Category: Uncategorized

Personal Historian 2 Software Released

Bruce Buzbee 7 Comments

Latest Version of Personal and Family History Writing Software Now Available to the Public

SPRINGVILLE, Utah. — September 28, 2011 — RootsMagic, Inc. today announced the official release of Personal Historian 2, the latest version of the ground-breaking computer software which helps you write the story of your life and of other individuals.  Personal Historian breaks this seemingly monumental task into small, manageable pieces and then reconstructs it into a complete, publishable document.  With the release comes a free “Essentials” version of the software as well as a discount offer for new users and previous owners of the software.

Bring Life to Your Life Stories

“Many people want to write a personal history about themselves or family members but get lost or overwhelmed,” said Michael Booth, vice-president and lead developer of the software.  “It’s very gratifying to hear people tell us that they are finally able to write their life stories thanks to Personal Historian.”

Personal Historian creates an interactive timeline of a person’s life to keep the stories organized, give context to life events, and to allow users to write stories in any order they wish. When ready, Personal Historian will compile the stories into a finished book complete with table of contents, chapters, pictures, indexes, and more.  The book may then be printed at home, edited in a word processor, published professionally, or shared with friends and family.

New Features

“The new features in Personal Historian 2 have been worth the wait,” said Bruce Buzbee, president. “While we’ve added many new and powerful features, we’ve worked hard to make the software even easier to use than before.”

Personal Historian 2 boasts an impressive list of over 40 features including streamlined step-by-step wizards; expanded timelines and memory trigger questions; easy filtering and searching of stories; management of categories, people, and places; improved outlining and writing analysis; wrapping of text around pictures; fonts and text styles; and more-powerful publishing and output options.

Free “Personal Historian Essentials”

RootsMagic is also releasing a new, free edition of Personal Historian named, “Personal Historian Essentials”.  Personal Historian Essentials contains many core features from the Personal Historian software and the two products are fully-compatible with one another.  “We wanted to give everyone a risk-free option,” said Booth.  “Personal Historian Essentials is perfect for someone who wants to start writing a personal history but doesn’t know where to begin.”  Personal Historian Essentials is available for download at http://www.personalhistorian.com.

Discount Offer

To celebrate it’s release, RootsMagic, Inc. is pleased to offer a special introductory offer for Personal Historian 2. Through October 31, 2011, Personal Historian 2 is available for a special introductory price of only $19.95, saving $10 off of the regular price.  The discount is available only on the Personal Historian website at http://www.personalhistorian.com or by calling 1-800-766-8762.

About RootsMagic, Inc.

For over 20 years, RootsMagic, Inc. has been creating computer software with a special purpose- to unite families. One of our earliest products- the popular “Family Origins” software, introduced thousands of people to the joy and excitement of family history.

That tradition continues today with “RootsMagic”, our award-winning genealogy software which makes researching, organizing, and sharing your family history fun and easy. “Personal Historian” will help you easily write and preserve your life stories. “Family Reunion Organizer” takes the headaches out of planning those important get-togethers. And “Family Atlas” creates beautiful and educational geographic maps of your family history.

For more information, visit www.rootsmagic.com.

Source: RootsMagic, Inc.

Enjoy the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree from Home!

Michael Booth 12 Comments

RootsMagic is pleased to be a sponsor of the 42nd Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree to be held June 10-12, 2011 in the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel, 2500 Hollywood Way, Burbank, California.

If you live in the area, be sure to come by and see us in the exhibit hall or attend one of our classes taught by the RootsMagician himself, Bruce Buzbee.

But if you don’t live near by, we wanted to bring the experience of the Jamboree to you!  Through a special sponsorship provided by RootsMagic, several Jamboree sessions will be available at no cost to genealogists and family historians around the globe.  We’ve had a tremendous response to our own free online classes (webinars) and saw the opportunity to use similar technology to bring the Jamboree experience to people around the world.  This means that you can enjoy presentations from some of the top speakers in the genealogical community for free, right from the comfort of your own home!

Watch Online for Free

All live-streaming sessions will be held on Saturday, June 11, 2011.  They include the following: (Click on the link to read more and to register for the session)

Registration

To register for an online streaming session, click on a class title from the above list.

If you do happen to live in the Los Angeles area and would like to attend the jamboree in person, more information is available at http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/2011jam-home.htm.

We hope to see you there or online!

