I've been a Reunion user for many years and enjoy using it. However, as a Mac user I've come to expect a more polished user interface and reporting capabilities. I really like the 3-dimensional charts that Heredis can create and yesterday was very excited with MacFamily Tree v5.0.7 Hyperlinks. and graphics.

I know that Reunion 9 is very powerful, I just wish it wasn't so "gorpy" looking.
What are your thoughts?

I've recently converted to a Mac and I have been looking for software that runs on the Mac. I downloaded a copy of MacFamily Tree 4 and Reunion trails. I found both disappointing in how they behaved. Especially since my comparison is Family Origins 9.0 (which is really old)

Does anyone else have a preferred Mac software that works easily?

I just found out about Heredis & am in the process of downloading a trail copy.

I recently changed from a windows PC to a Mac and have tried various Mac genealogy programs over the last few days. The ones I ended up going back over a few times were:

Reunion, MacFamilyTree, Heredis and iFamily for Tiger. My thoughts? Well, I need something that I am comfortable with, something that gives the same or similar reports that I was used to with Family Tree Maker for windows version 16.

MacFamilyTree - I don't like it. Not user friendly to me and reading some reviews from people they've had problems importing their gedcoms. But I just didn't like it and it didn't seem to do as much as I require.

Heredis - not bad, it's an improvement over MacFamilyTree but it doesn't ooh and ahh me. (it has to grab me).

iFamily for Tiger - it didn't impress me.

Reunion 9 - the way it comes was okay but after playing around and changing a lot of defaults the way it looks and how the reports come out, I like it. But I did have to reconfigure it a lot to get it the way I like it.

No one can really tell anyone else which program is the best to use because it is all really personal experience - what one person loves, another might dislike and find it not friendly to use and vice versa.

The best thing to do it is go to each product's website and download their demo/trial version and try it out to see which works for you best.

I've been using Heredis pretty intensely for two years ad am sniffing around considering starting completely over with a different program; even running Parallels on my Macs so I can use Legacy or Family Tree Maker.

I actually really like Heredis, though I've not had much experience with any other genealogy program. My problem with it is that it seems highly unstable. It crashes often when linking indviduals, and extremely often if you try to merge place names or sources. And worse, the notes fields seem to corrupt often, so that you lose all of the information. Notes retyped into the newly-blank field disappear again once the notes window is closed. The only solution is to start a new file for the person, re-enter the notes in the new person's fresh notes field, and then merge the person with the original file on the person. (If that makes sense...)

I had read that Heredis support is non-existent, and I have unfortunately found that to be true. I keep hoping there will be an upgrade to the program, but there hasn't been one for the two years I've been using the program. It does work with Leopard, however.

I'd be happy with the program otherwise.

I also moved from a windows machine to a mac earlier this year, and am trying to avoid installing Parallels or other software in order to run Windows programs. So far so good. I've been very happy. The biggest challenge of this conversion is genealogy software.

I've been working with iFamily for several months. I generally like it for purposes of data entry. However, its reporting functionality falls far behind Family Treemaker. And I'm at the point in my research where I need to do pretty in-depth analysis of data, comparing different branches, etc. For example, I've started a one-name-study of early Taylors of Massachusetts (1630-1700), and iFamily is worthless for such work once the data entry is done. Familytreemaker would have been better. Or Rootsmagic would be even better, but neither is available for the Mac, and as I said, I don't want to go the windows-on-mac route.

I've just downloaded Reunion's demo, and started mucking about in it, and may go with it, but thanks to this topic, I'll also try Heredis which I had not heard of. I had looked at MacFamily Tree, and like others, didn't really like it.

By the way, the support for iFamily is pretty good. The developer makes himself available through both email and a message board. He makes fixes and updates pretty frequently. That said, he has an approach to software development that seems more focused on a "perfect program" (from a programmer's perspective) rather than based on user needs and requests-- encouraging users to change their practice to fit his software more than making available features of the software to support the work of the user. I think RootsMagic (on the windows side) is similar. That said, iFamily is a nice program-- and for those looking for an Apple/Mac experience, it really is it.

