Genealogy Software for the Mac
There's no other major item most of us own that is as confusing, unpredictable and unreliable as our personal computers. Everybody has questions about them, and we aim to help.
Here are a few questions about computers I've received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about family-history programs for Apple, protecting all the computers on a Wi-Fi network and transferring iTunes libraries between computers.
If you have a question, send it to me at
mossberg@wsj.com, and I may select it to be answered here in Mossberg's Mailbox.
Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can't routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.
Q: Are you aware of any good genealogy or family-history software programs for Apple? I have a Windows genealogy program, but recently switched to the Macintosh , and need a Mac program that can import my Windows data.
A: The best-known genealogy program for the Mac is Reunion, now in its eighth version. It costs $99 and is from Leister Productions, at
www.leisterpro.com. It supports the Gedcom standard for genealogy data and should be able to import the basic information from your Windows program, if that program can export its data in the Gedcom file format.
A German company called OnlyMac Software offers another Mac genealogy program, called MacFamilyTree, at
www.onlymac.de/index e.html. It costs $49, is also compliant with the Gedcom standard, and should be able to import the information from your current program. Both Reunion and MacFamilyTree are available in free demo versions you can try before you buy. But I haven't tested either, so I can't make a recommendation.
Q: I have a Wi-Fi network at home via a desktop PC where I have Norton AntiVirus software deployed. For a laptop that I never use outside the home, do I also need separate antivirus software, or will the standard Microsoft updates/patches be sufficient?
A: You should be running antivirus software, and several other types of security software, on every Windows computer on your network. Running security software on one PC on a home network, even the main PC, doesn't protect the other computers on the network. Left unprotected, they can become infected quickly.
To repeat what I have written many times: every Windows computer that is connected to the Internet, directly or indirectly, should contain an active, updated copy of an antivirus program, a software firewall, an antispyware program, an antispam program and a popup blocker. Obtaining, installing and updating all these programs is a pain in the neck, but it's necessary.
Q: I have purchased a new computer and would like to know how to transfer my extensive iTunes library to the new computer. Both the PCs are running Windows.
A: Just move over the song files from the old PC to the new one, using any of the common transfer methods: cables, a network, burned CDs or USB flash drives. If you have an iPod, you can also use inexpensive or free third-party (not Apple or Microsoft) software, like CopyPod, to move the songs from the iPod to the new computer. Or, you can use any leftover space on the iPod's hard disk to transfer the songs, without special software. Next, download and install a fresh copy of iTunes onto the new PC and import the transferred songs into it, using the "Add Folder to Library" command in the File menu.
If any of your songs were purchased from the iTunes Music Store, you will have to make sure the new PC is authorized to play them. Under Apple's rules, you can play purchased songs on up to five computers. To authorize the new PC, just click on any of the purchased songs and play it. A dialog box will open asking for your ID and password. After you enter this information, and the first song plays, your computer will be authorized and all your purchased songs should play -- as long as your total of authorized PCs and Macs is five or fewer.
If you are getting rid of the old PC, or if you are at the limit of five PCs, you can deauthorize the old one by simply going to the Advanced menu in iTunes and clicking on "Deauthorize this computer."
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Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can't routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.
Mac家谱程序
在我们大多数人拥有的大件电器中，再没有什么比个人电脑更令人费解、更变幻莫测的了。每个人或许都有些关于电脑的问题，而《莫博士信箱》将为您提供帮助。
本周我将回答读者有关Mac家谱程序、如何保护Wi-Fi网络中的所有电脑、以及在电脑间转移iTunes数据库的问题。
问：你知道有什么好的能用在苹果电脑上的家谱程序吗？我曾经有一个Windows的家谱程序，但我最近转用了Macintosh操作系统，因此需要一个Mac程序来导入我的Windows数据。
答：用于Mac操作系统的一个最有名的家谱程序就是Reunion，目前已经开发到第八版。它的售价是99美元，由Leister Productions开发，网址为
www.leisterpro.com。Reunion支持家谱数据的Gedcom标准，如果你的家谱程序能够以Gedcom格式导出数据文件，那么Reunion应该可以用来导入你Windows家谱程序中的基础数据。
一家名为OnlyMac Software的德国公司开发出另外一种Mac家谱程序，名为MacFamilyTree，该公司网址为：
www.onlymac.de/indexe.html。它的售价是49美元，也应该能够用来把你目前程序内的数据导入新的系统中。Reunion和MacFamilyTree都有免费的试用版，在购买之前你都可以试用一下。不过这两种软件我都没有用过，因此无法给你做更多的推荐。
问：我在家里通过台式电脑建立了一个无线保真(Wi-Fi)网络，并在上面安装了Norton AntiVirus软件。我有一台笔记本电脑从来没有在屋外使用过，我是否需要再单独为其安装防毒软件呢？微软标准的升级、补丁程序是否已经够用？
答：你应该在网络内的每台Windows电脑上都安装防毒软件和其他类型的安全软件。在家庭局域网的一台电脑上安装安全软件、即使这台电脑是主机，也不能保护网络内其他电脑，它们很快就是受到病毒的侵袭。
我再重复一次我此前多次提到的一个注意事项：每台连接到互联网的Windows电脑、无论它是直接还是间接连入，都应该安装一套最新版本的安全软件，包括防病毒软件、防火墙、反间谍软件、防蠕虫病毒软件和弹出式拦截器。购买、安装和升级这些软件是一件痛苦的事情，但却是必不可少的。
问：我购买了一台新电脑，我想知道怎样将我庞大的iTunes数据库转移到新电脑中，这两台电脑安装的都是Windows操作系统。
答：如果只是将歌曲文件从旧电脑转移到新电脑，你可以使用普通的文件转移方法：数据线、网络、CD或U盘(USB flash drives)。如果你有iPod，你还可以通过像CopyPod等此类便宜或免费的第三方（不是苹果也不是微软的）软件将歌曲从iPod转移到新电脑上。或者，你还可以利用iPod硬盘内剩余的存储空间来转移歌曲，而无需任何特殊的软件。下一步就是在新电脑上下载和安装iTune，使用文件菜单中的“在数据库中加入文件夹”(Add Folder to Library)的命令将歌曲导入进来。
如果你的歌曲是从iTunes Music Store上购买的，你可能还需要确认新电脑获得了播放这些歌曲的授权。按照苹果的规定，你只能在至多5台电脑上播放购买来的歌曲。要获得授权，你只需点击任何一首购买来的歌曲播放，这时会出现一个对话框，要求你输入用户名和密码，在你输入之后，第一首歌开始播放，这时你的电脑就获得了授权，你购买来的所有歌曲应该都可以播放了，只要获得授权的电脑数量没有超过5台。
如果你想处理掉旧电脑，或者你授权电脑的数量达到了5台，你还可以取消旧电脑的授权，做法很简单，只要打开iTunes的高级菜单，点击“取消这台电脑的授权”(Deauthorize this computer)即可。
