A real bargin, 30 Aug 2008
This is a great little piece of kit for the money. It's relatively easy to use (although the lack of written instructions make it a bit daunting to start with), and allows you to create wonderful designs. I've been particularly pleased with its ability to convert pictures, but be warned they can be quite big. I would advise that you buy a shade card as well, from one of the main silk manufactures like DMC, as it allows you check the shade the computer is suggesting against the real thing.

extremely good value for money, 20 Jan 2008
This is a fantastic product. I imagined something extremely basic for the price, so was amazed at the different features available. It is extremely easy to import photo files of various types - within seconds you see them as cross stich patterns, which you can edit (i.e. delete out confusing shadows or undesirable lines). It's also nice starting from scratch with your own pattern. Adding block after block in 99 different colours is a great way to doodle a pattern, and is very addictive.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cross stitch designer program.

Great, 18 Nov 2007
Reasonably easy to use. Has a help section which is helpful. Great way to design your own patterns. xx

Jane Greenoff's Cross Stitch Designer, 28 Aug 2003
Overall this is a great product. It is wonderfully easy to use and offers a great selection of thread manufacturers so that you can plan your designs to include your favourite thread range. One downside, however is that you are unable to personalise your pallette of colours to your favourites, and so I often need to reselect colours whenever i start a new design. Other great features include the handy video tutorials with sound - these are brilliant for beginners and offer many handy tips! Designs can be viewed as b/w symbols, colour blocks or colour stitches on a wide selection of aida colours, although options for other fabrics are not available.

A real bargin, 30 Aug 2008
This is a great little piece of kit for the money. It's relatively easy to use (although the lack of written instructions make it a bit daunting to start with), and allows you to create wonderful designs. I've been particularly pleased with its ability to convert pictures, but be warned they can be quite big. I would advise that you buy a shade card as well, from one of the main silk manufactures like DMC, as it allows you check the shade the computer is suggesting against the real thing.

extremely good value for money, 20 Jan 2008
This is a fantastic product. I imagined something extremely basic for the price, so was amazed at the different features available. It is extremely easy to import photo files of various types - within seconds you see them as cross stich patterns, which you can edit (i.e. delete out confusing shadows or undesirable lines). It's also nice starting from scratch with your own pattern. Adding block after block in 99 different colours is a great way to doodle a pattern, and is very addictive.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cross stitch designer program.

Great, 18 Nov 2007
Reasonably easy to use. Has a help section which is helpful. Great way to design your own patterns. xx

Jane Greenoff's Cross Stitch Designer, 28 Aug 2003
Overall this is a great product. It is wonderfully easy to use and offers a great selection of thread manufacturers so that you can plan your designs to include your favourite thread range. One downside, however is that you are unable to personalise your pallette of colours to your favourites, and so I often need to reselect colours whenever i start a new design. Other great features include the handy video tutorials with sound - these are brilliant for beginners and offer many handy tips! Designs can be viewed as b/w symbols, colour blocks or colour stitches on a wide selection of aida colours, although options for other fabrics are not available.

It does work with Vista!, 27 May 2008
I run an Online Astronomy Group HantsAstro.org. This product, once updated works fine with Vista Premium. Visually it's not as pretty as Starry Night, but for the price offers telescope control with updated ASCOM drivers and runs an LXD75 telescope fine in our tests. The star catalogs are accurate and the interface, once learnt is quite useful, if a little clunky compared to Starry Night. As planetarium software goes, with introduction presentations to the night sky it does quite well. The 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' intro turns from amusing to a bit tacky after the third time you load it, but thankfully this can be turned off. Being able to generate your own reports for a nights oberving is a useful feature. If you want telescope control, this is a good deal but if you want eye candy too and don't mind paying (much) more, then Starry Night is the way to go...

Redshift 6 premium edition is not Vista compatible!, 13 May 2008
This product was advertised on the Amazon website as compatible with Windows Vista. Having just bought the product, the system requirements printed on the box are as follows: Operating System - Windows ME / 2000 / XP / x64.
No mention of Vista. Therefore I am making the assumption it is not Vista compatible. Amazon would be advised to read what is says on the tin before selling it!

A real bargin, 30 Aug 2008
This is a great little piece of kit for the money. It's relatively easy to use (although the lack of written instructions make it a bit daunting to start with), and allows you to create wonderful designs. I've been particularly pleased with its ability to convert pictures, but be warned they can be quite big. I would advise that you buy a shade card as well, from one of the main silk manufactures like DMC, as it allows you check the shade the computer is suggesting against the real thing.

extremely good value for money, 20 Jan 2008
This is a fantastic product. I imagined something extremely basic for the price, so was amazed at the different features available. It is extremely easy to import photo files of various types - within seconds you see them as cross stich patterns, which you can edit (i.e. delete out confusing shadows or undesirable lines). It's also nice starting from scratch with your own pattern. Adding block after block in 99 different colours is a great way to doodle a pattern, and is very addictive.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cross stitch designer program.

Great, 18 Nov 2007
Reasonably easy to use. Has a help section which is helpful. Great way to design your own patterns. xx

Jane Greenoff's Cross Stitch Designer, 28 Aug 2003
Overall this is a great product. It is wonderfully easy to use and offers a great selection of thread manufacturers so that you can plan your designs to include your favourite thread range. One downside, however is that you are unable to personalise your pallette of colours to your favourites, and so I often need to reselect colours whenever i start a new design. Other great features include the handy video tutorials with sound - these are brilliant for beginners and offer many handy tips! Designs can be viewed as b/w symbols, colour blocks or colour stitches on a wide selection of aida colours, although options for other fabrics are not available.

It does work with Vista!, 27 May 2008
I run an Online Astronomy Group HantsAstro.org. This product, once updated works fine with Vista Premium. Visually it's not as pretty as Starry Night, but for the price offers telescope control with updated ASCOM drivers and runs an LXD75 telescope fine in our tests. The star catalogs are accurate and the interface, once learnt is quite useful, if a little clunky compared to Starry Night. As planetarium software goes, with introduction presentations to the night sky it does quite well. The 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' intro turns from amusing to a bit tacky after the third time you load it, but thankfully this can be turned off. Being able to generate your own reports for a nights oberving is a useful feature. If you want telescope control, this is a good deal but if you want eye candy too and don't mind paying (much) more, then Starry Night is the way to go...

Redshift 6 premium edition is not Vista compatible!, 13 May 2008
This product was advertised on the Amazon website as compatible with Windows Vista. Having just bought the product, the system requirements printed on the box are as follows: Operating System - Windows ME / 2000 / XP / x64.
No mention of Vista. Therefore I am making the assumption it is not Vista compatible. Amazon would be advised to read what is says on the tin before selling it!

Pretty good., 03 Jun 2007
Pretty good software - and popular too. A very strong feature is the 100% GEDCOM compatability. I found it slightly difficult to get to its way of organising the data input screens but the tutorials with it are thorough.

