MEETOO  After filtering out the obligatory hype that all software companies make about their own products (best Mac program ever written etc. etc.), ReadIris HAS received a lot of very favourable independent Mac magazine reviews.

And given the unbelievable asking price of alternatives like 'Omnipage Pro'(AU$1,079) - which apparently doesn't do anything that ReadIris can't do just as well - it may be the only realistic OCR solution for "the rest of us".

However, one thing puzzles me about this company... Why spend so much time and effort developing a product (with the presumed end-goal of selling to make money), then totally stonewall your potential customers when they come calling? Who knows, perhaps it's a traditional Belgian custom and actually an honourable compliment, like being offered sheeps eyeballs for lunch by Beduin tribesmen.

After filling in the obligatory request form at their site, I was told that a download link for their demo had now been sent to my email address. No it hadn't! So I tried again... and again... Still nothing. I then fired off an email to their support address politely requesting the missing download link, but (yup, you guessed it)... Total silence!!

I'd love to test drive this app, send 'em my money if it lives up to their claims, and perhaps indirectly even help their sales by posting a favourable review, but at this rate I'll be long dead before that day ever dawns.

From other comments I've come across in the meantime, they seem to be NOTORIOUS for stonewalling, so I also worry about any after-sales support I might need in future.

IRIS needs to get its act together, and perhaps even employ someone specifically to answer customer correspondence, instead of leaving it to the janitor or anyone else who just happens to take a coffee break in front of a computer terminal and stumble upon your desperate requests for help by pure chance.  
(Version 11.0.3)

MEETOO  I reckon GETSOMESAUCE's line "... stop using Office..." is right on!! Way to go, buddy!

My own advice is to steer well clear of any company that (figuratively speaking)ships their products in pick-up trucks an' their security patches and bug fixes in 18-wheel semitrailers.   
(Version 11.2.6)

MEETOO  Ooops... Forgot to include a rating in my review below :-(  
(Version 3.72)

MEETOO  Having trialled about every genealogy program there is, GEDitCOM is (in my experience) streets ahead of the others. So much so in fact that it turned out to be a "one-horse" race.

Fast and immensely powerful, with an intuitive interface which can be fully configured to suit the user's own needs.

Only criticism I have is that the extensive documentation (300+ pages long) seriously lacks illustration, allowing the reader to get bogged down in technical jargon. However, this only becomes a problem IF you decide to 'tweak' the already adequate interface.

Leaves (the much over-rated and over-priced) 'Reunion' eating GEDitCOM dust. If you want something that runs like a Mattel toy, go for the others. But if you're serious - JUST TRY THE DEMO! A superb app...  
(Version 3.72)

MEETOO  A superb, yet simple-to-use app that (in my view) blows away anything I've used before on Mac or Windoze platforms, and it's fairly small documentation and physical size disguises Osmond's real power and capability.

I agree that Mr. Chavez is very responsive to suggestions and feedback etc.. So much so in fact that I feel guilty about pestering him again to ask why - after some months - the file icons reverted to 'generic' when all other app icons are unaffected (probably something I did anyway...)

HIGHLY recommended!  
(Version 1.0.2)