Month: December 2014

Can you believe that it is New Years Eve already? As is tradition, we in the RootsMagic underground labs like to reflect on all that has happened this past year.  And don’t forget to check back on Thursday as we present our resolutions for 2015.  But until then- let’s flip the calendar all the back to the beginning of 2014.

RootsMagic for Android

On February 7, we officially released our free RootsMagic for Android app. It was the latest step in our efforts to make RootsMagic available on whatever device you use, wherever you go. Android was the latest platform to join RootsMagic for Windows, iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) and even the Mac (with help).

 Support and Tips

We know that one of the reasons our loyal users love RootsMagic so much is that no other genealogy software provides the level of support and training that we do.  Over the past four years, we have pioneered the use of “webinars“, or free online classes, to help you learn anything you wanted to know about our software.  Our webinars have been viewed and downloaded over a million times from users in nearly every country on the globe.  And best of all, all of our webinars are archived and still available, free of charge.

We’ve also answered the demand for smaller, briefer tutorial videos that focused on very specific tasks. With this in mind, we introduced our YouTube channel, RootsMagic TV.  These videos are usually only a few minutes long and quickly show you how to do particular task without the details and explanations that you’ll find in our regular webinars.  Best of all, because they are hosted on YouTube, they are easy to share with others via e-mail or social networks.

In 2014, we’ve added regular tips and articles via this blog. These have been warmly received and we’ve loved hearing your feedback on them. They include:

• Planning Cemetery Trips with RootsMagic
• Get Research Help with RootsMagic and GenSmarts
• Never Get Lost in Your Tree with Color Coding
• Easily Follow the Fathers (and Sons)
• Know Your Relationships
• Find Exactly What you Want with a Few Keystrokes
• Saving Your Spot in RootsMagic Using Bookmarks
• Make a Map of Your Family’s Migrations
• Find a Person by Nickname or Maiden Name
• Finding Anything Anywhere in RootsMagic
• Keep Private Notes Private
• Keep Your File in Shape with Database Tools
• Finding Errors in Your Data with Problem Alerts
• Customize the Add Person Screen to Save Time
• Recovering Lost Registration Keys
• How to See When You Last Edited a Person in RootsMagic

A New Home for The Master Genealogist Users

On July 29, Wholly Genes Software announced that they would be discontinuing “The Master Genealogist” (TMG). On September 24, we released an update to RootsMagic that added a direct TMG import.

This direct import not only imports basic genealogical information from TMG like names, events, notes, and media, but also imports witnesses (with roles), source templates, and sentence templates. In fact, RootsMagic has the most complete TMG import available anywhere. Of course, due to different data models and template languages, no import can be 100% perfect but we prepared a guide to make the transition as smooth as possible.

MacBridge – Run RootsMagic on Your Mac Without Windows

On September 5, we released MacBridge for RootsMagic.  MacBridge for RootsMagic allows you easily install and run RootsMagic on your Mac in mere minutes with almost no additional setup or configuration.

MacBridge for RootsMagic is different than other solutions you may be familiar with. For starters, it does not install Windows on your Mac. It also does not create a slow and bulky virtual computer. It runs right on your Mac, using your Mac file system. You can even put the RootsMagic icon on your dock for easy one-click access! So while we are busily working on an actual native Mac version of RootsMagic, MacBridge for RootsMagic gives you the ability to work on a Mac today.

RootsMagic 7

On November 25, we released our brand-new RootsMagic 7. RootsMagic 7 adds DataClean, File Compare, even better online publishing, and the industry’s only multi-platform record hints, providing automatic hinting from both FamilySearch and MyHeritage. This upgrade has been our biggest and most successful to date and we’re thrilled with how well it has been received. Owners of previous versions of RootsMagic can upgrade for only $19.95

Thank You!

It sounds cliched, but we mean it when we say that none of this would have been possible without you and your support.  We are grateful for the wonderful feedback, enthusiasm, and encouragement that we receive from our community.  We hope that our work is deserving of your trust and support. 2014 has been an amazing year for us thanks to you!

On behalf of everyone here at RootsMagic, we hope that you’ve had a wonderful holiday and have had time to connect with family and friends. We’ve certainly had a very busy last few weeks since the release of RootsMagic 7.

To be honest, we’ve been doing this holiday offer for many years now and thought we had a good idea of how many CD’s we would need to order from our manufacturer to make it through the holiday season and the first part of 2015. Well, the demand for RootsMagic 7 on CD blew our expectations out of the water. We have sold and shipped every last CD that we had in stock. When it was apparent we were going to run out, we placed a rush order with our manufacturer for more. But with the holidays, we aren’t expected to have more CD’s in stock until the week of January 6, 2015.

With the delay in shipments, we’ve decided to extend our holiday offer. During this special holiday sale, you can order copies of RootsMagic 7 for just $19.95 (plus shipping). Even better, you can order our other products at that same $19.95 price.

Of course, in addition to being available on CD, RootsMagic 7 may also be downloaded so you can begin using the software right away while you wait for the CD to arrive. Or save yourself the cost of shipping and order the download by itself. Don’t worry, if you ever lose your registration key, you can always have it sent to you and download the software again.

There is no limit on the number of discounted gift copies you can buy during this limited time offer which will expire January 6, 2015. You will receive the full program for each copy you order.

To take advantage of this offer, just visit www.rootsmagic.com/holidayoffer.

The Christmas season is upon us and, for many of us, our thoughts turn to traditions, gifts, and family. It can be difficult to find a personal, meaningful gift that won’t end up stashed away in a box in the attic. With that in mind, here are 5 easy gifts that you can make with RootsMagic that will really bring families together.

1. Family History Book

There’s nothing quite like a solid, printed book. And RootsMagic’s Publisher feature does the heavy-lifting for you! With a few clicks, you can create a beautiful book complete with a table of contents, chapters, footnotes, endnotes, bibliography- even an index!

2. Shareable CD’s and DVD’s

If you’re looking for something a little more high-tech than a book, how about a computer disc? RootsMagic can create a Shareable CD that has all of your data and media on it as well as a special reader version of RootsMagic on it.

With a few clicks, you can personalize the disc and burn as many copies as you need to give to family members. They only need to pop the disc into their computer to view, explore, and even print their own family histories.

3. Family History Website

Are you looking for a free and easy only way to share your family history? The new RootsMagic 7 Online Publisher can create beautiful, dynamic websites with pedigree, family and individual views as well as supporting notes, sources, and media. And with our free MyRootsMagic hosting service, your genealogy has an online home with the click of a mouse. You can keep your website private for only your family or share your gift with the world.

4. Wallchart

A wallchart makes a visible yet decorative reminder of your family history that will beautify any home. You can use RootsMagic’s built-in wallcharts or use the Charting Companion software.

And once you are ready to have your chart printed, be sure to use our chart printing service.

5. RootsMagic

Of course, what could be better than giving your family or friends the gift of RootsMagic itself? In what has become an annual tradition, you can buy discounted copies of our brand-new RootsMagic 7 software for yourself or to give as gifts.

During this special holiday sale, you can order copies of RootsMagic 7 for just $19.95 (plus shipping). Even better, you can order our other products at that same $19.95 price.

There is no limit on the number of discounted gift copies you can buy during this limited time offer which will expire December 20, 2014. You will receive the full program for each copy you order.

To take advantage of this offer, just visit www.rootsmagic.com/holidayoffer or order by phone at 1-800-ROOTSMAGIC (1-800-766-8762).