A Great Genealogy Program, 21 May 2007
Having tried a few different programs over a period of about 6 years this is undoubtedly the best and most comprehensive that I have used. Not the easiest to understand if you are just begining with genealogy but for a more experienced user I would say it is unrivaled. The way it reads native GEDCOM files is a real boon. Its split tree facility is wonderfull if you just want to extract part of your tree to give to someone else. The ability to just extract a head from a group picture is so usefull.
Great value and thoroughly recommended

Good product, but let down by a poor basic printed manual, 18 Jan 2007
As a novice to family history research I read several reviews of different products vying for this market before I took the plunge and committed myself to a purchase. Calico Pie's 'Family Historian' software came out consistently near or at 'the top of the heap' in most software reviews, and on that basis I decided that it was the one for me to buy. I have found that indeed, it does have many easy-to-use and very useful features. But I feel that it is let down by a very brief printed Introductory User Manual that comes with the software package. While Calico Pie include a more comprehensive manual in Adobe format, I feel that this is a bit penny-pinching of them. I, for one, do not have the inclination nor the time to print off a 200-plus page Comprehensive Manual. I would have been prepared to grit my teeth, unleash my credit card and buy a printed version, but sadly this does not appear to be an option. So, if you do choose this (otherwise very good) product, then if you want to get the most out of it, I would also advise you to purchase several reams of print-off paper, a clip file or ring binder in which to store the resulting output, and some additional ink cartridges for your printer. You might also decide to add some instant coffee to this list while you wait patiently for your printer to chug through the ensuing output!

The best just got better, 05 Jan 2007
Version 3 adds a whole range of powerful features to an already comprehensive program. There is a learning curve for this program especially for computer novices, but the pay off is an exceptionally flexible program allowing customisation of many areas of its output. With the added benefit of an active mailing list and user group forum, new users have a large variety of sources for help. If you want a program just to draw a quick family tree then Family Historian is not for you. If you want a program to document your family history, analyse and extract information and then produce comprehensive reports and charts then Family Historian is for you. If you are not sure then why not download the Demo version from the family-historian.co.uk website and try it out to see if it suits you, first.

A good choice for the UK user, 25 Nov 2006
As a novice I don't ultimately know how my needs will evolve. I tried various demo packages and have opted for this for the following reasons:

1) Written for the UK market
2) Interface allows lots of editing from diagrams
3) Good support from the forum and user community
4) 100% GEDCOM compatible
5) Good tools to link a picture to multiple individuals.

Since buying it I have been impressed with the quality, the free vouchers and an upgrade to 3.1 downloaded fine.

Highly recommended.

A real bargin, 30 Aug 2008
This is a great little piece of kit for the money. It's relatively easy to use (although the lack of written instructions make it a bit daunting to start with), and allows you to create wonderful designs. I've been particularly pleased with its ability to convert pictures, but be warned they can be quite big. I would advise that you buy a shade card as well, from one of the main silk manufactures like DMC, as it allows you check the shade the computer is suggesting against the real thing.

extremely good value for money, 20 Jan 2008
This is a fantastic product. I imagined something extremely basic for the price, so was amazed at the different features available. It is extremely easy to import photo files of various types - within seconds you see them as cross stich patterns, which you can edit (i.e. delete out confusing shadows or undesirable lines). It's also nice starting from scratch with your own pattern. Adding block after block in 99 different colours is a great way to doodle a pattern, and is very addictive.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cross stitch designer program.

Great, 18 Nov 2007
Reasonably easy to use. Has a help section which is helpful. Great way to design your own patterns. xx

Jane Greenoff's Cross Stitch Designer, 28 Aug 2003
Overall this is a great product. It is wonderfully easy to use and offers a great selection of thread manufacturers so that you can plan your designs to include your favourite thread range. One downside, however is that you are unable to personalise your pallette of colours to your favourites, and so I often need to reselect colours whenever i start a new design. Other great features include the handy video tutorials with sound - these are brilliant for beginners and offer many handy tips! Designs can be viewed as b/w symbols, colour blocks or colour stitches on a wide selection of aida colours, although options for other fabrics are not available.

It does work with Vista!, 27 May 2008
I run an Online Astronomy Group HantsAstro.org. This product, once updated works fine with Vista Premium. Visually it's not as pretty as Starry Night, but for the price offers telescope control with updated ASCOM drivers and runs an LXD75 telescope fine in our tests. The star catalogs are accurate and the interface, once learnt is quite useful, if a little clunky compared to Starry Night. As planetarium software goes, with introduction presentations to the night sky it does quite well. The 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' intro turns from amusing to a bit tacky after the third time you load it, but thankfully this can be turned off. Being able to generate your own reports for a nights oberving is a useful feature. If you want telescope control, this is a good deal but if you want eye candy too and don't mind paying (much) more, then Starry Night is the way to go...

Redshift 6 premium edition is not Vista compatible!, 13 May 2008
This product was advertised on the Amazon website as compatible with Windows Vista. Having just bought the product, the system requirements printed on the box are as follows: Operating System - Windows ME / 2000 / XP / x64.
No mention of Vista. Therefore I am making the assumption it is not Vista compatible. Amazon would be advised to read what is says on the tin before selling it!

Pretty good., 03 Jun 2007
Pretty good software - and popular too. A very strong feature is the 100% GEDCOM compatability. I found it slightly difficult to get to its way of organising the data input screens but the tutorials with it are thorough.

A Great Genealogy Program, 21 May 2007
Having tried a few different programs over a period of about 6 years this is undoubtedly the best and most comprehensive that I have used. Not the easiest to understand if you are just begining with genealogy but for a more experienced user I would say it is unrivaled. The way it reads native GEDCOM files is a real boon. Its split tree facility is wonderfull if you just want to extract part of your tree to give to someone else. The ability to just extract a head from a group picture is so usefull.
Great value and thoroughly recommended

Good product, but let down by a poor basic printed manual, 18 Jan 2007
As a novice to family history research I read several reviews of different products vying for this market before I took the plunge and committed myself to a purchase. Calico Pie's 'Family Historian' software came out consistently near or at 'the top of the heap' in most software reviews, and on that basis I decided that it was the one for me to buy. I have found that indeed, it does have many easy-to-use and very useful features. But I feel that it is let down by a very brief printed Introductory User Manual that comes with the software package. While Calico Pie include a more comprehensive manual in Adobe format, I feel that this is a bit penny-pinching of them. I, for one, do not have the inclination nor the time to print off a 200-plus page Comprehensive Manual. I would have been prepared to grit my teeth, unleash my credit card and buy a printed version, but sadly this does not appear to be an option. So, if you do choose this (otherwise very good) product, then if you want to get the most out of it, I would also advise you to purchase several reams of print-off paper, a clip file or ring binder in which to store the resulting output, and some additional ink cartridges for your printer. You might also decide to add some instant coffee to this list while you wait patiently for your printer to chug through the ensuing output!

The best just got better, 05 Jan 2007
Version 3 adds a whole range of powerful features to an already comprehensive program. There is a learning curve for this program especially for computer novices, but the pay off is an exceptionally flexible program allowing customisation of many areas of its output. With the added benefit of an active mailing list and user group forum, new users have a large variety of sources for help. If you want a program just to draw a quick family tree then Family Historian is not for you. If you want a program to document your family history, analyse and extract information and then produce comprehensive reports and charts then Family Historian is for you. If you are not sure then why not download the Demo version from the family-historian.co.uk website and try it out to see if it suits you, first.

A good choice for the UK user, 25 Nov 2006
As a novice I don't ultimately know how my needs will evolve. I tried various demo packages and have opted for this for the following reasons:

1) Written for the UK market
2) Interface allows lots of editing from diagrams
3) Good support from the forum and user community
4) 100% GEDCOM compatible
5) Good tools to link a picture to multiple individuals.

Since buying it I have been impressed with the quality, the free vouchers and an upgrade to 3.1 downloaded fine.

Highly recommended.



