Reviews
Previous Page 8 of 8As I think about it, I would say that the Reunion application at any price is still a bargain!...In my mind, Reunion ranks quite high in the 'value' category -- just look at the value of ReunionTalk, and the direct, timely feedback from LeisterPro. Very few application developers listen to the user community this closely.
Thanks again for such a great program.
H. Klumpe
Rome, NY
I want to congratulate and thank you for designing and developing such an outstanding product. It is conceptually elegant, easy to grasp, extremely smooth in use and navigation; and the clean, easy-to-produce outputs have, after just a couple of days, already begun to produce results as far as getting involvement for data collection from family members.
J. da Rosa
San Diego, CA
I appreciate the work that goes into your web site and your updates. Because of your work, I have learned more about the software as well as about other users. To me, the work you are doing is what a customer-oriented company should be doing (but so few do). I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate that.
P. Yonemura
Fair Oaks, CA
This is just a bit of noise, hopefully enough to make you feel a bit pleased about your ever-improving product.
I have spent less than ten minutes looking inside the new Reunion manual; yet, I find the application to be very easy, intuitive and robust. It has been quite useful to me tonight, as I attempted to get pages and pages of material printed for sending away to relatives.
It is very obvious that you have been listening to Reunion users, and doing quite some thinking on your own...
M. Emery
Austin, TX
Just a note to you to let you know how impressed I am with Reunion. I bought the product last week, with the intent of helping my parents by recording their research. I am deeply impressed with the quality of your program.
Ease of use, flexibility, power, sophistication, functionality: your program has it all.
I actually read the manual before starting, but I'm sure I could have done my data entry without the studying. The data entry process simply makes sense. I just tried my hand at reporting, and was impressed with the ease, thoroughness, and flexibility of the reporting process, coupled with the seamless integration into my word processor made it a snap to try multiple types and formats of reports, without fear of failure or agonizingly slow data export.
About five years ago, a friend of mine badgered me into trying Quicken; his phrase was “This is the program that computers were invented for.” I have to say that Reunion is the other program that computers were invented for. Reunion is to genealogical research as Quicken is to checkbooks and accounting, and anyone who has used Quicken knows that is high praise indeed.
My appreciation and thanks to you and your staff for an outstanding tool. I look forward to many more hours of working with it.
By the way, the manual is also impressive in its clarity and comprehensiveness. In addition to describing your product fully, it touches on a number of areas that most manual writers would never dare to include, like scanning density and CPU/memory/performance issues.
Thanks again,
T. Logan
Waco, TX
I really must say that the development of Reunion in the past years was an excellent way of improving a product already very good in the beginning. I would rate Reunion as one of the best and most intelligent, thus user-friendly programs for the Macintosh.
H. Niggemann
Bochum, Germany
I recently purchased your excellent program, Reunion for Macintosh, and wish to comment regarding my complete satisfaction to date. I have entered over 410 individuals dating back to the year 1600, and am still going strong. Reunion is one of the most powerful, well-organized and user-friendly programs I have ever had the pleasure of using. The documentation was readable, in a logical order, and almost unnecessary because of the intuitive design of the program, except as an easy-find reference for the more intricate maneuvers.
I can't pass on enough praise regarding the professional nature of your product. You can be rightly proud of it.
L. Wadelius
Courtenay, BC, Canada
I've had your Reunion for Mac software for 3 years.
I have made numerous mistakes entering data due to my own enthusiasm and not reading the excellent manual which you provide. (When I finally did read it, I found out that it was the best user's manual I had ever seen.)
The mistakes which I made could have required a lot of work on my part to correct. I've called four times for support since 1994. Each time, your staff went beyond the call and jumped through hoops helping me.
The last time, the lady made two suggestions that may have saved me hundreds of hours of labor. I paid little over $100 for the software. One call for support was worth that many times over in the time that I saved by the advice given.
You make the best damn family history software on the planet. Not only do I know that - I am told this at genealogy groups and meetings everywhere I go. Many, many people that actually do serious genealogy on a Mac end up going to it once they see it.
The best part is, that because of your software, I've made discoveries about my past and that of my family that had, and continues to have a tremendous emotional impact on myself and many others along the path.
My life has been effected profoundly by using Reunion. If I ever meet you, I'm gonna hug you.
G. Perry
Tulsa, OK
It isn't everyday that one can boast of a software package doing everything that it has promised to do. In the case of Reunion, I can happily say that it does -- and more!
The entry of data is seamless, the reports are outstanding and the integration of my own word processor to open the reports for editing or viewing is just plain awesome.
The ability to customize the reports, entry screens, etc. is also a great feature -- it almost makes hours of data entry enjoyable.
I can't say enough about the new version, except -- thanks for making genealogy research a pleasure! :)
A. Hartman
Grand Rapids, MI
I use Reunion extensively in all genealogical research and recommended it to all my friends and fellow researchers. Reunion has made research a pleasure -- it produces accurate and clean looking charts and reports in an instant, thus making comparison of information so much easier. After all this time I am still finding new uses for Reunion.
