Family Historian User Group

I am thinking about buying MacBook Air laptop. Are there complications in installing FH on that system .
Would it be easier to install on Windows?
Thanks
Dufferoonie

it can be done -- see how_to:family_historian_on_imac_ipad_android_etc|> Family Historian on Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, etc for advice -- but there are additional costs involved quite often, and some limitations/differences which you'll find documented in the knowledgebase if you start from that page.

Yes, I was reading these topics and was quite mesmerised, so asked the question! Think I’ll get laptop that runs windows.
Thanks
Dufferoonie

It would be simplest, in FH terms. But there are people who run quite happily in other environments -- they may be along to reassure you, so don't despair if you really want a Mac for other reasons.

I run Family Historian and Ancestral Sources fine on a MacBook Air. Due to the lower storage capacity and memory capacity of an Air I recommend that you make use of Crossover rather than any of the other suggestions. It really isn't that complex if you follow the Knowledgebase exactly you will have a working system in short order.

Should you go for a Mac Air and you have any specific problems I will be more than happy to help you.

To add to Colin's comments see below, although this is on a MacBook Pro rather than an Air which is limited to a dual core i5 processor which is obviously lower in the power stakes:

Image shows the Mac Desktop with:
- Windows 10 Pro (installed using VirtualBox) directly running Windows Apps
- Linux Mint (installed using VirtualBox) running Windows Apps with Wine (https://www.winehq.org)
- Crossover (a commercial Wine front end) on MacOS

I would agree with Colin that Crossover might be the best currently available option, although they are still working with the WINE Team to achieve full MacOS 10.5 (Catalina) compatibility, given that Apple decided to block the installation/use of all 32-bit applications/code from the launch of Catalina. Other 'free' MacOS Catalina options for running Wine are still under are still in development as they are dependent on the Crossover Team open sourcing their solution(s).

It would be possible to install a Windows/Linux Operating system in a virtual machine on a MacBook air, but given that the CPU is dual core, that leaves a single core for each OS and most people would recommend 2 cores to run either MacOS or Windows 10 efficiently, especially if you are likely to have multiple applications open on both systems. You could of course run Windows independently alongside MacOS, using Bootcamp, but that involves the added complexity of dedicating a shared user partition on the Hard Drive to be shared between the two Operating Systems.

Mervyn

Don't forget to advise about the additional costs involved in the various options.
e.g.
Crossover is NOT free.
VirtualBox is free, but Windows 10 Pro is NOT free.

I've put my kevlar vest on for this reply, so here goes. I have mentioned this before, but if it was me moving to a Mac I would be looking for the best genealogy software for that platform and making the change. In my view FH is the best genealogy software, full stop, but if my other requirements meant Mac was my best option I would rather use native software. Mac just seems an expensive option to be able to do the same things (laptop, accessories and software) and the options are generally greater on Windows.

I tend to agree with your sentiments.
Also the Mac compatible genealogy products tend to be inferior.
See GEDCOM Assessment Comparison Chart.
The Mac compatible products ANC, AQ and MFT are among the lowest scoring.

GeneSniper wrote: ↑

05 Feb 2020 16:04

In my view FH is the best genealogy software, full stop, but if my other requirements meant Mac was my best option I would rather use native software. Mac just seems an expensive option to be able to do the same things (laptop, accessories and software) and the options are generally greater on Windows.

As you are wearing a kevlar vest I will reply. I have tried the various flavours of Mac genealogy programmes, to my financial cost, they all leave mush to be desired some are so lacking in features I don't know why people buy them. As a result I make use of Family Historian. Yes Mac's do cost more than PC's but when you compare spec to spec the price is not that much of a premium. The support is second to none and they just work, don't need rebooting regularly. I am still happily using my 2011 MacBook Air as my laptop and it runs all but the latest version of the MacOs. It still runs quickly enough for a laptop. I don't know many people still using 9 year old laptops happily. A friend still uses his 2009 iMac every day. The annual cost of Crossover to continue running Family Historian to me is not significant and allows me to continue using the software I prefer. My iMac, daily use computer, is more recent and again I run FH on that under a VM without issue. I do use my iMac for many other things which it excels on such as photo editing, website design and programming.

It is horses for courses I am no Apple 'Fanboy', just a very happy user.

If you are moving away from Windows and its irritations, you need to make sure that you move to something less irritating.

If the "reliability, lack of control and possibly security/privacy issues" of Windows are driving you away, there are a number of alternatives.

If however one of the irritants is the "Microsoft knows best and you will conform" attitude, Apple probably is not going to be much of an improvement if any (although they can be pretty).

The other major alternative is Linux which will run on the same hardware as Windows machines. It is a "solid" operating system with good security - that is why so many webservers run on Linux. It also respects your privacy.

For some the huge level of control/choice on offer can be frightening. If that is a problem select say "Linux Mint Mate" and don't worry about all the other possibilities.

If worried about installing it, find a "local small" computer shop (which can show you Linux installs that they have done) and ask them to do the install. Depending on the shop it should not cost more than £50-£100 in labour (and the software is free). If offered the option of "dual boot" - where on start up you get a small text menu asking if you want to boot into Linux or Windows (or something else!), take it. (If your data disk is formatted for Windows - both Windows and Linux programs will be able to physically read the data.)

FH then runs on WINE - a sort of Windows Emulator (WINE = Wine Is Not an Emulator!). You can ask for WINE (which is free) to be put on it as part of the install.
Wine makes a bit of your Linux disk behave as if it is "C:\". RIght-clicking on the FH download sitting on say C:\downloads\ and Open it with Wine Windows Program Loader gets you going.

Software: Most major applications have very good offers
Browsers (like Firefox) - free and well supported
Email (like Thunderbird) - free and well supported
Office (like LibreOffice) - free and well supported
Music Player (like Strawberry) - free and well supported
All the above run on Windows as well as Linux so can be tried before changing

It was the old FUD (Fear Uncertainty and Doubt) that held me back from making the change - until my old Windows 7 machine died and I just could not face Windows 10. I don't regret it 2+ years on.

Perhaps one of the Linux user groups needs to attend a Genealogy Exhibition with some sample setups?

Mike

I see what you are saying but I kind of think GEDCOM compatibility is only of use if you plan on moving. I know it is used in other things but if I had a program that did everything I wanted of it (very well) and was 100% non compliant and there was a program 100% compliant but was only average in the things I wanted it to do then non compliant it would be. Most people when starting in genealogy don't make consideration of how GEDCOM compatible the software is. I am just playing devils advocate here, so not looking for a lecture on my statement above, I am just stating my view as I don't think I would have moved to FH if FTM hadn't had it's issues as it "did everything I wanted of it (very well)". I am sure if the same happened to FH and I had to move somewhere else then unless the other program was 100% GEDCOM & FH compatible then there would be issues.

David

Linux? You don't do much to sell it to me, you seem to be saying move to Linux and you can use everything that you have already had on the laptop running Windows before you changed. Again no criticism of your choice , just not for me.


As has been said horses for courses.