Pros
I don't know about any pros - I didn't leave it installed for long enough!
Cons
I installed the 'free' version in order to be able to read PAF files created in Family Search. As part of the set up a screen appeared which ALREADY had my name and address printed on it. I tried to remove them but they don't allow this. The point is, I was installing it on a brand new laptop that did not have those details on it - at least not added by me, unless they were on documents that I'd loaded from my old pc.
I uninstalled Legacy straight away, but of course they have already harvested my personal details - without my permission. Very Big Brother-ish and not a program that I would recommend.
Summary
My star rating of course doesn't reflect the performance of the program itself.
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Pros
I've been working on family genealogy for over ten years (mine and others). I am an experienced amateur with research training in another field. I've tried half a dozen genealogy programs, and encountered issues with all of them. Legacy was intuitive from the start. I became a paid user, since I do use advanced research, citation, and report techniques. With the latest issue (Legacy 8) the program is stronger,with few issues. When a user does find something that could work better, the company addresses it quickly. The product is constantly improving. I think at least two of the problems reported here by other users were due to the download site "bundling". Suggest going to Millenium site to initiate download to avoid these kind of problems. I have muliple lines and lots of names on my laptop, and never crashed or slowed down. Best education and training of any software out there, great free "webinars" on almost any subject related to genealogical research.
Cons
Wish I could create display trees showing more complex trees (multiple lines), and show all marriages on same tree. Maybe it's in Legacy 8 and I haven't found it yet! The biggest challenge with Legacy 8 is learning to use all its powerful features.
Summary
Intuitive, easy for beginners to get into. A lot of pros use it, so that shows how powerful it can be. I am not connected with the software or the company at all, but am a very pleased customer. It is easy for me to add and edit info, including links to digital images and forms, generate meaningful citations and readable reports (which I can then edit into my personal style, adding conclusions and proof arguments. And believe me, if you aren't doing those things, you aren't really doing genealogy. It is not a list of names, dates, and relationships-- there are too many bad genealogies out there with lots of errors. Legacy helps identify errors and generates lists of suggested resources to validate information, so that even family historians can use solid research to create accurate family trees, and better yet: you'll know something about the people other than their names and vital statistics. They'll become real people.
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Pros
Ease of use, source templates, reports, tech support, mapping, help index, webinars, tutorial cd's, ability to use ancestor colors, quick loading, free updates between new releases, which is usually 2 years, integrates with family search if you want to. Did I mention great reports?
Cons
None that I can think of.
Summary
I have no idea why the three other people on this site have such scathing things to say. But, the genealogy groups I belong to both on Facebook and in person all have many many Legacy users who love this program.
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Pros
Ease of use
Cons
If you have over 100,000 individuals in your database the relationship calculator will not work and has not since at least 2011. No fix forthcoming. Not for the serious genealogist.
Summary
Go with anything other than this product.
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Pros
None that I can see.
Cons
1. Virus "Suspicious" file warning immediately by Avast.
2. installs an unwanted tool bar that killed a chat I was running then shut down my chrome twice!
Summary
Worthless, I guess I'll spend money to get one that doesnt' try to take over my computer... assholes.
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Pros
slick tutorial video.
Cons
I downloaded the free version to try before I buy. The program errored out and didn't recognize my printer. I run a wired Samsung printer from a wireless Netgear printer server that works perfectly on all my other software - Microsoft Office, Corel, Photoshop, Family Tree Maker, etc. I looked through the Legacy program for printer set up - found the tab and got the same error message. I then looked at the help files - no help files on printer set up. Finally found some 'help' features in an online forum somewhere. It said to uninstall and reinstall my printer..... even if my printer works on everything else? Ummmm - no. I have uninstalled Legacy.
Summary
For me - this program is pointless and useless unless I can print.
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Pros
Photo Management
Cons
Fixing of bugs and customer "support".
Summary
The features in Legacy are about average for what you'd expect of a family tree program but there're many more user friendly programs on the market. I use Legacg, FTM, FTB, PAF and CGR depending on what I want to do and which reports I want to run.
But would you trust your family tree data, data that has been collected after years of painstaking research, to a program that does not correctly export to a Gedcom?
Legacy is more concerned with developing new features rather than fixing the bugs in their current version. Below is correspondence with their "support" department when I discovered a bug in the system..a bug they claim to have known about and fixed in Oct 2012 but the fix has not been released as at 6 Feb 2013..
Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2013
Subject: Legacy Problem Report
From: support@legacyfamilytree.com
To: eprezende@hotmail.com
I know exactly what happens.
I'm going to close this discussion. There is nothing more to add. We just have to wait for the programmers to release the next update.
Sincerely,
Sherry
Technical Support
From: Peter Rezende
Sent: Tue, 05 Feb 2013
To: Legacg Technical Support
Subject: RE:Legacy Problem Report
Turn the double dating option off, do not enter any double dates in legacy, export the file from Legacy to a gedcom, import that gedcom into PAF and let me know what happens. I use Legacy, PAF, FTM, FTB and CGR..not RM.
