviews of the product. Consult online genealogy newsletters, print magazines (not only genealogy magazines, but also general software magazines), genealogy newspaper columns, society publications, and independent websites.

Keep in mind a few things when reading reviews. First, reviewers often must write reviews on a short turnaround, so sometimes they focus on the features that are highlighted by the developers and may miss key features or problems with the product. Second, the reviewer might have a relationship with the developer. If a review is glowing and fails to point out any drawbacks to the product, you might want to investigate further. The publication in which the review appears might also have a relationship with the developer or some interest in how the product is reviewed. The best thing to do is read as many reviews on the product as possible. This way you receive a lot of different viewpoints and are better able to determine the quality of the product.

The most important part of software research is taking the product for a test drive. Most software developers have a trial version of their software available on their website. Some of the trial software is completely functional for a certain period of time (such as a thirty-day free trial), while trial versions of other software may have advanced features disabled. Either way, it is important to install the software and try it using your own information. Keep a list of the things that you like and don’t like about it in case you decide to install a second product to compare.

Making an Educated Decision
Once you’ve had a chance to test the software and compare it with other products, it is time to make your decision. At this point you might already have a good idea of the product you are going to select. However, if you’re still mind-wrestling between multiple products, pull out your feature list, review your software needs, and see how each product meets those needs. Also, keep in mind the experience that you had in testing the software and in visiting the product website. If you are having trouble deciding between two products, it might come down to selecting the product that offers the best help or community support.

Whatever product you pick, you don’t have to fear that you are making a lifetime commitment. New products come out regularly, and bells and whistles change on current products. But armed with your features list and software needs plus your past experiences selecting software, you can be sure you’re choosing wisely for your next piece of genealogical software.

Matthew Helm is the co-founder of FamilyToolbox.net, Inc. and author of Genealogy Online For Dummies (IDG Books Worldwide, 2001).