A good way to learn words but not language, 07 Jul 2001
O k This is an excellant product not so much in terms of its content but in terms of the way that it makes you remember what things are called - it will not teach you to speak a language but it is very useful as an aid to learning and to supplement more involved texts -- it is fun and that will mean that you will play it for fun and we all know learning is easier when its fun

A real bargin, 30 Aug 2008
This is a great little piece of kit for the money. It's relatively easy to use (although the lack of written instructions make it a bit daunting to start with), and allows you to create wonderful designs. I've been particularly pleased with its ability to convert pictures, but be warned they can be quite big. I would advise that you buy a shade card as well, from one of the main silk manufactures like DMC, as it allows you check the shade the computer is suggesting against the real thing.

extremely good value for money, 20 Jan 2008
This is a fantastic product. I imagined something extremely basic for the price, so was amazed at the different features available. It is extremely easy to import photo files of various types - within seconds you see them as cross stich patterns, which you can edit (i.e. delete out confusing shadows or undesirable lines). It's also nice starting from scratch with your own pattern. Adding block after block in 99 different colours is a great way to doodle a pattern, and is very addictive.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cross stitch designer program.

Great, 18 Nov 2007
Reasonably easy to use. Has a help section which is helpful. Great way to design your own patterns. xx

Jane Greenoff's Cross Stitch Designer, 28 Aug 2003
Overall this is a great product. It is wonderfully easy to use and offers a great selection of thread manufacturers so that you can plan your designs to include your favourite thread range. One downside, however is that you are unable to personalise your pallette of colours to your favourites, and so I often need to reselect colours whenever i start a new design. Other great features include the handy video tutorials with sound - these are brilliant for beginners and offer many handy tips! Designs can be viewed as b/w symbols, colour blocks or colour stitches on a wide selection of aida colours, although options for other fabrics are not available.

It does work with Vista!, 27 May 2008
I run an Online Astronomy Group HantsAstro.org. This product, once updated works fine with Vista Premium. Visually it's not as pretty as Starry Night, but for the price offers telescope control with updated ASCOM drivers and runs an LXD75 telescope fine in our tests. The star catalogs are accurate and the interface, once learnt is quite useful, if a little clunky compared to Starry Night. As planetarium software goes, with introduction presentations to the night sky it does quite well. The 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' intro turns from amusing to a bit tacky after the third time you load it, but thankfully this can be turned off. Being able to generate your own reports for a nights oberving is a useful feature. If you want telescope control, this is a good deal but if you want eye candy too and don't mind paying (much) more, then Starry Night is the way to go...

Redshift 6 premium edition is not Vista compatible!, 13 May 2008
This product was advertised on the Amazon website as compatible with Windows Vista. Having just bought the product, the system requirements printed on the box are as follows: Operating System - Windows ME / 2000 / XP / x64.
No mention of Vista. Therefore I am making the assumption it is not Vista compatible. Amazon would be advised to read what is says on the tin before selling it!

Pretty good., 03 Jun 2007
Pretty good software - and popular too. A very strong feature is the 100% GEDCOM compatability. I found it slightly difficult to get to its way of organising the data input screens but the tutorials with it are thorough.

A Great Genealogy Program, 21 May 2007
Having tried a few different programs over a period of about 6 years this is undoubtedly the best and most comprehensive that I have used. Not the easiest to understand if you are just begining with genealogy but for a more experienced user I would say it is unrivaled. The way it reads native GEDCOM files is a real boon. Its split tree facility is wonderfull if you just want to extract part of your tree to give to someone else. The ability to just extract a head from a group picture is so usefull.
Great value and thoroughly recommended

Good product, but let down by a poor basic printed manual, 18 Jan 2007
As a novice to family history research I read several reviews of different products vying for this market before I took the plunge and committed myself to a purchase. Calico Pie's 'Family Historian' software came out consistently near or at 'the top of the heap' in most software reviews, and on that basis I decided that it was the one for me to buy. I have found that indeed, it does have many easy-to-use and very useful features. But I feel that it is let down by a very brief printed Introductory User Manual that comes with the software package. While Calico Pie include a more comprehensive manual in Adobe format, I feel that this is a bit penny-pinching of them. I, for one, do not have the inclination nor the time to print off a 200-plus page Comprehensive Manual. I would have been prepared to grit my teeth, unleash my credit card and buy a printed version, but sadly this does not appear to be an option. So, if you do choose this (otherwise very good) product, then if you want to get the most out of it, I would also advise you to purchase several reams of print-off paper, a clip file or ring binder in which to store the resulting output, and some additional ink cartridges for your printer. You might also decide to add some instant coffee to this list while you wait patiently for your printer to chug through the ensuing output!

The best just got better, 05 Jan 2007
Version 3 adds a whole range of powerful features to an already comprehensive program. There is a learning curve for this program especially for computer novices, but the pay off is an exceptionally flexible program allowing customisation of many areas of its output. With the added benefit of an active mailing list and user group forum, new users have a large variety of sources for help. If you want a program just to draw a quick family tree then Family Historian is not for you. If you want a program to document your family history, analyse and extract information and then produce comprehensive reports and charts then Family Historian is for you. If you are not sure then why not download the Demo version from the family-historian.co.uk website and try it out to see if it suits you, first.

A good choice for the UK user, 25 Nov 2006
As a novice I don't ultimately know how my needs will evolve. I tried various demo packages and have opted for this for the following reasons:

1) Written for the UK market
2) Interface allows lots of editing from diagrams
3) Good support from the forum and user community
4) 100% GEDCOM compatible
5) Good tools to link a picture to multiple individuals.

Since buying it I have been impressed with the quality, the free vouchers and an upgrade to 3.1 downloaded fine.

Highly recommended.



A good way to learn words but not language, 07 Jul 2001
O k This is an excellant product not so much in terms of its content but in terms of the way that it makes you remember what things are called - it will not teach you to speak a language but it is very useful as an aid to learning and to supplement more involved texts -- it is fun and that will mean that you will play it for fun and we all know learning is easier when its fun

Ideal guide to the night sky, 31 Jul 2007
This software is very good value that gives a detailed guide to the night sky. It has many features that make it useful to an inexperienced astronomer.

Useful, fun and educational, 06 Feb 2007
As an astronomer who is about to start teaching a night class in the subject, one of the biggest problems is that astronomy is such a visual subject. I will certainly be recommending Redshift to my students. This program is reasonably priced, and allows you to explore what you will actually need this kind of program for. This will stop you making the mistake of someone I know, who bought the most advanced level of one of the other programmes of this type, costing over £100, and uses it only to print off star maps!

I don't have a GoTo telescope so I don't have any use for guiding etc. but after a year I am still enjoying this program and use it to help me find ways of describing many of astronomy's wonders in new ways.

A good first planetarium program.

A real bargin, 30 Aug 2008
This is a great little piece of kit for the money. It's relatively easy to use (although the lack of written instructions make it a bit daunting to start with), and allows you to create wonderful designs. I've been particularly pleased with its ability to convert pictures, but be warned they can be quite big. I would advise that you buy a shade card as well, from one of the main silk manufactures like DMC, as it allows you check the shade the computer is suggesting against the real thing.

extremely good value for money, 20 Jan 2008
This is a fantastic product. I imagined something extremely basic for the price, so was amazed at the different features available. It is extremely easy to import photo files of various types - within seconds you see them as cross stich patterns, which you can edit (i.e. delete out confusing shadows or undesirable lines). It's also nice starting from scratch with your own pattern. Adding block after block in 99 different colours is a great way to doodle a pattern, and is very addictive.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cross stitch designer program.

