Family Tree Software

[Sobil]

Hi all,

Help! I need to upload my trees into FamilySearch and Rootsweb at least... they don't think we exist at present. A distant cousin who researched my father's side uses Legacy, but I find it slow, grey and depressing (I have Legacy 5.0). This maybe because my computer does not like PDF. I will upgrade my computer sometime but I need a free programme that anyone (any idiot) around the world can download and use without getting frustrated.

My limited experience so far tells me I need it to be in Gedcom format so it can be exported anywhere, it should be clean looking with not too many buttons to confuse the natives, it should be able to hold photographs and scans of documents, and it should be able to compute relationships and hold lots of notes (I have lots of qualifying comments!).

Do you have any recommendations. I know a lot of you are Legacy buffs but my main concern at the moment is ease of use for part-time compers. I don't want to put off people who may prove helpful just because they can't press the right buttons.

Looking forward to the debate.

Sobil

[DavidWW]

I've never used anything else but Brother's Keeper, - shareware, - but consistently updated and well supported once you have registered. I've yet to have a situation where a response to a query has gone unanswered, even many years after paying my registration fee.

In fact I still regularly make use of the BK-DOS version as it's so simple., - it will happily run in a Windows environment up to XP. The Windows version will meet all the requirements that you outline in terms of photos etc.

A quick Google will take you to the relevant site.

David

[Sobil]

Thanks David,

I'll go have a look now.


Sobil

[Sobil]

Success, I think.

I downloaded Brothers Keeper 6.2. I've loaded two separate trees and it seems to have every possible eventuality covered and then some. It has
wonderfully selective reports which means I can send Mumsie a work sheet for the library!

I just have to figure out how to save them with a name I like. I backed up to disk and to hardrive and I even compressed one and everything works. I have one on BK6 and one on BK6data. I considered creating a new one and importing the old but I'm using an arabic keyboard and they only have forward slashes for some reason. At least I only have two files!

Thanks a lot David

Sobil

[Tracey]

Hi Sobil
Im no good at these sort of things either but i found Legacy (free version) very easy to use and export to Gedcom then upload to roots but i found familysearch a bit more confusing ! I submitted a very small amount to familysearch almost a year ago and it only just came on the site. ..........and you dont have to stick that that grey colour you can change it !

[DavidWW]

Success, I think.

I downloaded Brothers Keeper 6.2. I've loaded two separate trees and it seems to have every possible eventuality covered and then some. It has
wonderfully selective reports which means I can send Mumsie a work sheet for the library!

I just have to figure out how to save them with a name I like. I backed up to disk and to hardrive and I even compressed one and everything works. I have one on BK6 and one on BK6data. I considered creating a new one and importing the old but I'm using an arabic keyboard and they only have forward slashes for some reason. At least I only have two files!

Thanks a lot David

Sobil

Hi Sobil

Shareware Rules, OK

Great to hear that yet another person concludes that a shareware product such as Brothers Keeper is up there with profit making commercial products.

One of the major advantages of BK has always been the fantastic range of report and tree styles available.

Don't ever hesitate to email John Steed if you have a query or a question, - you will receive a helpful reply, as I always have over the last 15 years !!

David

[Sobil]

Hi David

I'm a bit of a fiend when it comes to detail so I love it. And I managed to solve my naming dilema.... I cut and pasted a backslash from the web!

Thanks again

Sobil