Family Atlas for Macintosh Users

Macintosh owners might read today's article on Family Atlas software for Windows and wonder, "Why can't someone create a program like that for the Macintosh?" You might be surprised to learn that I wrote that article while running Family Atlas on my MacBook. In fact, I have never run Family Atlas on a standard Windows computer; I only have it installed on a Macintosh laptop. I wrote the article in NeoOffice (a Macintosh word processor) while simultaneously running Family Atlas (a Windows program) in another window.

The entire process is rather simple for anyone using a Macintosh computer with an Intel processor and OS X.4.6 or later. You need two more things: (1.) Parallels software and (2.) a copy of Windows.

If you would like to do the same, I'd suggest that you use Windows 2000, XP, or Vista. To be sure, Parallels will also work with earlier versions of Windows, all the way back to Windows 3.1. However, most of today's Windows programs require Windows 98 or later versions. Even Windows 98 and ME are aging operating systems and are not capable of running all of today's Windows programs. Windows 2000, XP, and Vista are powerful enough to run nearly all Windows programs of today, even on a Macintosh.

When I ran Family Atlas on my Macintosh, I kept looking for any compatibility problems or other difficulties. I didn't find any. I booted up the Macintosh, launched Parallels, and then launched Windows XP. It always amuses me to see Windows running inside a window on the Mac. Then I inserted the Family Atlas CD into the Macintosh. and everything after that performed exactly as expected. The installation was simple. The program's intensive graphics displayed perfectly, and the printer worked as expected. Family Atlas worked the same on the Macintosh computer as it would on Windows. If fact, it was working on Windows! The only difference is that this copy of Windows was running as a "slave operating system" under Macintosh OS X.4.

Let's return to the original question: "Why can't someone create a program like that for the Macintosh?"

Answer: "Someone did: the same someone who wrote the Windows program."

In fact, every single Windows program that I have tried so far works well on my Macintosh that runs Parallels.

You can learn more about Parallels and even download a free trial copy at http://www.parallels.com. You will still need to obtain a copy of Windows someplace else.

I suspect that Family Atlas will also operate under Macintosh BootCamp although I did not try that.

As always, it seems Macintosh users have the best of all worlds!

Comments

[DearMYRTLE]

DearMYRTLE, your friend in genealogy
---------------------------------------------------------
Windows software on a Macintosh

DearREADERS,
Ol' Myrt here has begun working with a newbie to genealogy, who purchased a brand new Macintosh desktop computer, so that she can use her familiar Mac programs, and then add the component of using Windows versions of genealogy software programs. I spent time earlier this week on the phone with Bruce Buzbee to find out how his RootsMagic works on Mac computers.

We both agreed, we would LOVE to hear from Dick Eastman about his MacBook

Well, today's posting from Dick details how he uses:
-- Parallel
-- Windows (Vista or XP)
-- Family Atlas (a Windows platform genealogy mapping program)
http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2007/02/family_atlas_fo.html

Mac computer owners will want to familiarize themselves with the possibility of having 2 spaces open on their computer screens:
-- one with a MAC program open
-- one with Windows program capabilities

This is particularly important if Mac owners are using Reunions by LeisterPro. It is my understanding that the LeisterPro developers are not attending the meetings with FamilySearch to ensure full compatibility with the "new" FamilySearch database/website that has yet to be released.

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)

Snail Mail Address:
227 Bellevue Way NE PMB 544
Bellevue, WA 98004
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com
http://www.DearMYRTLE.com

[Jim Winfrey]

Dick,

In your article on running Family Atlas under a Windows virtual machine, you said "I'd suggest that you use Windows 2000, XP, or Vista". Be aware there is a lot of concern surrounding MSoft's licensing for Vista that says, in short, that it cannot be used in a virtual machine with another operating system. I guess I don't blame them. I set up WinXP as the guest OS with Parallels and maybe MSoft has found out how much faster Windows operates without all the other crap you have to run to keep Windows "safe".

[Dino (All Dino, All the Time)]

Jim, you can legally virtualize Vista, but you can't use the cheaper versions to do so. I guess that Microsoft wants to make sure they get top dollar from the tech leading edge.

[theKiwi]

>This is particularly important if Mac owners are using Reunions by LeisterPro.
>It is my understanding that the LeisterPro developers are not attending
>the meetings with FamilySearch to ensure full compatibility
>with the "new" FamilySearch database/website that has yet to be released.

Does anyone know what this statement means?

OK answering self here...

From Dear Myrt's blog

>This will only make a difference if you are LDS and wish to directly update Temple ordinances.

Cheers

Roger

[theKiwi]

While I suppose it's nice to be able to do such things (I've used Virtual PC for years to be able to search things like the LDS CD series of British Vital Records, 1881 British Census, etc) I hope I'm not too pessimistic with the longer view that one day Microsoft or Adobe or whoever will wake up and say to Macintosh users "if you want to use our software, buy Parallels and a copy of Windows".

Certainly in this case the article is about using a software that hasn't been written for Macintosh up until now rather than something that has been available for Macintosh for many years, but it would be better if the authors of Family Atlas would write a Macintosh version of it. Then I'd just need to buy that instead of needing an Intel powered Mac, Parallels and Windows. I'd even not complain tooooooooooooooo much if I had to pay a few dollars more for it compared to a Windows version.

plink plink

Roger