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From: rooter@well.UUCP (Brian Mavrogeorge)
Newsgroups: net.roots
Subject: Re: My Family Research
Message-ID: <121@well.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 3-Aug-85 12:05:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: well.121
Posted: Sat Aug  3 12:05:51 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 4-Aug-85 10:30:26 EDT
References: <495@ihu1e.UUCP> <197@umich.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Lines: 24
Summary: Genealogical software


Before anyone re-invents the wheel, investigate the many software packages
available from the simple to the sublime.  There are two public domain
packages distributed under the freeware concept.  The first is "Genealogy On 
Display" and is an excellent MS-DOS based package which has a large capacity
provides good screen input and displays, and gives you standard genealogical
chart output as well as LDS forms if need be.  The second is new in the
field and is called "Family History".  It also is a full-service package.
If you wish to stay with DBII/DBIII or try genealogy with a LOTUS123 
package, those are also available.  If these packages dont meet your needs
then there is "Family Roots" by Quinsept which will run on several different
micros and "ROOTS-II" which also support  assorted micros.
   In your local genealogical library find "Micro Roots" and "Genealogical
Computing" both periodicals have lists of the available genealogy software
and have reviews.  For the public domain software (Genealogy-On-Display and
Family-History) call ROOTS-BBS (415)-584-0697 and you can download it
directly.  ROOTS-BBS also has small documentation files for each p[ackage
so you can download the documentation and check it out first.  This BBS
also has pd programs to do specific jobs such as chart printing, soundex
generation, etc.
   My advice (unsolicited) is don't equate price with functionality.  The
prices range from free to $35 to $400 and from my observations, the systems
that offer the most and operate the most efficiently aren't the ones at the
high end of the scale.