Software Review of:
Generations Family Tree 
Beginner's Edition Version 8.0 

System requirements
Pentium 100 (166 recommended) with 800 x 600 16-bit high color; Windows 95 or 98; 4X CD-ROM (24X recommended); 16 MB of RAM (32 MB recommended); 35 MB of hard disk space. In addition you will need a Windows compatible mouse; a Windows compatible printer; and for Internet options a minimum 14.4 bps modem (33.6 preferred) and 32-bit Internet Service Provider. The user should be familiar with Windows including using the mouse; using dialog boxes, drop down lists and pop-up menus; identifying icons; using standard edit commands and open and save commands. The User’s Manual clearly states “that the User’s Guide is designed to teach Generations basics-not windows or DOS basics.”

The package comes with 18 CDs, the user’s guide, a 182-page book titled Netting Your Ancestors: Genealogical Research on the Internet, by Cyndi Howells and a small brochure of featured products from Heritage Quest. The title of the book by Cyndi Howells is self-explanatory. The 340-page user’s guide that accompanies the software contains eighteen chapters, plus appendices, that tell how to use every facet of Family Tree. The second chapter starts with a tutorial that not only advises you on how to start with Family Tree but also why you should do it in this manner. There is also a tutorial on the installation CD. This tutorial is a movie that provides information on different sources to search for family information. It also touches on the ‘how to’ of the detective work that is needed to have accurate information.

The installation of Generations Family Tree was smooth and trouble free through the registration. Once I had registered the software, a window popped up (unfortunately I did not write down what was on that window) instructing me to install a number of items that were listed on the window for maximum benefit of the software. I decided to go ahead and do the installation since I do have enough disc space. I got through something called Cosmo-player and when I wanted to take the next step, my machine froze. Finally I hit ctrl-alt-del and closed the offending program, which promptly closed the window that was installing the extras. I never could get that window back, so I decided that perhaps it was not too important after all and I proceeded to work with the software. (For the next three days my PC pulled all kinds of freezes, lock-ups and antics, but that is another story. Suffice it to say that Cosmo-player was probably not the offending software.)
With all of the information in the manual and in the tutorial, I was too anxious to start using the program and simply could not read and retain every bit of information that is provided. I started out as they suggested with myself, my basic information and then started expanding. Once I had a feel for how to proceed, the program makes it easy to input information. At this time, I have input information regarding myself, my husband, both of our parents, my paternal grandparents and some of my siblings and their families. I have already gone back to input additional information regarding my grandfather’s place of birth. With the help of Cathie Coyle, I was able to decipher the handwriting on my father’s birth certificate and determine that my grandfather was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire County, England. It was easy to read that my grandmother was born in Castleford, Yorkshire County, England. My grandparents were born in towns that were near each other in England. The father of each took his oldest son and immigrated to America in the late 1800’s where father and son both worked until they had enough money to bring the rest of the family over. It is fascinating that both families moved to the same state and my grandparents ultimately met and married.

The user interface is very easy to use. Once I had some of the basic relationships in I could, with one or two mouse clicks, navigate among family members to open the “edit person” window and add or change information regarding an individual. I found the easiest way to add siblings was by going to the parents’ family card and adding children.  There is a ‘+’sign on the parents’ card for add a child that I did not find as an ‘add a sibling’ button. It is also possible to add spouses in the case of divorce or death. The users guide states you can add as many as 50 spouses. The toolbar is another way to add a child, spouse, or parent.

One advantage of Generations Family Tree is the free membership in Ancestry.com. This is an on-line site that has a lot of potential information. The first thing that I did was to sign up for the freeAncestry Daily News. This newspaper comes to your email address daily five days a week and is full of all kinds of genealogical information. After one week of membership, however, I believe that I will change my membership to receive the paper weekly rather than daily. The second thing that I did at Ancestry.com was to search my maiden name. I have always believed my maiden name to be very unusual. I had one cousin who was killed in WWII before he ever married or had children. I have one brother who had two sons. At this time, neither son has had a male child, so our branch of the family is in danger of dying out. I was so surprised when I found so many ‘Palfreymans’ at ancestry.com. Apparently, too, a lot of ‘Palfreymans’ immigrated to Australia. It is also possible at Ancestry.com to create an ‘On-line Family Tree’ and collaborate with your relatives on the Internet. This is an especially good way to complete family groups when a relative in a distant location takes part and can add information about their in-laws and special information about their children. Ancestry.com has over 2500 databases to search, over 100,000 genealogy Message Boards and a store for purchasing genealogy books, CD-ROMs, software and supplies. In addition, this site has some of the world’s leading experts that can help with your research.

Another advantage of Generations Family Tree is the free one-year membership to Heritage Quest Research Club. This club leads you to all kinds of research materials and ‘how to’ information on genealogy. Heritage Quest has many items that cost money but there are also free items such as the Genealogy Bulletin and all the links on Heritage Quest. The review was due before I could activate my free membership. I feel that Generations Family Tree has eliminated every obstacle to pursuing information on one’s family history.

The 18 CDs that come with Generations Family Tree include extractions from the 1870 Census, Social Security Index and other sources of helpful information. Accessing the information on the CDs is surprisingly simple. From the initial opening window I chose heritage quest, then where I wanted to look and completed the necessary information. The program told me what CD to put in my computer and then started searching. I did not find the person that I wanted to find, but did pick up a more elusive date of death of a relation that died in 1986. I mentioned the more than 300-page user’s guide earlier. It is a wealth of information and I have not assimilated all of the information that it contains. The book by Cyndi Howells, Netting Your Ancestors, which accompanies this software is full of web sites, hints for research and other kinds of help. This software program is excellent to get you started on searching your family history and well worth the cost. There is one thing that comes with this software that is not often seen. Sierra backs this software with a full 90-day guarantee. If you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return the software with a dated, original store receipt and a note stating your reason for dissatisfaction and obtain an exchange for a product of your choice or a full refund.

Generations Family Tree Beginner’s Edition, version 8.0 is available on the web for $49.95. It is also available at Best Buy for the same price. The package currently comes with a $10.00 mail in rebate that is good until January 31, 2001. I was not able to go by CompUSA but I feel certain they will have it. I was in Wal-Mart and they have Generations Family Tree B.E. version 8.0 for $36.86. It is the same software, same version, all 18 CD’s but minus the rebate. The box looks identical but appears to be smaller than the box that has the rebate. I suspect the book by Cyndi Howells is not in the package at Wal-Mart. The price is so good that you might be willing to forgo the extra book.