Software Previews

These two newcomers to the genealogy-software game were not available for full testing as this issue went to press, but we did get a sneak peek at both:

Family Tree Legends

Family Tree Legends is a new program from the creators of the popular GenForum (genforum.genealogy.com) and GenCircles (www.gencircles.com) Web sites. Based on our trial of a pre-release version, it looks promising. Family Tree Legends is designed to rival the best programs in terms of ease of use and charting, and to integrate with the Web in innovative ways:

• Web Facts&#151Click on any date or place in your file and you’ll follow a link to Web pages describing important events on that date or showing maps or photographs of the place.

• Real-Time Internet Backup and Publishing&#151Automatically back up your data files on secure servers and easily publish your family history on the Web.

• SmartMatching&#151Family Tree Legends compares the names in your file with names in the GenCircles pedigree database. Instead of returning dozens of false matches, it intelligently identifies connections that can add new branches to your family tree&#151an edge over other programs’ name searches.

Family Tree Legends costs $49.95 from Pearl Street Software (familytreelegends.com) and requires Windows 95 or higher. See the December 2002 issue of Family Tree Magazine for details.

RootsMagic

This new program from the creators of Family Origins was scheduled for release in late 2002. RootsMagic is designed to make it easy to enter family information, organize your research and produce a large variety of reports.

• Easy data entry&#151Well-designed pedigree, family and descendants views make navigation simple and tabs give you quick access to an individual’s data, sources and photographs. You probably won’t have to spend much time learning how to use this program.

• Research organization&#151A full range of useful tools, including a correspondence log, to-do lists and relationship, Soundex and date calculators, help you organize your research. A powerful search-and-replace function lets you make changes to the names, places, notes and sources for all the individuals in your family file at once.

• Reports&#151Printed reports include everything from standard pedigree charts and family group sheets to calendars, scrapbooks and photo trees. You can also choose from several formats for publishing your family history on the Web.

RootsMagic costs $34.95 from FormalSoft (www.rootsmagic.com) and requires Windows 95 or higher.