Genealogy Software Reviews - Roots Magic
Monday April 3, 2006
After three years of blogging about genealogy - gasp! - the comments feature has finally been added to our blogs. My first thought was that this would be a great way to collect user comments and reviews about many of the great genealogy software titles available. My site is one of several (but few) places where you can find independent reviews of genealogy software titles, but I still only represent the opinion of a single individual. I'd love to hear from you, the users of these genealogy programs, about what you like, dislike, or want to see more of.
To begin the discussion, here is my recent review of Roots Magic 3.0. If you're a Roots Magic user, or have tried the program and decided on a different one, I'd love to hear from you. Click "comments" below to add your thoughts or a mini-review about RootsMagic and help other readers find the best genealogy software to meet their needs.
To begin the discussion, here is my recent review of Roots Magic 3.0. If you're a Roots Magic user, or have tried the program and decided on a different one, I'd love to hear from you. Click "comments" below to add your thoughts or a mini-review about RootsMagic and help other readers find the best genealogy software to meet their needs.
Comments
I just purchased RootsMagic after using another program for many years. I like their setup and additional information better but most of all the reports are more comprehensive, especially for those not into genealogy.
One of the best features, which I did see mentioned, was the RootsMagic Help forum with it’s wish list.
Another is the active RootsMagic users mail list, (I didn’t see this mentioned though, I had to mention it, I am the administrator.
The author reads and responds to the user comments on both.
I use to use FTM, but I tired RootsMagic and I am hooked. I love the support and User Mailing List. If I get stuck I can ask the group and very friendly people help me out. They also have a Wish List.
It was very easy to learn.
I’m a huge fan of RootsMagic. The Master Genealogist is probably more comprehensive, but has a steep learning curve. The forums are wonderful for simple questions. Try it, you’ll like it!!
This is the BEST genealogy program out there. I have tried other “brands” and have never been satisfied with them. I started using the predecessor to RootsMagic - Family Origins - and have never looked back. The only “problems” with GEDCOM imports is when other users use their “user defined” fields and are then disappointed that RootsMagic can’t handle them. Neither can any other program so I don’t see that this is “problematic”
I am a 79 year old happy user of RootsMagic with 3,000 names in my database. I have used Bruce’s genealogy software ever since his first version of his old Family Origins and have continued with every version of RootsMagic. There is NO software that has better or more caring support, and NO genealogy software that exceeds RootsMagic. By the way, the only GED problems come from importing GEDCOMs from other software that does not comply with GEDCOM standards. It’s a real winner and I recommend it to everyone.
I love Roots Magic 3.0. After using PAF 5.2.2, Family Tree Maker, Legacy, Ancestors, keeping up with all the updates, phooey, this program works great. It is easy, especially when working with sources. You can be your own boss there, not use pre-determined ones. I am sold and got rid of the others. YEA! Highly recommended for beginner and to old ones like me.
I have tried several other programs but, none are as good as RootsMagic. I also was originally a Family Origins user. I didn’t think anything could beat it, but found RM has far exceeded my expectations. I really like the fact that I can enter notes, multimedia, sources and citations for each and every fact. The search capabilities are outstanding and the ability to easily prepare custom reports is especially beneficial. I can color code people based on criteria I set. I can print a variety of reports and charts with specific facts and info I choose, and print them in color, with pictures, and in a variety of formats including pdf. And if you choose to use the LDS functions you can automatically search and update your database from FamilySearch.org data. And because I subscribe to GenSmarts, I can access their tools directly from inside RM. I’d be hardpressed to find much, if anything, I can’t do with it. As stated before, the only “problem” with gedcoms is that some other programs don’t totally follow the gedcom standards — RM does. I highly recommend it — and yes, the users forum is terrific.
I’ve been using Rootsmagic and its predecessor Family Origins for several years. I occasionaly try other programs but I have yet to find one as intuitive and as easy to use as Rootsmagic. Despite its ease of use, intuitive and practical interface, it is still worthy of being used by even the most serious or professional genealogists. It adheres strongly to the GEDCOM standard which many other genealogy programs (such as Family Tree Maker) don’t do. Rootsmagic even has the ability to import PAF and Family Tree Maker databases.
I like some of the other posts have been a user of Bruce’s Family Origin and now Roots Magic. I also like the ability to add all of the notes you want to and break them down by Facts and add pictures to go along with the notes if you want to. Also he and his crew listen to what enhancements the users would like to see added or changed. Where else do you find the owner of a Genealogy program also answering questions about the program from users when he gets a chance? And, Yes Alfred is a great Administrator for the Roots Magic Message Board. He keeps us in line.