Great, 18 Nov 2007
Reasonably easy to use. Has a help section which is helpful. Great way to design your own patterns. xx

Jane Greenoff's Cross Stitch Designer, 28 Aug 2003
Overall this is a great product. It is wonderfully easy to use and offers a great selection of thread manufacturers so that you can plan your designs to include your favourite thread range. One downside, however is that you are unable to personalise your pallette of colours to your favourites, and so I often need to reselect colours whenever i start a new design. Other great features include the handy video tutorials with sound - these are brilliant for beginners and offer many handy tips! Designs can be viewed as b/w symbols, colour blocks or colour stitches on a wide selection of aida colours, although options for other fabrics are not available.

It does work with Vista!, 27 May 2008
I run an Online Astronomy Group HantsAstro.org. This product, once updated works fine with Vista Premium. Visually it's not as pretty as Starry Night, but for the price offers telescope control with updated ASCOM drivers and runs an LXD75 telescope fine in our tests. The star catalogs are accurate and the interface, once learnt is quite useful, if a little clunky compared to Starry Night. As planetarium software goes, with introduction presentations to the night sky it does quite well. The 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' intro turns from amusing to a bit tacky after the third time you load it, but thankfully this can be turned off. Being able to generate your own reports for a nights oberving is a useful feature. If you want telescope control, this is a good deal but if you want eye candy too and don't mind paying (much) more, then Starry Night is the way to go...

Redshift 6 premium edition is not Vista compatible!, 13 May 2008
This product was advertised on the Amazon website as compatible with Windows Vista. Having just bought the product, the system requirements printed on the box are as follows: Operating System - Windows ME / 2000 / XP / x64.
No mention of Vista. Therefore I am making the assumption it is not Vista compatible. Amazon would be advised to read what is says on the tin before selling it!

Pretty good., 03 Jun 2007
Pretty good software - and popular too. A very strong feature is the 100% GEDCOM compatability. I found it slightly difficult to get to its way of organising the data input screens but the tutorials with it are thorough.

A Great Genealogy Program, 21 May 2007
Having tried a few different programs over a period of about 6 years this is undoubtedly the best and most comprehensive that I have used. Not the easiest to understand if you are just begining with genealogy but for a more experienced user I would say it is unrivaled. The way it reads native GEDCOM files is a real boon. Its split tree facility is wonderfull if you just want to extract part of your tree to give to someone else. The ability to just extract a head from a group picture is so usefull.
Great value and thoroughly recommended

Good product, but let down by a poor basic printed manual, 18 Jan 2007
As a novice to family history research I read several reviews of different products vying for this market before I took the plunge and committed myself to a purchase. Calico Pie's 'Family Historian' software came out consistently near or at 'the top of the heap' in most software reviews, and on that basis I decided that it was the one for me to buy. I have found that indeed, it does have many easy-to-use and very useful features. But I feel that it is let down by a very brief printed Introductory User Manual that comes with the software package. While Calico Pie include a more comprehensive manual in Adobe format, I feel that this is a bit penny-pinching of them. I, for one, do not have the inclination nor the time to print off a 200-plus page Comprehensive Manual. I would have been prepared to grit my teeth, unleash my credit card and buy a printed version, but sadly this does not appear to be an option. So, if you do choose this (otherwise very good) product, then if you want to get the most out of it, I would also advise you to purchase several reams of print-off paper, a clip file or ring binder in which to store the resulting output, and some additional ink cartridges for your printer. You might also decide to add some instant coffee to this list while you wait patiently for your printer to chug through the ensuing output!

The best just got better, 05 Jan 2007
Version 3 adds a whole range of powerful features to an already comprehensive program. There is a learning curve for this program especially for computer novices, but the pay off is an exceptionally flexible program allowing customisation of many areas of its output. With the added benefit of an active mailing list and user group forum, new users have a large variety of sources for help. If you want a program just to draw a quick family tree then Family Historian is not for you. If you want a program to document your family history, analyse and extract information and then produce comprehensive reports and charts then Family Historian is for you. If you are not sure then why not download the Demo version from the family-historian.co.uk website and try it out to see if it suits you, first.

A good choice for the UK user, 25 Nov 2006
As a novice I don't ultimately know how my needs will evolve. I tried various demo packages and have opted for this for the following reasons:

1) Written for the UK market
2) Interface allows lots of editing from diagrams
3) Good support from the forum and user community
4) 100% GEDCOM compatible
5) Good tools to link a picture to multiple individuals.

Since buying it I have been impressed with the quality, the free vouchers and an upgrade to 3.1 downloaded fine.

Highly recommended.



A good way to learn words but not language, 07 Jul 2001
O k This is an excellant product not so much in terms of its content but in terms of the way that it makes you remember what things are called - it will not teach you to speak a language but it is very useful as an aid to learning and to supplement more involved texts -- it is fun and that will mean that you will play it for fun and we all know learning is easier when its fun

Ideal guide to the night sky, 31 Jul 2007
This software is very good value that gives a detailed guide to the night sky. It has many features that make it useful to an inexperienced astronomer.

Useful, fun and educational, 06 Feb 2007
As an astronomer who is about to start teaching a night class in the subject, one of the biggest problems is that astronomy is such a visual subject. I will certainly be recommending Redshift to my students. This program is reasonably priced, and allows you to explore what you will actually need this kind of program for. This will stop you making the mistake of someone I know, who bought the most advanced level of one of the other programmes of this type, costing over £100, and uses it only to print off star maps!

I don't have a GoTo telescope so I don't have any use for guiding etc. but after a year I am still enjoying this program and use it to help me find ways of describing many of astronomy's wonders in new ways.

A good first planetarium program.

real life road signs..., 14 Dec 2004
I bought this product as I had failed on several occasions when practising for my theory test. I hadn't a clue with my road signs...OK i new the Stop and give way sign, but apart from that I had no idea.

I thought that this CD would be hard work and a little boring, but at least I would stand a better chance of passing my test. How wrong could i have been...i actually found myself on this CD for over 3 hours and I didn't feel like i was revising for anything! A few days later I resat my practise theory test and passed to my amazement :0)

I would really recommend this CD to anyone who is having problems with road signs. The real life pictures made it easier to, as you could see where you would find the sign on the roads, rather than reading it out of a book.

Would highly recomend this cd to anyone taking there test.

A real bargin, 30 Aug 2008
This is a great little piece of kit for the money. It's relatively easy to use (although the lack of written instructions make it a bit daunting to start with), and allows you to create wonderful designs. I've been particularly pleased with its ability to convert pictures, but be warned they can be quite big. I would advise that you buy a shade card as well, from one of the main silk manufactures like DMC, as it allows you check the shade the computer is suggesting against the real thing.

extremely good value for money, 20 Jan 2008
This is a fantastic product. I imagined something extremely basic for the price, so was amazed at the different features available. It is extremely easy to import photo files of various types - within seconds you see them as cross stich patterns, which you can edit (i.e. delete out confusing shadows or undesirable lines). It's also nice starting from scratch with your own pattern. Adding block after block in 99 different colours is a great way to doodle a pattern, and is very addictive.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cross stitch designer program.

Great, 18 Nov 2007
Reasonably easy to use. Has a help section which is helpful. Great way to design your own patterns. xx

Jane Greenoff's Cross Stitch Designer, 28 Aug 2003
Overall this is a great product. It is wonderfully easy to use and offers a great selection of thread manufacturers so that you can plan your designs to include your favourite thread range. One downside, however is that you are unable to personalise your pallette of colours to your favourites, and so I often need to reselect colours whenever i start a new design. Other great features include the handy video tutorials with sound - these are brilliant for beginners and offer many handy tips! Designs can be viewed as b/w symbols, colour blocks or colour stitches on a wide selection of aida colours, although options for other fabrics are not available.