But I've reached the edges of its usefulness for me-- and in less than six months; I need something better.

-- Jillaine

Hi
have a look at and try iFamily for Tiger /Leopard the reports are STUNNING and so easy to read
I also had used Reunion for years but have ditched it now as Keith the Aussie developer of iFamily just keeps making it better and the way it handle images and certificates also is great you can load them full size with each person I have in some folk a B D & M Cert as well as the Census images and photos you can choose the default one and you can enlarge each to full size within the window which is great better than filing through a book or box
Also the HTML is fantastic if you want to do a web tree but I now send CD's to my family for them to read the whole tree on any computer via a web browser without having to load private details on the web
there is a forum where you can read what others are saying and get help if you need it also you can download a trial version here
http://www.ifamilyfortiger.com/
regards Lesley

I have to say I think you are totally wrong in what you say about iFamily

ie
quote ...
The developer makes himself available through both email and a message board. He makes fixes and updates pretty frequently. That said, he has an approach to software development that seems more focused on a "perfect program" (from a programmer's perspective) rather than based on user needs and requests-- encouraging users to change their practice to fit his software more than making available features of the software to support the work of the user.
unquote...

I have been using iFamily from the very beginning and at first I still ran Reunion as iFamily did not do some of the things that Reunion did
However iFamily has come along in leaps and bounds and now totally outclasses Reunion .....and where else can you ask the program developer for an certain enhancement and have it done providing it is a reasonable request almost within a week .. some folk do ask for a bit much which would make the program much harder to use for a lot of people but from what I see if it is a reasonable request it is done .... all in all this program does everything you could want as a serious Genealogist and there is not a better one available for Apple Mac
Everyone has a different way of compiling their family history and I think a trial of iFamily will prove it to be most useful

http://www.ifamilyfortiger.com/

regards Lesley

re your posting where you say that
quote
" iFamily is worthless for such work once the data entry is done " unquote .....
I think that should be rephrased to iFamily was not the correct type of program to have used to do this sort of work ....as a one name study not quite the same as doing family pedigrees

you may be interested in and get some advice from
http://www.one-name.org/publit/IntroducingTheGuild.pdf

excerpt
The Guild of One-Name Studies is the premier
genealogical society for one-name studies. A one-name
study is a project researching facts about a surname
and the people who have held it, as opposed to a
particular pedigree (ancestors of one person) or
descendancy (descendants of one person or couple).

regards lesley

Hi, bit late on the discussion, but have been a user of Heredis for a couple of years. As has been said before, it's a bit clunky and a little unstable at times. It's served me well but it's a little complicated and has lots of detail (which I don't really use). I've stopped using it now and am purely using Ancestry.co.uk to make it easier to share my tree with relatives.

Am also sniffing around alternative Mac software as I like to have something running locally (for when I'm researching but have no internet) and software that's updated more regularly than Heredis. Yet to decide what though...

Debbie

People have raised several issues as important for genealogy software: flexibility/customization, stability, and support.

Responsive support seems very important. It has been my experience that "responsive to requests for changes" tends to mean that software is immature and may be buggy. It also suggests as small staff and real potential problems if the key person can no longer take as much responsibility for the product. Responsive to questions from beginner to very advanced level is different and very much appreciated.

Stability seems beyond important to critical. Hearing from users that software crashes, etc., is perhaps the only way to learn that a particular software is one to stay away from.

Flexibility and the ability to customize seems to me to be a better feature than the ability to ask for and get changes in the software. The defaults are usually good for new users and customization allows experienced users to adapt software to their own particular needs.

My own experience is with Reunion, from 1 to 9. I obviously find it satisfactory, and more. I disagree with the person who doesn't like the interface--but it is definitely Mac-like. Each time I consider changing to the more widely used PC programs, I try the demo and find them way too DOS-like for my taste. I have had excellent experience with Reunion support. I use the customization options frequently, to change input screens or reports to accommodate particular data sources or whatever different mode my mind may be in at the time.