When you buy a new computer, it automatically comes pre-installed with an operating system. It may come with additional software, but will that software help you to meet your genealogical goals? If you're a typical genealogist, what types of software will you need? Let's now construct a basic "genealogist's software toolkit," which you can use as a checklist to see if you're prepared.

First, you will need genealogy database software. Today's market gives you a number of choices, from the free Personal Ancestral File (PAF) software available to download from the FamilySearch Web site to several relatively inexpensive commercial products found in most computer stores. Some software packages come bundled with a varying number of CD-ROM products (containing data that you may or may not find useful in your own research), but you can keep your costs down by going with the bare-bones versions, choosing to purchase some CDs later as you gain experience.

You will need word-processing software. The Windows operating system already includes WordPad, which is more than sufficient to produce basic letters or other simple documents. But if you plan to produce an attractive family newsletter or publish your family history in book form, you may want to invest in something a bit more powerful than WordPad. In that case, look into products such as Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect.

You will also need graphics software. People will send you images, such as digitized photographs of ancestors and tombstones or you may take or digitize such pictures yourself. You may need something that can resize these images or change them into different formats for later use in family newsletters or Web pages. The Windows operating system already includes Microsoft Paint, which enables you to draw pictures and to make simple changes to existing images. If you expect to work with a lot of digitized photographs, you may want more powerful software designed to edit photos. Examples include Adobe Photoshop and JASC Paint Shop Pro.

You will need anti-virus software. Anyone who exchanges files with other computer users, either via the Internet or via a disk, needs protection from the thousands of dangerous computer viruses. Popular choices include Symantec Norton AntiVirus and Network Associates (McAfee) VirusScan.

You will need a Web browser. Modern genealogical research includes accessing countless Web-based databases, as well as reading and posting messages on Web-based message boards. Windows software comes pre-installed with Microsoft Internet Explorer (5.5 is the most current version), but it won't hurt to also have a copy of the free Netscape Navigator browser on your system as well. Having both browsers gives you a better chance of viewing Web pages that have been designed with a particular browser in mind.

You will need e-mail software. You will want to exchange e-mail with family members and other genealogists and participate on electronic mailing lists. Whether you will need to install any additional software in order to use e-mail will depend in part on your Internet Service Provider (ISP). For instance, America Online software has e-mail built into it. Some ISPs have Web-based e-mail, in which case you may need nothing beyond your Web browser. Other ISPs will expect you to use software specifically designed for e-mail, such as Qualcomm Eudora Pro or Microsoft Outlook Express.

Finally, you will need a computer game or two. We all need to take a mental break from genealogy every now and again!

Drew Smith is an instructor with the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He is also a regular contributor to the quarterly journal Genealogical Computing, where he writes the "Cybrarian" column. He can be reached at drewsmith@aol.com.