It does work with Vista!, 27 May 2008
I run an Online Astronomy Group HantsAstro.org. This product, once updated works fine with Vista Premium. Visually it's not as pretty as Starry Night, but for the price offers telescope control with updated ASCOM drivers and runs an LXD75 telescope fine in our tests. The star catalogs are accurate and the interface, once learnt is quite useful, if a little clunky compared to Starry Night. As planetarium software goes, with introduction presentations to the night sky it does quite well. The 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' intro turns from amusing to a bit tacky after the third time you load it, but thankfully this can be turned off. Being able to generate your own reports for a nights oberving is a useful feature. If you want telescope control, this is a good deal but if you want eye candy too and don't mind paying (much) more, then Starry Night is the way to go...

Redshift 6 premium edition is not Vista compatible!, 13 May 2008
This product was advertised on the Amazon website as compatible with Windows Vista. Having just bought the product, the system requirements printed on the box are as follows: Operating System - Windows ME / 2000 / XP / x64.
No mention of Vista. Therefore I am making the assumption it is not Vista compatible. Amazon would be advised to read what is says on the tin before selling it!

Pretty good., 03 Jun 2007
Pretty good software - and popular too. A very strong feature is the 100% GEDCOM compatability. I found it slightly difficult to get to its way of organising the data input screens but the tutorials with it are thorough.

A Great Genealogy Program, 21 May 2007
Having tried a few different programs over a period of about 6 years this is undoubtedly the best and most comprehensive that I have used. Not the easiest to understand if you are just begining with genealogy but for a more experienced user I would say it is unrivaled. The way it reads native GEDCOM files is a real boon. Its split tree facility is wonderfull if you just want to extract part of your tree to give to someone else. The ability to just extract a head from a group picture is so usefull.
Great value and thoroughly recommended

Good product, but let down by a poor basic printed manual, 18 Jan 2007
As a novice to family history research I read several reviews of different products vying for this market before I took the plunge and committed myself to a purchase. Calico Pie's 'Family Historian' software came out consistently near or at 'the top of the heap' in most software reviews, and on that basis I decided that it was the one for me to buy. I have found that indeed, it does have many easy-to-use and very useful features. But I feel that it is let down by a very brief printed Introductory User Manual that comes with the software package. While Calico Pie include a more comprehensive manual in Adobe format, I feel that this is a bit penny-pinching of them. I, for one, do not have the inclination nor the time to print off a 200-plus page Comprehensive Manual. I would have been prepared to grit my teeth, unleash my credit card and buy a printed version, but sadly this does not appear to be an option. So, if you do choose this (otherwise very good) product, then if you want to get the most out of it, I would also advise you to purchase several reams of print-off paper, a clip file or ring binder in which to store the resulting output, and some additional ink cartridges for your printer. You might also decide to add some instant coffee to this list while you wait patiently for your printer to chug through the ensuing output!

The best just got better, 05 Jan 2007
Version 3 adds a whole range of powerful features to an already comprehensive program. There is a learning curve for this program especially for computer novices, but the pay off is an exceptionally flexible program allowing customisation of many areas of its output. With the added benefit of an active mailing list and user group forum, new users have a large variety of sources for help. If you want a program just to draw a quick family tree then Family Historian is not for you. If you want a program to document your family history, analyse and extract information and then produce comprehensive reports and charts then Family Historian is for you. If you are not sure then why not download the Demo version from the family-historian.co.uk website and try it out to see if it suits you, first.

A good choice for the UK user, 25 Nov 2006
As a novice I don't ultimately know how my needs will evolve. I tried various demo packages and have opted for this for the following reasons:

1) Written for the UK market
2) Interface allows lots of editing from diagrams
3) Good support from the forum and user community
4) 100% GEDCOM compatible
5) Good tools to link a picture to multiple individuals.

Since buying it I have been impressed with the quality, the free vouchers and an upgrade to 3.1 downloaded fine.

Highly recommended.



A good way to learn words but not language, 07 Jul 2001
O k This is an excellant product not so much in terms of its content but in terms of the way that it makes you remember what things are called - it will not teach you to speak a language but it is very useful as an aid to learning and to supplement more involved texts -- it is fun and that will mean that you will play it for fun and we all know learning is easier when its fun

Ideal guide to the night sky, 31 Jul 2007
This software is very good value that gives a detailed guide to the night sky. It has many features that make it useful to an inexperienced astronomer.

Useful, fun and educational, 06 Feb 2007
As an astronomer who is about to start teaching a night class in the subject, one of the biggest problems is that astronomy is such a visual subject. I will certainly be recommending Redshift to my students. This program is reasonably priced, and allows you to explore what you will actually need this kind of program for. This will stop you making the mistake of someone I know, who bought the most advanced level of one of the other programmes of this type, costing over £100, and uses it only to print off star maps!

I don't have a GoTo telescope so I don't have any use for guiding etc. but after a year I am still enjoying this program and use it to help me find ways of describing many of astronomy's wonders in new ways.

A good first planetarium program.

real life road signs..., 14 Dec 2004
I bought this product as I had failed on several occasions when practising for my theory test. I hadn't a clue with my road signs...OK i new the Stop and give way sign, but apart from that I had no idea.

I thought that this CD would be hard work and a little boring, but at least I would stand a better chance of passing my test. How wrong could i have been...i actually found myself on this CD for over 3 hours and I didn't feel like i was revising for anything! A few days later I resat my practise theory test and passed to my amazement :0)

I would really recommend this CD to anyone who is having problems with road signs. The real life pictures made it easier to, as you could see where you would find the sign on the roads, rather than reading it out of a book.

Would highly recomend this cd to anyone taking there test.

A good primer - but with some flaws, 06 Jun 2001
This is a good primer in the language giving around 300 words and phrases. Its main attraction is that you can hear the words being spoken, record yourself repeating the phrase and compare your pronunciation. Another plus is that there are lots of interactive practice sessions.

Its flawed in that there are a few errors within the package and some of the words given are a bit dubious. Sections like time and numbers could also easily be made far more informative with a bit more effort on the part of the developers. Previously I had tried the old Teach Youself Swahili and had given up because I didn't know how to pronounce anything. Talk Now has got me over this hurdle.

A real bargin, 30 Aug 2008
This is a great little piece of kit for the money. It's relatively easy to use (although the lack of written instructions make it a bit daunting to start with), and allows you to create wonderful designs. I've been particularly pleased with its ability to convert pictures, but be warned they can be quite big. I would advise that you buy a shade card as well, from one of the main silk manufactures like DMC, as it allows you check the shade the computer is suggesting against the real thing.

extremely good value for money, 20 Jan 2008
This is a fantastic product. I imagined something extremely basic for the price, so was amazed at the different features available. It is extremely easy to import photo files of various types - within seconds you see them as cross stich patterns, which you can edit (i.e. delete out confusing shadows or undesirable lines). It's also nice starting from scratch with your own pattern. Adding block after block in 99 different colours is a great way to doodle a pattern, and is very addictive.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cross stitch designer program.

Great, 18 Nov 2007
Reasonably easy to use. Has a help section which is helpful. Great way to design your own patterns. xx

Jane Greenoff's Cross Stitch Designer, 28 Aug 2003
Overall this is a great product. It is wonderfully easy to use and offers a great selection of thread manufacturers so that you can plan your designs to include your favourite thread range. One downside, however is that you are unable to personalise your pallette of colours to your favourites, and so I often need to reselect colours whenever i start a new design. Other great features include the handy video tutorials with sound - these are brilliant for beginners and offer many handy tips! Designs can be viewed as b/w symbols, colour blocks or colour stitches on a wide selection of aida colours, although options for other fabrics are not available.

