Clooz 2.0

The following is an announcement from Ancestor Detective, LLC:

The all-new Clooz 2.0 has been released! Clooz 2.0, the electronic filing cabinet for genealogical records, has been completely rewritten and now includes more than 100 templates for specific genealogy records, plus the ability to use generic templates for those records without a specific template. Clooz is not a genealogy program, it's a utility that can be used in conjunction with your genealogy program to keep track of all the papers and electronic documents that you collect during the research process. In fact, this version of Clooz can work directly with Legacy Family Tree 6.0, directly saving people and sources added to Clooz. But users don't need to use Clooz with Legacy--it works on its own as well.

This version of Clooz includes a GEDCOM 5.5 import, making bringing your people and sources into Clooz a quick and easy process. There is also a Research Log, where you can enter information about resources as you look at them, whether you have positive or negative results. If your research results in a positive find, you can add a Personal File Number to the Research Log template and then create a new Clooz template based on some of the information in the Research Log. It's a quick and easy way to record your genealogical results as you're researching.

Some of the templates included in the program are:

• All U.S. federal census population schedules, as well as mortality, agricultural, manufacturing schedule
• Canadian census schedules, 1851-1911, plus 1836, and 1906-1945 regional schedules, and some non-population schedules
• All available U.K. census schedules, 1841-1901
• Ireland censuses for 1901 and 1911
• French censuses for 1831-1901
• Mecklenburg Schwerin census for 1819
• Norwegian censuses for 1801-1900
• Generic census templates for other censuses not included
• Birth, marriage, death, burial
• Correspondence
• Passenger lists and naturalization
• SSDI
• Deeds, tax lists, and voter registration
• Four types of directories: population, farm, religious, and school
• Maps and photos
• Buildings
• 8 source templates based on Elizabeth Shown Mills' book "Evidence: Citation and Analysis for the Family Historian"

Clooz 2 is available for download now at http://www.clooz.com/download.htm. The program is initially in demo mode and anyone can use the program for 30 days or 15 tries. After that, the program sells for $39.95 ($20 upgrade price for registered users). Download-only options are available. The initial release of Clooz 2.0 does not contain all of the reports that will ultimately be in the program. As soon as the reports are all included, those who ordered the CD-option of the program will receive a CD with the full program.

Users of previous versions of Clooz can upgrade for $20, if the user is registered. Clooz 2 easily converts databases from previous versions. At present, there is no user's manual, but the help within the program is complete and explains how to use the program. The manual will be ready soon and will be a free download from the Clooz website, or the print version will be able to be purchased from the Clooz website. Additionally, a Clooz tutorial is in the works and will be available soon on DVD as a separate purchase. Customer support is free to registered users of Clooz.

Clooz has been on the market since 1997. It was created by Ancestor Detective, LLC, a Plymouth, Michigan, based company owned by professional genealogist Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CG, CGL.

Comments

[Annette DeCourcy Towler]

I ordered Clooz 2.0 in Feb, have started setting it up. Easy to use, have found that I need to re evaluate my method of file keeping. Her directions in the Help menu are well done. Right now working on adding census records with my main direct line ancestors. I have also a copy of Bygones, and am finding that Clooz is much easier to understand and use. Also because I have also written databases in Access 2003, helps. Has anyone done an evaluation of the two programs for use when thinking about getting your CG credentials?

[Francie]

I installed CLOOZ 2.0 and had a proplem with the display of windows for entering and editing data. These windows were partly off the screen and buttons for adding data were not displayed. I contacted CLOOZ and they adjusted the program and sent me an updated version which works just fine. I am very pleased with the program and the customer service!

[Dunham Swift]

I would sure like to see a Macintosh version "for the rest of us". There are over 25 million Macintosh genealogy enthusiasts out here.

[don Hoff]

WHAT???? you mean to say that it DOESN'T support MAC?
My O My....
I have been a Apple and Mac user since 1979..
and some program writers and software providers
don't seem to be paying attention...and have failed to
provide a platform for the many many Mac users.
Guess they don't know who they are missing.
Wish I could try this Clooz 2.0

[Patti Schneider]

I am one of the Army of MAC users since the time we had to save on tape going the correct speed. I have been waiting for CLOOZ for MAC. Where is it? I, too, would like them to fix it up for us.

[Elizabeth Kerstens]

I would love to put out a Mac version of Clooz. However, I am a one-person company and it took me about 5 years to get version 2 out for PC users. The program that Clooz is now written in doesn't yet support Mac, so I am limited in what I can do there. Maybe you could approach a Mac programmer and ask them to create an organizing program for Macs. My financial situation just can't do everything for everyone, as much as I'd like to. It's expensive to pay for programming and it will take me a while to recoup the expenses from creating this version. It's not that software providers don't want to provide Mac versions, it's that the marketplace isn't that profitable to allow that diversification in the genealogy world. The bottom line is very much reality here and I've still got to survive.

[Dino (All Dino, All the Time)]

Elizabeth,

Well put. Macs have a market share of around 3% in the US according to Wikipedia. Wikipedia (and since this info comes from Wikipedia it is a derivative source of secondary information and cannot be taken as factual) states that there were about 20 million Macs in captivity in 1997. So there may be 25 million installed Macs now, certainly nowhere near that number of genealogists who use Macs and only a small fraction of them who would buy a program like Clooz. I can certainly understand why you and any other software developer would target 97% of the market first (and maybe only). I'm not sure that you'd ever recoup your investment in time or money for a Mac version.

It always amazes me that people buy Macs knowing that there are far fewer programs for the Mac than there are for the PC platform and then complain about how few programs run on the Mac.

[Kathy Kult]

Elizabeth,

I was wondering... do you have any plans for Clooz to work with any other Gen. software besides Legacy 6.0, such as TMG? Just wondering. You've done wonders with Clooz, and I sincerely appreciate all the improvements you've added to 2.0!

Thanks,
Kathy Kult

PS. Can't wait to see you at the NGS Conference in Chicago! Forgive me for the shameless plug, but I plan on attending your Clooz session T208 on Thursday, June 8th, (see program at http://www.eshow2000.com/ngs/conf_program.cfm for more info).