PRESS RELEASE

Wholly Genes Software of Columbia, Maryland, is proud to announce that The Master Genealogist v5.0 will be released as a downloadable product on Tuesday, 21 May 2002.

This brand new product represents a complete re-write of the most powerful family history project manager on the market. It has the long-awaited 32-bit interface with right-click menus, long file names, and support for the mouse wheel but that's just the beginning. It includes updated versions of the exclusive technologies for which TMG is famous, including GenBridge (direct imports without GEDCOM) and Visual Chartform (powerful charting tools) and it adds dozens of new and enhanced features. The Master Genealogist v5.0 raises the bar again and family history software will never be the same!

We have heard the passionate pleas from our users and we're releasing TMG v5.0 as a downloadable product even before the CDs and printed Reference Manual are in stock so that researchers can start using it as soon as possible. At the same, however, we've decided to hold back some features which have not been sufficiently tested. In particular, report output will be limited to charts (ancestor, descendant, hourglass, and fan charts) in this initial release. Using the new easy online upgrade feature (described below), we will release the remaining reports in coming weeks as they are certified by the beta testers. In the meantime, the core of the program is complete and you can import their data get started learning all of the exciting new features, including:

New tools make the program easier to learn and use:
· NEW: Beginner and Advanced Data Entry Modes
· IMPROVED: Import Wizard with Simple and Advanced Modes
· NEW: Welcome window simplifies startup options.
· NEW: Export Wizard simplifies GEDCOM and other export options.
· NEW: “Tips and Hints” expose you to new a feature each time that the program is started.
· NEW: “Cue cards” explain the purpose and options of each major screen when you access it.
· IMPROVED: Expanded context-sensitive Help

More Import Options:
· IMPROVED: Direct import options are updated to reflect the latest versions of supported programs.
· NEW: Import directly from Generations (without GEDCOM)
· NEW: Import directly from Legacy 3 or 4 (without GEDCOM)

More Flexible Data Entry Tools:
· IMPROVED: Expanded Abbreviation fields
· IMPROVED: Link a single research task to a person AND an event AND a source AND a repository
· NEW: Citation Reference field
· NEW: Each event participant can have a specific name variation associated with the event.
· NEW: Use Microsoft Word's spelling and grammar checker as an alternative to the built-in spell checker.
· NEW: Customizable name field labels and easily apply Name “styles”
· NEW: Customizable place field labels and easily apply Place “styles”
· NEW: Customizable Add Person window, including flags.

Better Searching Tools
· IMPROVED: Simple Picklist for fast access even with very large projects
· NEW: Expanded Picklist shows full names of parents and spouse.
· NEW: Expanded Picklist has Column Mode and Event List Mode to show more data.
· NEW: Web searching. Point and click to search for your relatives on Ancestry.com, Rootsweb, and other sites.
· NEW: Conduct one search for all name variations on multiple sites at the same time.
· NEW: Includes web links to searchable geographic databases
· NEW: Includes other useful web links for researchers
· NEW: The unique Project Explorer shows people in a Windows Explorer-like interface.
· NEW: Master Event List can be searched and sorted
· NEW: User-defined Focus Groups allow operations (e.g., web searches) on selected groups of people.
· NEW: Save/load Picklist filter conditions to file.
· IMPROVED: Unlimited user-defined bookmarks

Enhanced Charting Tools
· NEW: Produce flexible hourglass charts.*
· NEW: Rescale charts to fit a user-defined size
· NEW: Repaginate so that boxes skip page breaks
· NEW: Add and delete lines from individual boxes
· NEW: Simple and artistic frames jazz up your box charts.
· NEW: Design your own frames!
· NEW: Apply frames based on Accent conditions.
· NEW: Export charts to Enhanced Metafile (emf)

Improved Multimedia Support:
· NEW: Image Window displays the primary image of a person on the main screen.
· NEW: Exhibit Log shows scrollable thumbnails
· NEW: Produce multimedia slideshows with transition effects and other advanced features*
· NEW: Export slideshows send them to relatives with the included Slideshow Viewer*
· NEW: Drag and drop multimedia files from the Windows Explorer
· NEW: Direct scanner support.