It does work with Vista!, 27 May 2008
I run an Online Astronomy Group HantsAstro.org. This product, once updated works fine with Vista Premium. Visually it's not as pretty as Starry Night, but for the price offers telescope control with updated ASCOM drivers and runs an LXD75 telescope fine in our tests. The star catalogs are accurate and the interface, once learnt is quite useful, if a little clunky compared to Starry Night. As planetarium software goes, with introduction presentations to the night sky it does quite well. The 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' intro turns from amusing to a bit tacky after the third time you load it, but thankfully this can be turned off. Being able to generate your own reports for a nights oberving is a useful feature. If you want telescope control, this is a good deal but if you want eye candy too and don't mind paying (much) more, then Starry Night is the way to go...

Redshift 6 premium edition is not Vista compatible!, 13 May 2008
This product was advertised on the Amazon website as compatible with Windows Vista. Having just bought the product, the system requirements printed on the box are as follows: Operating System - Windows ME / 2000 / XP / x64.
No mention of Vista. Therefore I am making the assumption it is not Vista compatible. Amazon would be advised to read what is says on the tin before selling it!

Pretty good., 03 Jun 2007
Pretty good software - and popular too. A very strong feature is the 100% GEDCOM compatability. I found it slightly difficult to get to its way of organising the data input screens but the tutorials with it are thorough.

A Great Genealogy Program, 21 May 2007
Having tried a few different programs over a period of about 6 years this is undoubtedly the best and most comprehensive that I have used. Not the easiest to understand if you are just begining with genealogy but for a more experienced user I would say it is unrivaled. The way it reads native GEDCOM files is a real boon. Its split tree facility is wonderfull if you just want to extract part of your tree to give to someone else. The ability to just extract a head from a group picture is so usefull.
Great value and thoroughly recommended

Good product, but let down by a poor basic printed manual, 18 Jan 2007
As a novice to family history research I read several reviews of different products vying for this market before I took the plunge and committed myself to a purchase. Calico Pie's 'Family Historian' software came out consistently near or at 'the top of the heap' in most software reviews, and on that basis I decided that it was the one for me to buy. I have found that indeed, it does have many easy-to-use and very useful features. But I feel that it is let down by a very brief printed Introductory User Manual that comes with the software package. While Calico Pie include a more comprehensive manual in Adobe format, I feel that this is a bit penny-pinching of them. I, for one, do not have the inclination nor the time to print off a 200-plus page Comprehensive Manual. I would have been prepared to grit my teeth, unleash my credit card and buy a printed version, but sadly this does not appear to be an option. So, if you do choose this (otherwise very good) product, then if you want to get the most out of it, I would also advise you to purchase several reams of print-off paper, a clip file or ring binder in which to store the resulting output, and some additional ink cartridges for your printer. You might also decide to add some instant coffee to this list while you wait patiently for your printer to chug through the ensuing output!

The best just got better, 05 Jan 2007
Version 3 adds a whole range of powerful features to an already comprehensive program. There is a learning curve for this program especially for computer novices, but the pay off is an exceptionally flexible program allowing customisation of many areas of its output. With the added benefit of an active mailing list and user group forum, new users have a large variety of sources for help. If you want a program just to draw a quick family tree then Family Historian is not for you. If you want a program to document your family history, analyse and extract information and then produce comprehensive reports and charts then Family Historian is for you. If you are not sure then why not download the Demo version from the family-historian.co.uk website and try it out to see if it suits you, first.

A good choice for the UK user, 25 Nov 2006
As a novice I don't ultimately know how my needs will evolve. I tried various demo packages and have opted for this for the following reasons:

1) Written for the UK market
2) Interface allows lots of editing from diagrams
3) Good support from the forum and user community
4) 100% GEDCOM compatible
5) Good tools to link a picture to multiple individuals.

Since buying it I have been impressed with the quality, the free vouchers and an upgrade to 3.1 downloaded fine.

Highly recommended.



A good way to learn words but not language, 07 Jul 2001
O k This is an excellant product not so much in terms of its content but in terms of the way that it makes you remember what things are called - it will not teach you to speak a language but it is very useful as an aid to learning and to supplement more involved texts -- it is fun and that will mean that you will play it for fun and we all know learning is easier when its fun

Ideal guide to the night sky, 31 Jul 2007
This software is very good value that gives a detailed guide to the night sky. It has many features that make it useful to an inexperienced astronomer.

Useful, fun and educational, 06 Feb 2007
As an astronomer who is about to start teaching a night class in the subject, one of the biggest problems is that astronomy is such a visual subject. I will certainly be recommending Redshift to my students. This program is reasonably priced, and allows you to explore what you will actually need this kind of program for. This will stop you making the mistake of someone I know, who bought the most advanced level of one of the other programmes of this type, costing over £100, and uses it only to print off star maps!

I don't have a GoTo telescope so I don't have any use for guiding etc. but after a year I am still enjoying this program and use it to help me find ways of describing many of astronomy's wonders in new ways.

A good first planetarium program.

real life road signs..., 14 Dec 2004
I bought this product as I had failed on several occasions when practising for my theory test. I hadn't a clue with my road signs...OK i new the Stop and give way sign, but apart from that I had no idea.

I thought that this CD would be hard work and a little boring, but at least I would stand a better chance of passing my test. How wrong could i have been...i actually found myself on this CD for over 3 hours and I didn't feel like i was revising for anything! A few days later I resat my practise theory test and passed to my amazement :0)

I would really recommend this CD to anyone who is having problems with road signs. The real life pictures made it easier to, as you could see where you would find the sign on the roads, rather than reading it out of a book.

Would highly recomend this cd to anyone taking there test.

A good primer - but with some flaws, 06 Jun 2001
This is a good primer in the language giving around 300 words and phrases. Its main attraction is that you can hear the words being spoken, record yourself repeating the phrase and compare your pronunciation. Another plus is that there are lots of interactive practice sessions.

Its flawed in that there are a few errors within the package and some of the words given are a bit dubious. Sections like time and numbers could also easily be made far more informative with a bit more effort on the part of the developers. Previously I had tried the old Teach Youself Swahili and had given up because I didn't know how to pronounce anything. Talk Now has got me over this hurdle.

Passed first time!, 13 Dec 2006
Am so pleased - I passed first time using this product and I would highly recommend this to anyone! I bought this CD-Rom for the main reason that my driving instructor advised me to as it included all official tests and 3d practical driving tutorials.

Be sure to use the offer - I certainly benefited from it.


One Word "Fantastic", 20 Nov 2006
I got this as a gift and if you are need of a little help to pass your test as I was this is the product for you! I found the 3D driving lessons great fun and very easy to use. The animations are very high quality and it covers ever conceivable topic. I found the car maintenance video section easy to follow. This is excellent preparation for your test.
Its worth investing in this as it works out cheaper than paying for extra lessons!

GREAT PURCHASE, 16 Nov 2006
This CD-Rom is REALLY worth its money! Its has all you need to help pass your test.
I am not that computer literate but i found it easy to use and clear to follow.
I found the Hazard Perception test really helpful as it created the perfect senario of what it would be like in the real test.

The 3d motion graphics of the practical lessons were really impressive.

I have sucessfully passed my test and i dont think i would have been prepared if it wasnt for this product.