RootsMagic Classes now available on CD

Michael Booth 7 Comments


RootsMagic Webinars on CD

Hopefully, you’ve been able to attend one of our free online classes (webinars).  If not, don’t worry- we’ve recorded them and made them available to view or download online.  Still, we’ve had many requests to make the recordings available in a convenient CD format.  Your wish is our command and we’re pleased to present RootsMagic Webinars on CD, Volumes 1 and 2.  Watch them right from the convenience of your own computer where you can follow along and set your own pace.  No internet connection required!  Don’t worry, the downloadable recordings aren’t going anywhere.  The CD’s are just our way of making them available to you in a more convenient, more permanent format.

Each Volume contains:

  • Not 1, but 10 complete classes covering a variety of topics and products
  • Recordings in standard .mp4 format, watchable on most Windows and Mac computers and portable devices
  • A browseable menu of classes with printable notes of topics covered in each webinar

    • Webinar Menu Screen

    Volume 1

    Over 13 hours of training on 1 computer CD!  Classes include:
    1. Getting Started with RootsMagic
    2. Publishing a Family History with RootsMagic
    3. RootsMagic and FamilySearch for Family History Centers
    4. FamilySearch Made Easy with RootsMagic
    5. RootsMagic To-Go: Running RootsMagic on a Flash Drive
    6. Sources, Citations, and Documentation with RootsMagic
    7. Working with Files and Folders in RootsMagic
    8. Cleaning Your Family Tree in RootsMagic
    9. Personal Historian: Bringing Life to Your Life Stories
    10. Creating Custom Reports with RootsMagic

    Volume 2

    Over 11 hours of training on 1 computer CD!  Classes include:
    1. Mapping Your Family Tree with Family Atlas
    2. Adding and Editing Information in RootsMagic
    3. Lists and Reports in RootsMagic
    4. Writing Your Personal History (and Living to Tell About It)
    5. Places and Mapping in RootsMagic
    6. Ask the RootsMagician
    7. Google Search Tips and Tricks with Lisa Louise Cooke
    8. Creating and Printing Wallcharts with RootsMagic
    9. Creating a Website with RootsMagic
    10. Google Earth for Genealogy with Lisa Louise Cooke

    Orders Yours Today

    The two volumes are priced at only $9.95 each (+s/h) and are now available to order at www.rootsmagic.com/webinars/cd or by calling 1-800-766-8762.  They are expected to ship on or around June 14, 2011 and are only available while supplies last.

    Why Do I Need a Backup of my RootMagic Database?

    Renee Zamora 9 Comments

    One of the biggest heartaches we have in tech support is when we receive an email or phone call from a user whose computer has crashed, and they are without a backup copy of their database. Think about how much time you have invested in your database, and how long it would take to re-create that database from scratch. Having a backup copy of your database protects you if your computer crashes, or you accidentally delete your file, or your database somehow gets corrupted.

    A backup is a compressed copy of your RootsMagic database and has a .rmgb extension. It is less likely to become corrupted when emailed or transferred to another computer than a database file (.rmgc) is. A backup is better than a GEDCOM file because it will save all your RootsMagic specific settings, and ensure you have the same record numbers assigned each person.

    By default each RootsMagic backup has the date assigned to the file name (YYYY-MM-DD). Having the date for each backup is important. This will allow you to have multiple backups going back in time, and will show you which backup is the most recent. There may be times you need to return to an earlier file in your database, i.e. file corruption, incorrect merging, deleting of individuals or facts unintentionally, etc. You can keep as many backups on your computer as your hard drive space will allow. We have some users with backups going back several years.

    It is best to get into the habit of creating a backup each time you exit the program after changes have been made. When you have been working in RootsMagic for several hours at a time, stop and make a backup at whatever point you would hate to recreate your work if you computer suddenly failed. Simply add a letter after the date in the backup to denote your work throughout the day.

    Once you have made a backup it is good practice to store that backup somewhere other than your computer. Backups can be stored on external hard drives, flash drives, and CDs. Saving to the “cloud” will give you access to your backup away from home. Check into services such as Mozy, Carbonite, Backblaze and Dropbox. Don’t let the cloud fool you into a false sense of security if it is only saving a copy of your database file (.rmgc). There will be times you need to restore from a backup and it won’t be there when you need it. Have your database (.rmgc) and backup (.rmgb) file both saved to your computer hard drive and then use a cloud service to protect yourself.

    Web based email services, such as GMail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc can also act as a cloud service. Simply email your backup (.rmgb) to yourself and access it later from anywhere.