Just a Great program all around. Would not change if someone gave me another program free.
By the way what other languages do the other progams come in? Most of them I have see in the USA are all in English.
I too have used first Family Origins and now RootsMagic. I have also been exposed to PAF and FTM. I used to keep FTM on the computer to assist others in writing GEDCOMs. I gave up on that. The absolute worst GEDCOMS I have ever seen come from FTM where the users used to have to jam everything in a ‘place’ field. Results are dates in places, occupations in places, and many other things that are plainly out of place.
A FTM user should just see his place list in RM!! How about 15 or more iterations of the same place?? With RM you don’t have to worry about that.
There are so many options that it would take all day to type them and the whole program is a tribute to the expertise and care exhibited by the author. He also monitors the user group mail list. He responds with helpful tips that can only come from the author of the program. It doesn’t get any better than that, now does it?
I am a 90 year old who,back in the days of DOS, who witha friend wrote and sold a genealogical data program. By today’s standards it would be called “crude” but it was the best we had then. Since then I have been through many computer data handling programs. I am now using Roots Magic and don’t expect to change programs again. It is the best I have found.The others have covered the details so I’ll not repeatd them.
I’ve been using Roots Magic starting with version 1 when I began genealogy research a little over 3 years ago. As a result of working with another group of researchers, I’ve also worked with Legacy and Family Tree Maker. In my opinion, Roots Magic wins hands-down: ease of data entry, including notes, sources and media for each fact AND the comprehensive and intuitive bundled and custom reports. The search and report functions are extremely powerful: if the information is in my database, I can find it and prepare a report in a multiple of formats (RTF, PDF, CSV). I agree with other posters re FTM: who ever heard of combining places and descriptions into one data field! When I (and others) ran into problems transferring FTM databases into RM, the owner personally worked on my issues and updated the program to handle FTM’s non-conformity with the GEDCOM standard. The user group and tech support is outstanding
Becky
I recently downloaded the trial version of RM. I have all my data in Generations 5.2. How do I transfer the data to RM? I’m slow, so you will have to spell it out.
Thanks….
Larry P. Fluegel, go to http://www.rootsmagic.com/faq/1.html#7 for the directions on transfering data from Generations to RM.
I’m a long time user of Family Origins and RootsMagic because of the ease of use and versitility of entry, searches, and reports.
I noticed the version of RM that was reviewed was 3. The newest version of RM is 3.2.1.
One of the new features is the ablity to import a Family Origins, PAF, and Family Tree Maker database directly without having to make a gedcom.
It also unembeds the multimedia files from a FTM database as it imports the FTM database.
RM gets 5 stars from me
Laura
As with most of the other posts, I started with Family Origins and didn’t hesitate when Bruce started Rootsmagic. I have tried most of the other programs that have come down the pike but none can hold a candle to Bruce’s programs. Sourcing is excellent and intuitive. Entry is the easiest. I would love to have a Linux or Mac version, but as long as these aren’t available, I will stick with Windows (UGH!)simply because I am not willing to give up Rootsmagic. I am a very experienced researcher and Rootsmagic fits my needs perfectly! Thank you Bruce.
I started with Brother’s Keeper, progressed to Family Origins and followed Bruce to RootsMagic. Wouldn’t use any other program (I’ve tried em’, don’t like em’).
why switch?, when you already have the best.
RM is terrific. I am an “old” genealogist and used Family Origins for years. RM is by far the best available. Everytime I turn around, Bruce has released new features for the software - and I don’t have to wait until a new version comes out.
I have used Rootsmagic since it was Family Origins and will not use anythng else. I love the ease of usage and the many charts, etc.
I consider myself an experienced genealogist and have used the majority of the Genealogy programs available. Rootsmagic is an excellent program and beats many of the others hands down. The ease of entering sources is an important and great feature. The reports are also some of the best.
No one talks about the ease of inserting photos into the files…is this a simple process AND does this program allow a ’story-like’ genealogy? If not, I am hopeing someone will reply to me with one that is easy to merge photos into, as I cannot yet burn my 98-page lineage WITH the photos IN it…cannot find a CD program which will burn a non-merged document-with-inserted-photos file…
I have spent over the past 3 months way too many hours looking at and testing genealogy software . I dont need to name names but most of them including Gedcom to HTML editors . Found Roots Magic 3.2.2 . I am now using the Demo and waiting for the CD to arrive .
If anybody reads this a year later —
I agree with all the praise, but in my year of use I wish they WOULD release an update that addresses some of the wish list problems. Using other software I became a big fan of navigating by record number. But in RM you have to select the name to see the record number and cannot search on it.