Regards
Peter Rezende
Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2013
Subject:Legacy Problem Report
From: support@legacyfamilytree.com
To: eprezende@hotmail.com
My double date as entered in Legacy is 3 Feb 1749/50 and that's what shows in PAF and RootsMagic.
Sincerely,
Sherry
Technical Support
From: Peter Rezende
Sent: Tue, 05 Feb 2013
To: Legacg Technical Support
Subject: RE:Legacy Problem Report
I am fully aware of our calender history and the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calender. Pray tell, when you " did a test and the file imported perfectly into PAF, albeit with the acceptable double dates " what were those 'acceptable' double dates?
Regards
Peter Rezende
Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2013
Subject:Legacy Problem Report
From: support@legacyfamilytree.com
To: eprezende@hotmail.com
It's *not* a corruption. If you read what I wrote about Double Dating as well as the article on Calendar History, it's an accepted way of formatting dates and it should be used to avoid confusion during the change in calendars.
I just did a test and the file imported perfectly into PAF, albeit with the acceptable double dates.
Sincerely,
Sherry
Technical Support
From: Peter Rezende
Sent: Tue, 05 Feb 2013
To: Legacg Technical Support
Subject: RE:Legacy Problem Report
Sherry I might be willing to accept the inconvenience of having to reset the double dating option anytime I create a Gedcom but the Exported Gedcom is incorrect and cannot be used in any other program..FTM, PAF Or Complete Genealogy Reporter because of the corrupted data. Someone at Millennia MUST have an answer.
Regards
Peter Rezende
Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2013
Subject:Legacy Problem Report
From: support@legacyfamilytree.com
To: eprezende@hotmail.com
Elmo,
We are never told in advance when a build is going to be released. Please be patient and follow the easy step to reset the option for double dating after creating a gedcom.
Sincerely,
Sherry
Technical Support
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2013
Subject:Legacy Problem Report
From: support@legacyfamilytree.com
To: eprezende@hotmail.com
Peter,
I regret to tell you there isn't a way to go back.
Sincerely,
Jim
Technical Support
From: Peter Rezende
Sent: Wed, 16 Jan 2013
To: Legacg Technical Support
Subject: RE:Legacy Problem Report
Jim,
Then how can I go back to the previous build version? I was not experiencing any problems until the last update.
It is somewhat disconcerting using a program that cannot correctly export to a gedcom file...more so, to be made aware that the problem has been fixed since October but not yet released and no indication as to when it will be released.I know that every program ( FTM, PAF, Legacy etc ) each has its own quirks but this bug fundamentally changes the data.
Please advise.
Regards
Peter
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2013
Subject: Legacy Problem Report
From: support@legacyfamilytree.com
To: eprezende@hotmail.com
Peter,
No, the updates occur at irregular intervals and not by a set schedule. The last one was 14 Sep 2013.
Sincerely,
Jim
Technical Support
From: Peter Rezende
Sent: Tue, 15 Jan 2013
To: Legacg Technical Support
Subject: RE:Legacy Problem Report
Thanks Jim. Any idea as to how soon the fix will be released?
Regards Peter
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2012
Subject: Legacy Problem Report
From:support@legacyfamilytree.com
To: eprezende@hotmail.com
Peter,
This is bug number 4232. It was fixed in October. Watch for the next free update which will have the fix.
Sincerely,
Jim
Technical Support
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Pros
Fairly easy to use and has many functions. It's better to download it from legacyfamilytree.com than from here, because then you won't have to avoid those sneaky additional software offers, and you have to go to that page anyway and click on the download button in order to come to a page where you type in your email, which will grant you a free code to unlock the program.
Cons
Many functions require buying the deluxe version. For me, however, importing from a gedcom file created in GenealogyJ resulted in an incomplete family tree, with most error reports concerning mislabeling of husbands vs wives.
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Pros
They used to have a nice charting program. Merging program to find duplicates is powerful but has a terrible interface. Program is stable and doesn't crash.
Cons
There are so many - updates pushed out with little consultation with users about features they would like or the interface. The user manual, which is an extra $15 even if you pay for the Deluxe version (which I bought) is not kept up to date wit the features they add randomly. The online help is cryptic, good luck trying to find what you need. There is a lack of a user forum to discuss problems. Tech support takes days and days to respond, if they do at all. Error messages and feedback from the program is cryptic. The entire UI is terrible. The online database functionality links to familysearch.org, which is the LDS Church. I have nothing against the LDS Church, but you cannot search this database unless you are member with the redesign of the familysearch.org website. There is no functionality to find errors in your entered data, it only spits out the linked data that is correct, good luck trying to find stray relatives that don't link and need more research.
Summary
Don'y buy this program, it makes nice charts, but the latest update have even reduced that functionality.
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