    If you haven’t made a backup of your RootsMagic database, stop and do it now!

    Win a $100 Amazon.com Gift Card

    Michael Booth 17 Comments

    We would like to know more about which online genealogical services you use or are interested in.   You would like that pricey genealogy book you’ve been eyeing on Amazon.com.   We have a solution that could benefit us both.

    We’ve created a brief survey to get your opinions on various online genealogy services and your interest in having RootsMagic work with them.  And when we say “brief”, we mean it.  Really, seriously.  It should only take you a minute or two.

    In appreciation for your participation, one respondent will be randomly selected to receive a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate.  The winner can use the gift certificate towards anything they want from the world’s largest online store!

    $100 Amazon Gift Certificate

    Click here to take survey!

    Official Rules: Must be 18 or older to win. Limit 1 entry per person. To enter, complete the survey and include a valid e-mail address. One winner be will be randomly selected on May 1, 2011 at 12:00 MDT. Winner will receive a $100 Amazon.com Gift Certificate via e-mail. Winner is responsible for any taxes or fees associated with the prize.

    Join us in St. George, Utah (Feb. 25-26)

    Michael Booth 3 Comments

    As has become an annual tradition, we are pleased to sponsor the St. George Family History Expo on February 25-26, 2011 at the Dixie Center, 1835 Convention Center Dr., St. George, Utah.  Visit our booth, attend our free classes, and take advantage of our conference specials!

    Free Exhibit Hall!

    Visit us at the RootsMagic booth in the Expo’s exhibit hall and experts will be on hand to an swer questions about the RootsMagic software.  Don’t miss special conference discounts on various RootsMagic products.  The Exhibit Hall also features family history vendors from across the world.  The Exhibit Hall is free to the public and is open:

    • Friday, February 25: 9 am – 6 pm
    • Saturday, February 26: 9 am – 4:00 pm

    Free RootsMagic Classes!

    Come learn more about RootsMagic and Personal Historian in four free classes. That’s right, these classes are FREE to anyone (but you do have to come pick up a ticket from our booth to attend).

    • FamilySearch Made Easy with RootsMagic 4 – Friday 1:30 pm, Auditorium
    • Personal Historian: Bringing Life to Your Life Stories –  Friday 4:30 pm, Entrada A
    • RootsMagic: Pruning, Cleaning and Extending Your Family Tree – Saturday 9:30 am, Auditorium
    • RootsMagic: Sharing and Publishing Your Family Tree – Saturday 1:00 pm, Auditorium

    We are also teaching another class which is part of the paid registration:

    • Genealogy on the Go! – Saturday 11:00 am, Sunbrook AB

    Other Classes!

    Over 100 classes will be presented by industry leaders and experts from the local and national genealogical community. Products and services from genealogy companies will also be showcased in an exhibit hall where you can meet with specialists for free personal consultations on research questions or problems.

    If you wish to attend the other classes, registration is just $65.00 for both days ($75 at the door) or $40.00 for a single day. Individuals who want to attend only one or two classes and visit the Exhibit Hall can register for single classes at $12.00 each.

    Expo details and the class schedule are available online at: www.FHExpos.com.

    Running RootsMagic on a Mac

    Renee Zamora 37 Comments

    Do RootsMagic, Personal Historian, Family Atlas, or your other products run on a Mac?

    Yes – but with help.  In fact, we have many happy Mac users of our software.  However, all of our software is currently designed to run on Windows operating systems.  That’s where “the help” comes in.

    What do you mean by “Help”?

    All Macs built since 2006 use the same microprocessors as Windows PCs.  This means that you can install the Windows operating system on your Mac and run any Windows software.  There area also other non-Windows options available.

    How do I install Windows on my Mac?

    There are three products available that allow you to install Windows on your Mac: Apple Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop, and VMWare Fusion.

    All three install the full Windows operating system and allow you to run any Windows application on your Mac.  You get the best of both worlds!  All three also require that you have a fully-licensed copy of Windows to install.

    What if I don’t want to install Windows on my Mac?

    No problem.  There are two products available which allow some Windows software (including all of ours) to run on a Mac without actually having Windows: Wine, and CrossOver Mac.

    Will you ever have actual Mac versions of your software?

    It is certainly our intention.  We have many Mac users who would love this and we love to make our users happy.  We’re just waiting for the necessary tools and technology to become available (which will hopefully be in the near-future).

