We live in a shrinking world. No matter where you travel, somebody can either speak your language, a second language you share, or gesticulate to get a point across. Even though humans still have problems understanding one another, we do pretty well at trying to communicate.
So why do Macintosh and Windows genealogists bump up against communication barriers? Aside from a few cultural differences, there are very few reasons why both species can’t co-exist in the genealogical world. As someone who walks both sides of the communication line, I believe it’s more of an “American in Paris” syndrome than anything else—Windows users understand Mac users just fine; they just don’t want to admit that they do. And some Mac users feel they are condescended to by Windows users allowing them to use software developed for Windows first and adapted for Macs later as an afterthought. But let’s put those differences aside and focus on the work we want to do.
Given the right tools and the right software, a Mac user can work comfortably and easily in the Windows-dominated world of genealogy. Anyone doing family history research with a Mac already knows that there is only one serious contender for genealogical software for the Macintosh: Reunion, by Leister Productions. Those who use Windows applications have at least half a dozen options from which to choose.
Fortunately, because of the way GEDCOMs work, we can transfer data between platforms so there is no reason to give up your Mac just so you can coordinate your data with your cousin’s Family Tree Maker files. Send him or her a GEDCOM and keep using what you feel most comfortable using.
I’m going to focus on three basic file types needed by genealogists on a regular basis: text documents, image files, and family data transferred via GEDCOMs. There are other necessary resources, like access to the Internet, but that’s a non-issue as the most popular Web browsers work for both platforms and lead to Web-based resources that can, for the most part, be used by all. There are unfortunately still plenty of CDs and useful applications that are only available to Windows users. How to get to them will be addressed in a future column.
There are also several applications made for Macs that are useful to genealogists. These, too, will be reviewed in future issues. For now, we’ll examine the three file types mentioned above. If we can take a picture and send it to a relative, if we can write a story and share it with another person, if we can take our family lines and let someone see them, then we have covered the basics.
Because this is the first of what I hope will be many columns covering Mac-related topics, I welcome your comments and suggestions for future issues. Forthcoming topics will include using PDAs and laptops to take your research on the road (portability), using multimedia for your genealogical records, networking within your home and with Windows users, communicating at a distance, using Windows emulation software (i.e., Virtual PC), Mac-specific software applications, and publishing your family history on paper and the Web.
Before I begin, I’d like to give a little background on my Mac history. I was fortunate to attend Dartmouth College where John Kemeny, one of the originators of the BASIC programming language, was president. I learned to program using BASIC in 1972 during a summer program at the college. I spent hours in the computer center and remember returning to my high school and instructing my math teachers in BASIC. It was an early introduction to the power of technology that stayed with me although my programming skills evolved no further—with the exception of a little dabbling in HTML. My first computer was an Apple IIc in 1984, followed by a Mac SE in 1988 (oh, I loved that little machine!). Since then I’ve purchased at least ten Macs. I work on a Dell laptop at work so I’m also open-minded about having a foot in both worlds.
Write Text
The most accepted form of transmitting ideas today is via text documents. The power of the written word has gone beyond the Gutenberg press and the typewriter to modern computer screens and printers. Despite predictions that we are moving toward a paperless society, the computer has actually generated more excuses to print things. A trip to your favorite office supply store takes you through aisles stocked with reams of paper, printer supplies, and all the paraphernalia to support our paper needs. Fortunately much of what we type is transmitted electronically, so it is critical that someone typing thoughts and data on a Mac can then transmit that text to anyone, anywhere.
My first and favorite word processing software was WriteNow. I tenaciously held onto it for a couple years after its demise before reluctantly following the masses to Microsoft Word.
Microsoft Word X for Mac requires nothing special to translate a document created on a Mac to be opened and read by a Windows user. My only advice is to be sure your Windows recipient receives the file with the .doc extension at the end of the file name or his or her computer may question how to open it. The Word “save as” option also allows Windows or Mac users to save their files in earlier versions of Word, MS Works, WordPerfect, or as simple RTF and text files that are inelegant but functional as a last resort. Although the interface Microsoft has created for the Mac user is more cartoonish than I like, there is no sacrifice in functionality. There are countless unique programs preferred by a small percentage of Mac users. Many still rely on AppleWorks for word processing. It no longer comes bundled with new computers, but my kids use it and I’ve found that they can usually save their documents in the necessary format before they send them off to the end user.
DataViz was a pioneer in translation software and is now promoting MacLinkPlus Deluxe 13. With it you can update your old WriteNow and ClarisWorks files as well as translate your current text documents for your Win friends. Because of advances in sharing that are built into most modern word processing software, I don’t use MacLinkPlus as much as I used to, but it’s good to know it’s there if I need it. It is also a valuable tool for transforming difficult to open image files. When I was an AOL user, I found MacLink invaluable because of the quirks inherent in the AOL interface that prevented me from properly opening attached image files.
Send Pictures
There are several ways to share your image files. My favorite software for working with images is Adobe Photoshop Elements 2. Adobe has been a friend to Mac users throughout its corporate history, primarily because Macintosh computers were unique in early desktop publishing capabilities. I can’t afford, nor do I need, the high-end Photoshop 7, but I have found that Elements gives me all the tools and power I need. Plus, there’s a Windows version, so going cross-platform is a cinch. In a future article I’ll review Photoshop Elements and how to use it to edit and enhance your old and new photos.
If you’re using iPhoto, you will find that it is a very useful way to save your pictures. You can use it to edit, organize, and store not only photos but scanned documents and images pertinent to your family history work as well. You should be acquainted with all of the Mac iLife tools and they warrant at least an article of their own soon.
Once you have your images ready to share with others in your family, you may find that they can’t open the .jpg or .tif you’ve sent. As mentioned before, this is especially common with AOL users. Once again, it is important that you send the file with the appropriate Windows file extension. So a JPEG file should include “.jpg,” a PNG file a “.png,” and a GIF image with a “.gif” extension. If you still experience translation problems, try using MacLinkPlus or explore your digital imaging software’s “save as” options for a more appropriate format.
Share Names and Dates
Creating a GEDCOM file is the most common way to share your family information. Sending your data to another genealogist is as simple as choosing what you want to send, clicking on the correct export options, and sending the file. The GEDCOM format places your info into text files with tags that can then be translated by all genealogical software programs. You may encounter quirks from time to time, but overall it is an exceptionally simple and useful way to get your data to another genealogist.
Most genealogists are familiar with GEDCOMs but, here again, the file extension is important (.ged), and it is important for you to designate whether the recipient will be importing your file into a Mac or Win program. This option is part of any good genealogy program’s export menu. If you want to understand more about how GEDCOMs work, you will find helpful links on Cyndi’s List.
Windows users have more software options to choose from than Mac users. But I would prefer a small handful of quality applications than the overabundant array Windows users are faced with. In genealogy, Mac users are being recognized at last by developers and columnists (my thanks to the editor of this magazine for initiating this column). I know many professional genealogists who use Macs and I can think of several people who write regularly to national audiences and strive to include Mac users in their newsletters and columns. (Dick Eastman and Beau Sharbrough immediately come to mind.) We’re popping up at national conferences as an audience for Mac talks and, more importantly, as consumers in the exhibit area. Better get used to us—we’re not going away!
Laura G. Prescott is membership campaign director at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Laura lectures and writes on a variety of genealogical topics, most specifically using personal documents and manuscripts in genealogical research, genealogy on the Internet, and computerized genealogy for Mac users. She is a regular columnist for Ancestry Magazine and a contributing editor for New England Ancestors magazine. She can be reached at laura.prescott@mac.com.
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