A real bargin, 30 Aug 2008
This is a great little piece of kit for the money. It's relatively easy to use (although the lack of written instructions make it a bit daunting to start with), and allows you to create wonderful designs. I've been particularly pleased with its ability to convert pictures, but be warned they can be quite big. I would advise that you buy a shade card as well, from one of the main silk manufactures like DMC, as it allows you check the shade the computer is suggesting against the real thing.

extremely good value for money, 20 Jan 2008
This is a fantastic product. I imagined something extremely basic for the price, so was amazed at the different features available. It is extremely easy to import photo files of various types - within seconds you see them as cross stich patterns, which you can edit (i.e. delete out confusing shadows or undesirable lines). It's also nice starting from scratch with your own pattern. Adding block after block in 99 different colours is a great way to doodle a pattern, and is very addictive.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cross stitch designer program.

Great, 18 Nov 2007
Reasonably easy to use. Has a help section which is helpful. Great way to design your own patterns. xx

Jane Greenoff's Cross Stitch Designer, 28 Aug 2003
Overall this is a great product. It is wonderfully easy to use and offers a great selection of thread manufacturers so that you can plan your designs to include your favourite thread range. One downside, however is that you are unable to personalise your pallette of colours to your favourites, and so I often need to reselect colours whenever i start a new design. Other great features include the handy video tutorials with sound - these are brilliant for beginners and offer many handy tips! Designs can be viewed as b/w symbols, colour blocks or colour stitches on a wide selection of aida colours, although options for other fabrics are not available.

It does work with Vista!, 27 May 2008
I run an Online Astronomy Group HantsAstro.org. This product, once updated works fine with Vista Premium. Visually it's not as pretty as Starry Night, but for the price offers telescope control with updated ASCOM drivers and runs an LXD75 telescope fine in our tests. The star catalogs are accurate and the interface, once learnt is quite useful, if a little clunky compared to Starry Night. As planetarium software goes, with introduction presentations to the night sky it does quite well. The 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' intro turns from amusing to a bit tacky after the third time you load it, but thankfully this can be turned off. Being able to generate your own reports for a nights oberving is a useful feature. If you want telescope control, this is a good deal but if you want eye candy too and don't mind paying (much) more, then Starry Night is the way to go...

Redshift 6 premium edition is not Vista compatible!, 13 May 2008
This product was advertised on the Amazon website as compatible with Windows Vista. Having just bought the product, the system requirements printed on the box are as follows: Operating System - Windows ME / 2000 / XP / x64.
No mention of Vista. Therefore I am making the assumption it is not Vista compatible. Amazon would be advised to read what is says on the tin before selling it!

Pretty good., 03 Jun 2007
Pretty good software - and popular too. A very strong feature is the 100% GEDCOM compatability. I found it slightly difficult to get to its way of organising the data input screens but the tutorials with it are thorough.

A Great Genealogy Program, 21 May 2007
Having tried a few different programs over a period of about 6 years this is undoubtedly the best and most comprehensive that I have used. Not the easiest to understand if you are just begining with genealogy but for a more experienced user I would say it is unrivaled. The way it reads native GEDCOM files is a real boon. Its split tree facility is wonderfull if you just want to extract part of your tree to give to someone else. The ability to just extract a head from a group picture is so usefull.
Great value and thoroughly recommended

Good product, but let down by a poor basic printed manual, 18 Jan 2007
As a novice to family history research I read several reviews of different products vying for this market before I took the plunge and committed myself to a purchase. Calico Pie's 'Family Historian' software came out consistently near or at 'the top of the heap' in most software reviews, and on that basis I decided that it was the one for me to buy. I have found that indeed, it does have many easy-to-use and very useful features. But I feel that it is let down by a very brief printed Introductory User Manual that comes with the software package. While Calico Pie include a more comprehensive manual in Adobe format, I feel that this is a bit penny-pinching of them. I, for one, do not have the inclination nor the time to print off a 200-plus page Comprehensive Manual. I would have been prepared to grit my teeth, unleash my credit card and buy a printed version, but sadly this does not appear to be an option. So, if you do choose this (otherwise very good) product, then if you want to get the most out of it, I would also advise you to purchase several reams of print-off paper, a clip file or ring binder in which to store the resulting output, and some additional ink cartridges for your printer. You might also decide to add some instant coffee to this list while you wait patiently for your printer to chug through the ensuing output!

The best just got better, 05 Jan 2007
Version 3 adds a whole range of powerful features to an already comprehensive program. There is a learning curve for this program especially for computer novices, but the pay off is an exceptionally flexible program allowing customisation of many areas of its output. With the added benefit of an active mailing list and user group forum, new users have a large variety of sources for help. If you want a program just to draw a quick family tree then Family Historian is not for you. If you want a program to document your family history, analyse and extract information and then produce comprehensive reports and charts then Family Historian is for you. If you are not sure then why not download the Demo version from the family-historian.co.uk website and try it out to see if it suits you, first.

A good choice for the UK user, 25 Nov 2006
As a novice I don't ultimately know how my needs will evolve. I tried various demo packages and have opted for this for the following reasons:

1) Written for the UK market
2) Interface allows lots of editing from diagrams
3) Good support from the forum and user community
4) 100% GEDCOM compatible
5) Good tools to link a picture to multiple individuals.

Since buying it I have been impressed with the quality, the free vouchers and an upgrade to 3.1 downloaded fine.

Highly recommended.



A good way to learn words but not language, 07 Jul 2001
O k This is an excellant product not so much in terms of its content but in terms of the way that it makes you remember what things are called - it will not teach you to speak a language but it is very useful as an aid to learning and to supplement more involved texts -- it is fun and that will mean that you will play it for fun and we all know learning is easier when its fun

Ideal guide to the night sky, 31 Jul 2007
This software is very good value that gives a detailed guide to the night sky. It has many features that make it useful to an inexperienced astronomer.

Useful, fun and educational, 06 Feb 2007
As an astronomer who is about to start teaching a night class in the subject, one of the biggest problems is that astronomy is such a visual subject. I will certainly be recommending Redshift to my students. This program is reasonably priced, and allows you to explore what you will actually need this kind of program for. This will stop you making the mistake of someone I know, who bought the most advanced level of one of the other programmes of this type, costing over £100, and uses it only to print off star maps!

I don't have a GoTo telescope so I don't have any use for guiding etc. but after a year I am still enjoying this program and use it to help me find ways of describing many of astronomy's wonders in new ways.

A good first planetarium program.

real life road signs..., 14 Dec 2004
I bought this product as I had failed on several occasions when practising for my theory test. I hadn't a clue with my road signs...OK i new the Stop and give way sign, but apart from that I had no idea.

I thought that this CD would be hard work and a little boring, but at least I would stand a better chance of passing my test. How wrong could i have been...i actually found myself on this CD for over 3 hours and I didn't feel like i was revising for anything! A few days later I resat my practise theory test and passed to my amazement :0)

I would really recommend this CD to anyone who is having problems with road signs. The real life pictures made it easier to, as you could see where you would find the sign on the roads, rather than reading it out of a book.

Would highly recomend this cd to anyone taking there test.

A good primer - but with some flaws, 06 Jun 2001
This is a good primer in the language giving around 300 words and phrases. Its main attraction is that you can hear the words being spoken, record yourself repeating the phrase and compare your pronunciation. Another plus is that there are lots of interactive practice sessions.

Its flawed in that there are a few errors within the package and some of the words given are a bit dubious. Sections like time and numbers could also easily be made far more informative with a bit more effort on the part of the developers. Previously I had tried the old Teach Youself Swahili and had given up because I didn't know how to pronounce anything. Talk Now has got me over this hurdle.

Passed first time!, 13 Dec 2006
Am so pleased - I passed first time using this product and I would highly recommend this to anyone! I bought this CD-Rom for the main reason that my driving instructor advised me to as it included all official tests and 3d practical driving tutorials.

Be sure to use the offer - I certainly benefited from it.