    Links

    Apple Boot Camp – www.apple.com – Free

    • Tech Support by Manufacturer

    Parallels Desktop – www.parallels.com – $79.95

    • Run Mac & Windows at Same Time
    • Tech Support by Manufacturer

    VMWare Fusion – www.vmware.com – $79.95

    • Run Mac & Windows at Same Time
    • Tech Support by Manufacturer

    Wine – www.winehq.org – Free

    • Run Mac & Windows at Same Time
    • No Windows CD Required

    CrossOver Mac – www.codeweavers.com – $39.95

    • Run Mac & Windows at Same Time
    • No Windows CD Required
    • Tech Support by Manufacturer

    RootsMagic products will also run on the Linux operating system under Wine.

    Note: All of our software has been tested and confirmed to work on all of these products. However, we can only offer technical assistance with our own software and not with other products or operating systems.

    Join us in Arizona (Jan 20-22)!

    Michael Booth

    To say that we’re thrilled with the response to our free online classes would be an understatement.   But that doesn’t mean that we’re giving up all in-person interactions (we still have to leave our wintry ice-caves sometimes).  Our first outing of 2011 will be to sunny Arizona!

    Thursday Afternoon – Sun City West, Arizona

    Our first stop is at the Palm Ridge Rec Center in Sun City West.  The Sun City West Genealogical Club is hosting Bruce Buzbee, author of RootsMagic, for an entertaining demonstration of RootsMagic.

    Thursday Evening – Phoenix, Arizona

    Our next stop is at the Phoenix Family History Center.  Bruce Buzbee will demonstrate RootsMagic 4 and how it interfaces with new FamilySearch.  The demonstration is free to the public.

    Friday and Saturday – Mesa, Arizona

    The grand jewel of our trip will be the Arizona Family History Expo on January 21-22, 2011 at the Mesa Convention Center, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa, Arizona.  Visit our booth, attend our free classes, and take advantage of our conference specials!

    Free Exhibit Hall!

    Visit us at the RootsMagic booth in the Expo’s exhibit hall and experts will be on hand to an swer questions about the RootsMagic software.  Don’t miss special conference discounts on various RootsMagic products.  The Exhibit Hall also features family history vendors from across the world.  The Exhibit Hall is free to the public and is open:

    • Friday, January 21: 9 am – 6 pm
    • Saturday, January 22: 9 am – 4:00 pm

    Free RootsMagic Classes!

    Come learn more about RootsMagic and Personal Historian in four free classes. That’s right, these classes are FREE to anyone (but you do have to come pick up a ticket from our booth to attend).

    • Personal Historian: Bringing Life to Your Life Stories – Friday 10:00 am, Palo Verde Room 3
    • FamilySearch Made Easy with RootsMagic – Friday 11:30 am, Palo Verde Room 3
    • RootsMagic: Sharing and Publishing Your Family Tree – Friday 3:00 pm, Superstition South Room
    • RootsMagic: Pruning, Cleaning and Extending Your Family Tree – Saturday 8:00 am, Superstition South Room

    We are also teaching two other classes which are part of the paid registration:

    • Genealogy on the Go! – Saturday 11:00 am, Palo Verde Room 3
    • Where in the World?  GPS and the Genealogist – Saturday 1:o0 pm, Palo Verde Room 3

    Free Exhibit Hall Mini-Classes!

    We’re continuing our tradition of teaching free RootsMagic mini-classes in the exhibit hall. These mini-classes will be about 15 minutes long and will be held at our booth during the break between the regular classes.

    • Data Clean-Up in RootsMagic 4 – Friday 12:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
    • Entering Sources into RootsMagic 4 – Friday 1:05 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
    • Writing Life Stories with Personal Historian – Friday 2:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
    • Mapping Your Ancestors with Family Atlas – Friday 4:05 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
    • Running RootsMagic from a Flash Drive – Friday 5:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
    • Mapping Your Ancestors with Family Atlas – Saturday 9:05 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
    • Publishing a Book with RootsMagic 4 – Saturday 10:35 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
    • RootsMagic and FamilySearch – Saturday 12:05 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
    • Using RootsMagic’s Research Tools – Saturday 12:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
    • Creating a Shareable CD with RootsMagic 4 – Saturday 2:05 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
    • Writing Life Stories with Personal Historian – Saturday 3:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth

    Other Classes!

    Over 100 classes will be presented by industry leaders and experts from the local and national genealogical community. Products and services from genealogy companies will also be showcased in an exhibit hall where you can meet with specialists for free personal consultations on research questions or problems.

