RootsMagic: pros and cons

Thrall · Post by **Thrall** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 1:26 pm

Hello all you brickwall bashers.
With quite a few hundred names on much folded paper trees the time has come for organisation. Has anyone experience of RootsMagic which seems to receive the largest numbers of stars in online reviews? I'm fairly greyhaired and not very computer literate so ease of navigation is a must and paper instructions would be a bonus.

Any pointers greatfully received.

Thanks.

Thrall.

CatrionaL · Post by **CatrionaL** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 6:45 pm

Hullo Thrall

I can't remember anyone on the sight mentionning their use of RootsMagic. I, like several other TS posters, am a LegacyFamilyTree supporter I have heard Brother's Keeper mentionned too.

Hope you find the right program for you.

Catriona

Ted · Post by **Ted** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 4:10 pm

Hi Thrall

Like you I had a need to get all of my paper into some sort of order - I recently bought (August 05) the download version of Roots Magic V3 - just the basic module cost me about £17 online. Like you I read the reviews which sing its praises. Fankly I have to agree that it is pretty great and has some super features - has an openable window straight to Family Search for IGI's etc incorporated within the programme and will search for individuals within your own data automatically if you set it up to do so. Lots of other customisable features. I have used some of the other evaluation versions of programmes like Family Tree, Legacy etc - Roots Magic is way out in front. Pretty great value for money - although I would not want to pay for the singing & dancing version costing about £54 - it looks a bit gimicky.

Hope this helps - and honest I am not on commission !!

Best regards

Ted

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 5:24 pm

Thrall

It all depends what you want to achieve, e.g. do you want a package that not only does the basics but also "sings and dances" so to speak with the ability to link to photographs, and all sorts of other advanced features, and can handle relationships such as couple of the same sex paying someone to produce a child (OK I exaggerate

)

Or are you after a package that has all the basic features plus a few bells and whistles, especially if you read the instruction manual, but are not a computer whizz kid?

And which will more that satisfactorily allow you to computerise your data.

If the latter is the case, as you appear to be suggesting, then I'd advise a look at the shareware Brother's Keeper.

While there had been a Windows version for some while, I still mostly use the DOS version, as, simplicity apart, it has all that I want, including a quite excellent range of report and tree formats. And, for the moment at least, it's still possible to the run the DOS version on XP altho' that does, I'll readily admit, require a degree of computer expertise to set up optimally.

No disrespect whatsoever intended to Roots Magic V3, - it might well be the best thing since sliced bread in genealogical software terms, - just that I've yet to see any need to have to retrain my fingers to deal with a different package, and therein lies the basis of my prejudice, - I hardly have to think what I'm doing when using BK DOS 5.2G ............

Actually I am prejudiced against Roots Magic V3 and other commercial packages in a way, in the sense that, over the past approaching 20 years I've seen so many products come and go, and when they go, the technical support often goes at the same time.

BK on the other hand, has been on the go for over 20 years with consistently excellent techical support from the developer John Steed, but therein may lie a problem in that who will take over from John when he falls off the perch?

David

Thrall · Post by **Thrall** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 2:17 am

Ted and David

Thank you both for answering - I was beginning to think that no one had ever tried Roots Magic but you bit the bullet Ted, and confirmed what I had read online, generally, that this programme is considered to be about as user-friendly as they get, and that is what I need. I expect the simple version will be more than adequate for my purposes and even the basic step of putting in the first name will be postponed for some while until more than a few minutes before bed is the maximum time I can spare!

David, I must confess to not really knowing much about DOS, but I sympathise completely regarding your conservatism with respect to the logic of the machine you use; I would think seriously before changing from a Garmin GPS or a Nokia ´phone having once managed to get to grips with their programmes.(I hope)

Your reservations regarding the technical support must apply to virtually every package unfortunately, but that's life's lottery and sometime I will have to take the plunge.....

It is good to know that at least one other person was impressed by the reviews and though I do not expect to have the need for a ménage à trois option, my great grandfather did have two named fathers, and only DNA would I think solve that problem!

Comforting to know of Ted when all is lost in the initial stages of "magic", and David's conviction that BK is "jätte bra" or just plain braw.

Thrall

Ted · Post by **Ted** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 6:52 am

Hi Thrall & David

I must admit that I am one of those people who opens the box - throws away the instructions then take hours trying to figure out how it all works. For idiots like me RM has wizards which set it all up for you just by following the on screen instructions. Whilst I said that I bought the basic version it is anything but basic. It has more features than I would have imagined - including ability to link photos, BMD's & individual notes into personal files ect. It can take multimedia programmes including sound. Has lots of superb variations of data which the user can customise. However - enough of that or you will think I am on commission.

David I do take your point about technical support and I do agree that BK is a great package. I have some pretty good PC equipment and RM works well on Windows XP with broadband - it may not perform as well with lower windows versions - but I'll leave that to the technical experts.

Thrall if you do buy RM and have any initial problems contact me by PM & I'll help if I can.

Best regards

Ted

Scozzie · Post by **Scozzie** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 6:52 am

I've got Roots Magic. It's good to work with, but I don't like the reports it produces. I'm going back to my basic Family Tree Maker.

tishgibbons · Post by **tishgibbons** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 11:22 pm

Hi,

I've recently spent a few bob buying Legacy 6 and maybe this is childish but I wish it would print an old-fashioned tree so I can see at first glance who is first cousin to who, etc. It would also make it more readable to other family members who don't really want to read pages of script but would like to draw their finger from themselves to g.g.g.g.granda! Maybe I haven't got the hang of it yet but like you I think I could go back to Family Tree Maker, if I could only find the disk!

Tish

Scozzie · Post by **Scozzie** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 6:01 am

I tried again with my RM. I entered all the info for one branch, from my grandmother born in 1898 back to 1635. I requested a narrative report and I only got 1 page, from the 1635 ancestor & his children! What am I doing wrong?

Post by **Anne H** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 8:10 pm

Hi Scozzi,

I recently purchased Roots Magic...wonderful so far! I just created a narrative report on one line and it gave me 82 pages. Are you putting the correct number of generations you want? Here's what I did... in the Decendants Books section, click on "Modified Register" then go to where it says "Generations" and put in the number of generations you want.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
AnneH

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RootsMagic: pros and cons

RootsMagic: pros and cons

Still swithering......