Power New Project Management Tools:
· NEW: View multiple data sets at the same time.
· NEW: View/search your data with that of other researchers in one alphabetical list without merging them together.
· NEW: Open multiple projects at the same time and navigate them side-by-side
· NEW: Import and “lock” data sets from other sources
· NEW: Easily “Refresh” locked data sets upon receiving an update from relatives.
· NEW: Disable data sets
· NEW: Drag and drop to copy or move people between data sets.

The Most Customizable Working Environment:
· NEW: Control the size/position of every display window to completely customize the display.
· NEW: Easily switch between user-defined screen layouts
· NEW: Multiple independent toolbars
· NEW: Moveable and dockable toolbars
· NEW: Automatic support for Windows color schemes
· NEW: Customizable on-screen fonts
· NEW: Custom Toolbar includes new options
· NEW: Change the order of flags on the Flag window
· NEW: Change the row height on the Person View (i.e., show events with wordwrap).

Supercharged Accents:
· IMPROVED: Use an unlimited number of Accent conditions to display people in different colors on the screen.
· IMPROVED: Define Accents based on elaborate conditions (e.g, Born in Virginia, > 10 children, etc.), not just flags. · IMPROVED: Accent definition displayed on the Status Bar
· NEW: Save/load Accent conditions to files

Additional Convenience Features:
· NEW: Item Tips show pop-up extended text by simply pointing the mouse to long memos on the Person View.
· NEW: Send your completed charts online to be printed at a budget price on a large-format color printer.
· NEW: Online upgrade option checks for a more recent version. If one is found it is downloaded and applied automatically.

NOTE: The Master Genealogist v5.0 no longer includes a bundled copy of the Ancestry Genealogy Library(tm). Users who received that second CD with TMG v4.0 will still be able to access The Source, Red Book, Ancestry's Concise Genealogical Dictionary, and other material on that CD from within TMG v5.0, however, so hold on to your 2nd CD!

TO PURCHASE: TMG v5.0 will be available on the Wholly Genes web store (www.whollygenes.com) on the release date cited above. At that time, you will be able to purchase and download the product (~20 Megs). The purchase price includes a CD-ROM and printed Reference Manual which will not be available at that time but will be shipped at a later date as they become available.

PRICE:
o The upgrade fee from TMG v4.x is $30.00. A valid serial number will be required.
o The upgrade fee from Family Tree SuperTools is $59.00. Proof of purchase will be required if not purchased directly from Wholly Genes.
o For non-upgrading users, the new price of TMG v5.0 will be $79.00. This represents a 20% reduction in the suggested retail price due to the fact that it no longer includes the bundled copy of the Ancestry Genealogy Library(tm) as described above.

All prices exclude shipping and handling. Other discounts may also apply (e.g., for registered users of both TMG and FTST) and will be selectable from the web store. (* Slideshows and some charts are not included in TMG Silver Edition.)

Company
Wholly Genes Software is a privately held corporation founded in 1993 with the goal of providing professional caliber software tools to family historians. Its flagship product, The Master Genealogist, is among the highest rated family history project managers and is in use in more than 30 countries around the world.

Press contact:
Tim Shaw (410)715-2260 x129
Wholly Genes Software

The Master Genealogist™, GenBridge™, Visual Chartform™, and Chartform Delivery™ are trademarks of Wholly Genes, Inc. All other trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Send mail to webmaster@whollygenes.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2003 Wholly Genes Software. All rights reserved.

The Master Genealogist, Family Tree SuperTools, Visual Chartform, Chartform Delivery, and
GenBridge are trademarks of Wholly Genes, Inc. All other trademarks belong to their
respective holders.