    If you wish to attend the other classes, registration is just $65.00 for both days ($75 at the door) or $40.00 for a single day. Individuals who want to attend only one or two classes and visit the Exhibit Hall can register for single classes at $12.00 each.

    Expo details and the class schedule are available online at: www.FHExpos.com.

    Data Clean-Up in RootsMagic 4

    Sign-up now for Free Online Classes

    Michael Booth 34 Comments

    Throughout the year we travel to various cities teaching RootsMagic classes.  We are always asked when we will be visiting different areas of the country (or world).  The simple answer is that we just haven’t gotten the cloning process down well enough to do that yet.

    So we’re doing the next best thing.  We are now offering free online classes.  You will be able to sit at your computer and watch as we present classes on everything from getting started with RootsMagic to advanced features like creating custom reports, and everything in between.  We’ll also be able to answer questions from attendees.  And classes won’t be limited to just RootsMagic.  We will be offering classes on our other products as well: Personal Historian, Family Atlas, and Family Reunion Organizer.

    Each class will be limited to the first 1000 people to sign up, but if you miss out or can’t make it, don’t worry because we will record the class for you to download and watch later.

    To sign up for the free classes, or to view past recorded classes, visit us at:

    http://www.rootsmagic.com/webinars

    Here are the first 5 classes we will be offering:

    • Getting Started with RootsMagic
      Saturday, January 8, 2011
      90 minutes
    • Publishing a Family History with RootsMagic
      Tuesday, January 11, 2011
      90 minutes
    • FamilySearch Made Easy with RootsMagic
      Tuesday, January 18, 2011
      6pm MST See In Your Time Zone
      2 hours
    • RootsMagic To-Go: Running RootsMagic on a Flash Drive
      Monday, January 24, 2011
      2pm MST See In Your Time Zone
      90 minutes
    • Sources, Citations, and Documentation with RootsMagic
      Friday, February 4, 2011
      10am MST See In Your Time Zone
      90 minutes

    What Do you Want Us to Teach?

    We have put together the first month of classes, but we want to know what you want us to teach, and what days and times work the best.  We’ve set up a short survey so you can let us know your needs: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RMWebinar

    New Year’s Resolutions for 2011

    Michael Booth 17 Comments

    Welcome to 2011!  With 2010 in the rear-view mirror, let’s look ahead to 2011 and some of our goals and resolutions for the coming year.

    More Growth

    We’re determined to build upon the tremendous growth we’ve experienced over the past few years. In 2011, we’ll provide more free updates, product upgrades, and even a few new surprises. It’s too early to spill the beans on all that we have cooking in our kitchen but watch this blog or our e-mail newsletter for announcements.

    More Contact

    We’ve always tried to be accessible and in touch with our users as much as possible. We offer free phone support with live people, e-mail support, and a message board.

    We travel to conferences and events to meet with people face-to-face. We teach classes and coordinate user groups to help our users better use the software.

    But with the tremendous growth that we’ve experienced in the past few years, maintaining this level of support and contact has been- at times- challenging. One of our goals for 2011 is to make our lines of contact with our users even better- especially with those that, due to their location or circumstances, aren’t able to meet with us at a conference, class, or user group.

    In a perfect world, we would personally sit down with every RootsMagic user in their homes. Since we just haven’t gotten the cloning process down well enough to do that yet, we’re doing the next best thing. We are going to start offering free online RootsMagic classes, also known as “webinars”. You will be able to sit at your computer and watch as we present classes on everything from getting started with RootsMagic to advanced features like creating custom reports, and everything in between. We’ll also be able to answer questions from attendees.

    Each class will be limited to the first 1000 people to sign up, but if you miss out or can’t make it, don’t worry because we will record the class for you to download and watch later. So keep an eye out for the January newsletter where we will provide all the details on how to sign up for these free classes.  We’d also like to know more about what you would like to learn and when are the best times to hold the webinars. We’ve set up a short survey so that you can let us know your needs.

    Thank You!

    Of course, these resolutions are not a comprehensive list of our plans and goals for 2011. There are many other projects which are in development in our secret underground laboratories which we’ll talk about when the time is right. In the meantime, thank you again for your support. We try very hard to listen to your problems, questions, and suggestions. If there is something that you’d like to see us do, please contact us and let us know.

    Happy New Year and may you have a prosperous 2011 (both genealogically and otherwise)!