Recommendations for Apple Mac Software ?

Hi,

For a number of years I have used RootsMagic on PC to hold my own primary records.

However, because we've moved from using Windows PC to Apple Mac at home, but also because RootSmagic printing capabilities on large printers was so poor, I'm looking to move to native Apple Software.

My ideal replacement software would also provide an ipad option (i.e. the ability to take at least part of the tree with me, and be able to sync changes back). Currently this is provided by MacFamily Tree and Reunion.

I also opted to seed my new approach with a "forest" GEDCOM from Geni.com - so 100,000 people.

I've tried MacFamilyTree in demo mode, which at least allows me to import the GEDCOM - but this is proving to be unusably slow on our 2GHz Intel Mac Mini (2GB RAM) running 10.6 (latest OS). (The ipad add-on is not possible to test)

Reunion is highly praised - but also twice as expensive ($99 US, £62 UK) - but its trial version won't allow a GEDCOM to be imported.

iFamily looks better - but the author is non-committal about ipad support.

Does anyone have any recommendations/thoughts (other than using less entries in the database)

Thanks !

- Paul

Hi Paul
I use Reunion having changed to a Mac last year after so many years on a PC. I have the iFamily as well and don't like it much - the presentation is not to my liking and I found Reunion more to my liking - giving me most of the features I enjoyed with RootsMagic. You can certainly import GEDCOMS no problem there. Export menu gives you options -
Who -
All people
Marked People and their spouses, with the option to include children
Use privacy settings
Exclude sensitive data
Include Multimedia links
Include sources - option to flatten structured sources
Destination options - GEDCOMs 4 & 5.5; Ancestral File; Temple Ready
Character set UTF-8/Macintosh/Windows/MS-DOS/ANSEL/UNICODE

and you can select the fields you want to export.

Generally I like the program but am sure I haven't explored all the possibilities.

Reunion will create on-screen slideshows of the images linked to people and families. You can create shorter slideshows using the images for a person or family, or you can create longer slideshows that include images for many people and families. - Loads of choices here

Hope this helps!

June

Hi June,

That helps a lot !

How much information do you hold in your Reunion database ?

At least ifamily allowed navigation fairly quickly through the 100,000 person database, it was worrying to discover that MacFamilyTree was unsuitably slow.

From you recommendation, I plan to opt for Reunion, but was worried that their trial didn't allow me to test the GEDCOM import and large number of records.

Thanks,

Paul

I have about 5500 on there at the moment so have no idea of the max number of entries.
One thing that I miss from RootsMagic is the ability to print generations on new page

Hi June,

Well, the import of 100,00 into Reunion worked with no problems, and navigation is certainly faster that ifamily, and much much faster than MacFamilyTree.

However, the Charting seems less intuitive than ifamily - I'm struggling to fit as much information on an A1 sheet as I was able with ifamily (which seems more modern in this area and with intelligent layout), but I will perceiver.

The ipad software is fabulous - the user interface is slicker and faster than running on my mac (although I have ~700 people "marked" to be on the ipad). In particular, photo manipulation (resizing to a face) is really nice, and I'm hoping to find its "tree" view in the Mac version.

The ability to sync between the ipad and mac over wifi is also very nice.

- Paul

I am trying MacFamily tree. Has anyone found an easy way to export images from Geni?
My niece has spent a lot of time on the tree and has uploaded a lot of images.
So far the only solution is to save them one at a time and then add them to the database.

I have seen comments elsewhere that as long as you are logged on to Geni while the Gedcom is being imported, MyHeritage imports everything fine (definitely they said pictures; think they also said documents).

I have downloaded my Geni tree to Reunion and it appears to have been able to accommodate it all fine. I agree that navigation is fine too. I haven't bought an ipad yet, but I can see the potential for taking your family tree, complete with images, and being able to visit family members and navigate the tree and click on an image or see a particular branch and go into a person. People don't want to see huge trees, they can something more like a Powerpoint of their family.

Lois,

I have not been able to find a way to Export pictures from Geni. You may be able to link to them but that means they are still not stored on your own computer.
By the way MacFamily Tree allows you to run a Desktop and Laptop version using the same license.

Eric - sorry. Haven't tried myself. Suspect MyHeritage isn't even Mac. Do not have an internet-compatible computer (use Libraries, etc. for all my internet), but definitely interested in what is possible as I try to inch toward getting one.

One key point was, as I understood, to import the GEDCOM while connected to internet and logged on to Geni. If I find the reference again, and it does seem to say it exported them (as I thought it said), will paste link to that comment in this discussion.

Lois, any help is appreciated. Thank you.