Reunion 9

Caveat: I am relatively new to genealogy and not as well versed in the other software. I also only have a Mac so my software selection was limited. That being said, I am very pleased with Reunion 9. I… have an lot of family data readily available (multiple bound volumes heading down multiple lines) and I have an eventual eye on putting it all into an electronic format so I wanted a very solid and sophisticated program. I also wanted a program that was generally easy to use but not at the expense of functionality. Reunion is quite easy to use. It comes with a manual (electronic) and tutorial that helps you get started. Some of the options seem a bit odd at first but after some practice and more experience, it becomes clear how they fit in. It is clear that the writers of this system are versed in complicated family trees. I did get prompt and helpful customer service when I had questions about the best way to integrate 2 large already-completed family trees. I am impressed with the lovely reports and they way it quickly sorts through loads of data to make it understandable. Other amateurs should note that the program (and, indeed, probably no program) will be able to substitute for careful attention to detail. I was hoping that whatever software I bought would be able to somehow magically know if a "John Smith" was the same John Smith in another branch of the tree. This is practically impossible barring some gift like birthdates that happen to match in both. Reunion can easily merge records (if, indeed, the two Johns end up being the same), so it makes fixing those issues painless. It can also do a lot to flag potential duplicates. You, however, need to make sure it's all accurate. Overall, I'm pleased.

expand

collapse

Since I didn't have the time to test all the Mac genealogy applications available, I went for the most expensive one thinking that it would also be the best one. Well, Reunion 9 might be the best… application for Mac, but when I saw Family Tree Builder for PC (which is free), I regret not having a PC. Reunion 9 has a nice interface and it is easy to navigate, but it still needs some polishing (after 9 versions!). Clicking on a table does not let you edit it, (source) lists are sometimes missing scroll bars, drag and drop is very limited and clumsy, chart editing is rather primitive, and adding information about a marriage is simple ... if you know you have to click on a hidden button. Reunion 9 would be a very nice application if it was free, but for $99 I feel disappointed. Add to this all the missing features available in Family Tree Builder (multiple languages, maps, and above all, automatic search of relatives) and you get the picture.

expand

collapse