T. Gregory
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Last week I upgraded my family files (nothing could have been simpler) and was totally blown away by the appearance and new features of Reunion.
I could go on and on and find something good to say about every new feature in Reunion but I won't. I'll just say thank you, thank you, thank you and let you all get back to work on improving Reunion (if it's possible!)
J. Frezon
Owosso, MI
The support department is outstanding. You can get an e-mail answer to your problem within 24 hours. More than once I have e-mailed a GEDCOM file for them to spot my mistakes.
T. Dearborn
Lafayette, CA
I've used others before (Family Roots, among others) but this is the Daddy of them all. I maintain a database of 2000 interconnected names, many of which have biographies (some 10 pages long) and photos. Reunion is incredibly easy to use, is totally faithful to the Mac interface, and the support team are terrific...Reunion, for me, is simply about the best written program (of any of them) for the Mac that I have ever seen, and that's quite something! I cannot recommend it too highly.
Nick Michael
Orangevale, CA
Elegant, superb, mean, lean, slick, polished... There are many good Mac apps; but great apps???? I've only handled one, FrameMaker! You just kicked it off the pedestal I reserve for #1.
To all concerned and connected with the effort. “SUPERB JOB” Well thought out, totally loaded with features built out of anticipating an operator's, “Gee, I wish...”. No goofy fluff features (those that will never be used by the semi-sane) stuffed in just to add to the features list.
In today's politically correct world, the premise of TQM would advocate continuous change. Whatever you are doing at LP, I would say the product indicates you have the right folks making the right decisions at the right time. It ain't broke so don't fix it!
J. Cole
Jacksonville, FL
...The big pluses: GREAT manual, GREAT online support; and Mac-centric product.
P. DiGiovanni
Cortland, NY
I used another product for years until the recent update to Reunion was released, and I have nothing but praise for this program. ...having used Reunion for a month or so, I am delighted. The charts, sorting, and footnotes all make it a sophisticated, user-friendly program.
M. Conte
Old Chatham, NY
It pays to buy quality products! I love it.
P. Goulet
St. Bruno, QC, Canada
...the main advantages include:
* Basic “screen” is a three-generation family card (g-parents, parents & children; i.e., the focus is on the family, information about individuals is presented in the context of the family).
* Versatile provisions for navigation within the program data files; i.e., by buttons (as above), index, relationship chart, sorts, direct entry, and (other?).
* Very good (and getting better) provisions to document source materials.
* Lots of room for notes, including both formatted and freetext entries.
* Versatile date entry (I particularly like the ability to enter Y-M-D before death date, i.e., as sometimes found on a tombstone, and have the program instantly calculate a birth date).
* Versatile means to sort data to isolate selected entries of interest.
Without a doubt, I could go on. But another very big “plus” is: LEISTER LISTENS!
I do believe that a number of the suggestions I've made over the years (I've been using the program since version 1) have been implemented in subsequent versions.
Which leads to yet another plus, periodic improvements in the form of successive versions; the program keeps getting better and the means to convert from old to new are always included as part of the upgrade.
B. Gerber
N. Chelmsford, MA
I've never written a software author before, but you are the exception. I recently downloaded the demo version of Reunion and was hooked. I couldn't wait to order the full version!
I love it. Thank you so much. The manual is great. When I saw the section titled “I for 1”, I knew that this was written by someone who cared about and paid attention to detail.
I have a hard drive full of software and shelves full of software manuals, and NONE of them are written with the detail of your documentation.
I have some handwritten genealogy records going back to 1807 in Wales, and I look forward to using Reunion to help me get all this stuff organized.
Thanks again for a WONDERFUL product.
L. Lloyd
Coppell, TX
Excellent program - well designed manual - one of the best I've seen - well done!
J. Eveleigh
Pawleys Island, SC
It is easy to install and easy to run. It makes handsome reports and charts. The people at Leister Productions are very helpful when you have a problem. All you have to do is send them an e-mail, subject “Technical Support”, describe your problem and you will receive a prompt response.
J. Brandt
Folsom, CA
Greater variety of features than the other program I've been using and I like the on-line forum and customer service.
C. Cushman
Harrod, OH
Reunion is wonderful!!!!! I especially like its versatility, its numerous charts and reports that I can copy to add to my e-mail while online. I love the charts it generates, its ability to show relationship onscreen -- i.e. 6C4R -- “Sixth cousin, four times removed”, and being able to tell which generation your grandparents are.
M. Mead
Olympia, WA
I've used Reunion since version 1 (it was the best then, and it's probably still the best). I demoed it at the Genealogy SIG of our local AMUG (Arizona Mac Users Group) last weekend and awed some attendees with its powerful, yet simple control.
Thanks LeisterPro -- for a super upgrade!!
Ted Finch
Phoenix, AZ
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