One Word "Fantastic", 20 Nov 2006
I got this as a gift and if you are need of a little help to pass your test as I was this is the product for you! I found the 3D driving lessons great fun and very easy to use. The animations are very high quality and it covers ever conceivable topic. I found the car maintenance video section easy to follow. This is excellent preparation for your test.
Its worth investing in this as it works out cheaper than paying for extra lessons!

GREAT PURCHASE, 16 Nov 2006
This CD-Rom is REALLY worth its money! Its has all you need to help pass your test.
I am not that computer literate but i found it easy to use and clear to follow.
I found the Hazard Perception test really helpful as it created the perfect senario of what it would be like in the real test.

The 3d motion graphics of the practical lessons were really impressive.

I have sucessfully passed my test and i dont think i would have been prepared if it wasnt for this product.

Execellent learing aid and great fun., 19 Dec 2007
You need a structured training course too, but it's an excellent addition and great fun.

good for beginners, 16 Sep 2004
dutch is a very hard language to learn and i found this helped me with the pronounciation, it is very basic and ideal for the complete beginner.

Does this really teach Dutch?, 03 Jan 2003
The answer to the question is no. The CD rom is simply a talking dictionary of a limited number of objects, although they are quite useful such as shopping and numbers. It does not even tell you how to speak or write a sentance or even put one together. So if you did go the the Netherlands you would only be able to say single words, mainly nouns such as cucumber or trousers, and probably not understand a lot of Dutch.
You can benefit from the CD rom by listening to the speakers saying the names of objects and you copying. But it's really not worth it. Some of the games are quite fun but they just test vocabulary.
A cassette and book are far better because they will contain more than what this CD includes. I recommend Dutch In Three Months (by Hugo) of the brand new updated Teach Yourself Dutch (the new one has a picture of a tulip field on the front, it came out on 1st Jan. 2003). With these you will actually be able to string a sentance together and learn a whole lot more and they cost about the same.

Good for the basics, 15 Sep 2002
I found that this software is very simplistic. It tends to emphasize simple vocabulary by repetition and games. While it does teach some phrases it does not touch upon grammar, sentance structure, etc. It does provide a good springboard into the Dutch language but it may leave you wanting more detail. On the plus side it is very user friendly and you will have no trouble getting started.

this is a brilliant cd rom, 26 Jun 2001
This CD rom is very good. I planned on buying it for myself, because I am quite good at speaking dutch, but I needed some more help. In the end, my two daughters were on it all of the time because it is mainly for beginners. But I have been on it a bit, and from what I have seen, it is very good for younger people, who are beginners

A real bargin, 30 Aug 2008
This is a great little piece of kit for the money. It's relatively easy to use (although the lack of written instructions make it a bit daunting to start with), and allows you to create wonderful designs. I've been particularly pleased with its ability to convert pictures, but be warned they can be quite big. I would advise that you buy a shade card as well, from one of the main silk manufactures like DMC, as it allows you check the shade the computer is suggesting against the real thing.

extremely good value for money, 20 Jan 2008
This is a fantastic product. I imagined something extremely basic for the price, so was amazed at the different features available. It is extremely easy to import photo files of various types - within seconds you see them as cross stich patterns, which you can edit (i.e. delete out confusing shadows or undesirable lines). It's also nice starting from scratch with your own pattern. Adding block after block in 99 different colours is a great way to doodle a pattern, and is very addictive.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cross stitch designer program.

Great, 18 Nov 2007
Reasonably easy to use. Has a help section which is helpful. Great way to design your own patterns. xx

Jane Greenoff's Cross Stitch Designer, 28 Aug 2003
Overall this is a great product. It is wonderfully easy to use and offers a great selection of thread manufacturers so that you can plan your designs to include your favourite thread range. One downside, however is that you are unable to personalise your pallette of colours to your favourites, and so I often need to reselect colours whenever i start a new design. Other great features include the handy video tutorials with sound - these are brilliant for beginners and offer many handy tips! Designs can be viewed as b/w symbols, colour blocks or colour stitches on a wide selection of aida colours, although options for other fabrics are not available.

It does work with Vista!, 27 May 2008
I run an Online Astronomy Group HantsAstro.org. This product, once updated works fine with Vista Premium. Visually it's not as pretty as Starry Night, but for the price offers telescope control with updated ASCOM drivers and runs an LXD75 telescope fine in our tests. The star catalogs are accurate and the interface, once learnt is quite useful, if a little clunky compared to Starry Night. As planetarium software goes, with introduction presentations to the night sky it does quite well. The 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' intro turns from amusing to a bit tacky after the third time you load it, but thankfully this can be turned off. Being able to generate your own reports for a nights oberving is a useful feature. If you want telescope control, this is a good deal but if you want eye candy too and don't mind paying (much) more, then Starry Night is the way to go...

Redshift 6 premium edition is not Vista compatible!, 13 May 2008
This product was advertised on the Amazon website as compatible with Windows Vista. Having just bought the product, the system requirements printed on the box are as follows: Operating System - Windows ME / 2000 / XP / x64.
No mention of Vista. Therefore I am making the assumption it is not Vista compatible. Amazon would be advised to read what is says on the tin before selling it!

Pretty good., 03 Jun 2007
Pretty good software - and popular too. A very strong feature is the 100% GEDCOM compatability. I found it slightly difficult to get to its way of organising the data input screens but the tutorials with it are thorough.

A Great Genealogy Program, 21 May 2007
Having tried a few different programs over a period of about 6 years this is undoubtedly the best and most comprehensive that I have used. Not the easiest to understand if you are just begining with genealogy but for a more experienced user I would say it is unrivaled. The way it reads native GEDCOM files is a real boon. Its split tree facility is wonderfull if you just want to extract part of your tree to give to someone else. The ability to just extract a head from a group picture is so usefull.
Great value and thoroughly recommended

Good product, but let down by a poor basic printed manual, 18 Jan 2007
As a novice to family history research I read several reviews of different products vying for this market before I took the plunge and committed myself to a purchase. Calico Pie's 'Family Historian' software came out consistently near or at 'the top of the heap' in most software reviews, and on that basis I decided that it was the one for me to buy. I have found that indeed, it does have many easy-to-use and very useful features. But I feel that it is let down by a very brief printed Introductory User Manual that comes with the software package. While Calico Pie include a more comprehensive manual in Adobe format, I feel that this is a bit penny-pinching of them. I, for one, do not have the inclination nor the time to print off a 200-plus page Comprehensive Manual. I would have been prepared to grit my teeth, unleash my credit card and buy a printed version, but sadly this does not appear to be an option. So, if you do choose this (otherwise very good) product, then if you want to get the most out of it, I would also advise you to purchase several reams of print-off paper, a clip file or ring binder in which to store the resulting output, and some additional ink cartridges for your printer. You might also decide to add some instant coffee to this list while you wait patiently for your printer to chug through the ensuing output!

The best just got better, 05 Jan 2007
Version 3 adds a whole range of powerful features to an already comprehensive program. There is a learning curve for this program especially for computer novices, but the pay off is an exceptionally flexible program allowing customisation of many areas of its output. With the added benefit of an active mailing list and user group forum, new users have a large variety of sources for help. If you want a program just to draw a quick family tree then Family Historian is not for you. If you want a program to document your family history, analyse and extract information and then produce comprehensive reports and charts then Family Historian is for you. If you are not sure then why not download the Demo version from the family-historian.co.uk website and try it out to see if it suits you, first.

A good choice for the UK user, 25 Nov 2006
As a novice I don't ultimately know how my needs will evolve. I tried various demo packages and have opted for this for the following reasons: