3 comments about Personal Historian Software.

1. This program has some nice features for organizing one's personal history and story. The lists of events, music and other important happenings by date is extremely useful for establishing the time period when a personal life event took place. The program is worth the price for helping you to organize your thoughts when you write your personal memoir.



2. This program comes with a small but effective word editor. On the left panel of the screen there are a series of statements or questions meant to joggle your memory about past events.
   
   When you enter the persons birthdate, the series of questions are customized for the life span of the person. The questions and categories containing the questions can be customized.
   
   Photos can be added to the records.
   
   When you've finished entering your data, the program will generate a report that can be printed, saved in RTF format or saved as a PDF.
   
   Requests in the forum are for a table of contents and an index. Neither of these are available now.
   
   If you have a genealogy program, much of the data can be imported using GEDCOM. The program will read data from a ROOTS MAGIC data base directly.



3. This lets me organize the info I put together,it is stored in one place.

5 comments about Family Tree Maker 2008 Essentials [OLD VERSION].

1. Many of the reports, views, etc. from the older version are missing in this version. Available reports cannot be customized as much as in the older version. Printing is a nightmare, and apparently impossible with a wide format printer-which my old version handled just fine. I uninstalled it and went back to the old version I purchased 4 years ago.



2. I finally got used to the new format of FTM 2008 and 2009. What I cannot get used to is that the program frequently closes for no apparent reason and gives me an error message. The folks at FTM/Ancestry instructed me to go into a particular directory and delete a certain folder and restart the program. That solved the problem for a short time and it recurred. In fact, the last time I used FTM 2009 it shut down right AFTER I had just applied the fix. These are the most UNSTABLE versions of FTM I have ever used.



3. This product gets the basics done, but is somewhat cumbersome to use, and my copy did not connect to the internet like it was supposed to. I would not recommend this particular version.



4. My purchase in 2009 arrived with program dated 1998! An immediate upgrade was necessary via complicated download taking an hour plus. This is irresponsible. Registration was not possible because the program could not determine I was logged on. I was. Therefore I could not enter my authentication ID for member services which seem: Only a portal to buy more stuff. I have used Brother's Keeper genealogy program since about 1994. Once a customer, updates are or (have been) free. Brother's Keeper does all I want to do and I have tossed Family Tree Maker 2008 Deluxe in the waste basket. I hope this saves someone that nuisance.
   
   Huff



5. I don't like the layout of this Family Tree Maker. The previous versions were simpler & had an easier to understand format. The fonts were larger, and tabs were handy to switch individuals. If I basically have to learn to use a new program, I am going to go with one of the higher rated genealogy software systems, like Legacy or Roots Magic.

5 comments about Family Tree Heritage Deluxe V7.0.

1. Family Tree Heritage Deluxe 7.0 is the latest version of the venerable Heritage Family Tree. As such, it has all the features of the solid earlier version plus some welcome additions including a field for recording DNA information, a useful individual summary page, the ability to print family books, and links to on-line resources. Although FTH 7.0 may not be as glitzy as more expensive packages, it is full-featured, has many useful tools and is a great value. FTH 7.0's data can be imported/exported to most popular genealogy programs so there is no need to be concerned if one of the more pricey programs catches your eye in the future.
   
   I have only one quibble with FHT 7.0. Individual Sofware's package and the on-line brochure for the product indicate that one can create multi-media presentations and burn them to DVD to share with family or bring to reunions. While Passages Express is indeed bundled with the installation CD, it is the limited Standard Edition. In order to access advanced features, including DVD burning, one needs to upgrade to Passages Express Deluxe--at an additional cost of $19.95 for the "Deluxe license." There is no indication anywhere on the box or in the included matter that you must pay more to burn DVDs--a glaring oversight, especially since the claim that the program will burn DVDs appears in three different places on the box. This sort of marketing technique makes one wonder if there are any other features that are limited or not included. Individual Software should correct their packaging or include the upgrade at no charge.
   
   While the over-stated claim about DVD burning is annoying, the Family Tree Heritage itself does everything a good genealogy program should do and does it well. FTH 7.0's flawlessly organizes scapbook items such as scanned documents; Word and text files; images; PDF files; and sound and video files within individual records.
   
   Beginners should learn the basics of genealogy terminology and data gathering before diving in, but with program's editing features, mistakes and mis-steps are easily corrected.
   
   FTH 7.0's low list price is attractive and some retail packages currently (December 2008) include a $10 mail-in rebate.



2. Purchased this version of Family Tree Heritage (FTH) to replace my 2002 version of FTM. For the money it is full of features, separate data files for text, multimedia and, photos which I use frequently. This makes any data corruption of files less tragic. Don't forget to backup often anyway. If you use any other geneology software, learning to navigate this program does not take long. Plenty of buttons to click and pull down screens for adding all kinds of information and source notes.
   
   The biggest gripe I have is NO PRINTABLE MANUAL. Yes, they do include a PDF manual with the program but it only prints on 8-1/2 by 3-1/2 paper and NOT on 8-1/2 by 11: If you do print on letter size paper, the text is small and hard to read: a total waist of ink and paper. I had to print the whole manual one page at a time, enlarge each page to letter size text then copy each page in back-to-back book style: a REAL HASSLE when all they needed to do is make it print on standard paper. Guess they don't want anyone to really READ this stuff.
   
   For the money , this softwae is hard to beat, easy to learn and keeps lots of details on individuals. Falls way short on a good user (printer friendly) manual.



3. The thing I like the most about this software is it is super easy to use. I have bought a few other programs and got frustrated and set them to the side. The other thing that I like are all the features you can use to create a scrapbook of your history, once you have completed your information; tree, events, pictures, and notes. My daughter and I created a DVD slideshow for our family reunion in Chicago this summer. It was very cool, and now we have new family enthusiasts who are sending us materials for an update!



4. As far as organizing, just as good as FTM or RootsMagic, but misleading; indicates that a wonderful DVD/CD can be made to share with others. Have had over a year and still trying to find a way to make this wonderful DVD to share. Wanted to be able to put photos with the information...if anyone can figure out how it's done, please let us know. Deleted and went back to FTM 2009, This software was a waste of my time and money.



5. So,So. Not easy to understand and one of the applications doesn't work. I could still use some of it though.

5 comments about Family Tree Maker 2009 Deluxe [OLD VERSION].

1. I have been using Family Tree Maker since it first came out. My current version is 16. Family Tree Maker just sent me the 2009 version because I am a subscriber to some of their online data files. I don't know if I can improve on any of the 1 star statements, as I agree with all of them. One additional failure of the program is the loss of medical history and cause of death of individuals. I suspect that most of the people that rated this software a 5 are new to Family Tree Maker and don't realize how good the old program is. I am deleting the 2009 version from my system and will be looking for a new genealogy program.



2. I have been using the FTM software as long as I can remember and up until the 2008 rewrite had little or no issues with the software. Since then, a great piece of software has steadily gone downhill. Here are two of the biggest issues I have...
   
   1. Let's say you have been married three times in your life. You have two ex-spouses and a current spouse. All of your data in FTM properly indicates marriage and divorce dates. Your Relationships show one "Spouse - Ongoing" and two "Spouse - Divorced". Now run a Kinship report for yourself and examine your spouse and ex-spouses. The report will list them all as current... effectively saying you are married to three different individuals at once or, in other terms, a polygamist.
   
   I reported this issue to Ancestry in November of 2008. They finally responded to me in February of 2009 and eventually told me that "I can affirm that our developers are working on a fix for your issue". No fix for the issue was ever released for the 2009 software and I have already confirmed with Ancestry technical support that the problem STILL exists in 2010.
   
   2. I have one brother and sister. I also have one step-brother and three step-sisters. I share no common ancestors with my step family. But if I run a Kinship report for myself, my steps are reported as half-brother and half-sisters. Their children are reported as my niece / nephew. Yes, I understand that between us all they call me uncle and such, but the reality is that we are not related.
   
   Again I reported this issue to Ancestry in March of 2009 and Ancestry confirmed that my data was configured properly. Their response was "currently working to fix it" and "it is slated to be corrected in Family Tree Maker version 2010". When I contacted Ancestry recently to confirm this has been fixed, their response was "Unfortunately this particular problem has not been resolved in Family Tree Maker 2010" and "we are not aware of the specific details relating to the kinship report". A very helpful support person has confirmed for me that the 2010 software STILL reports step brothers and sisters and half brothers and sisters. Their children are reported as "son (or daughter) of the half-brother (or sister)".
   
   So what it boils down to is this... if Ancestry tells you "we reported it to our developers" or "it will be fixed in the next release", you can rest assured that NOTHING will be done about your problem.
   
   Other issues with the software that Ancestry has done nothing to fix...
   
   1. You click in the NAME box to begin adding a new individual. Because you want your mouse out of the way, you move it down. But in doing so you pass over the "Marriage to [unknown spouse]" label. You start to type the name and nothing happens. Why? Because when you moved your mouse over that label, the focus changed to some mysterious location. You have to be careful where you move your mouse otherwise your cursor jumps away on you.
   
   2. You want to add a new Task for an individual and you want to categorize it. But the Category list is empty. Why? Unknown. The only way to add the category is to switch to the Plan view after you have added the Task and then select the Category. This was reported to Ancestry and all necessary proofs were provided. Their response in February of 2009 was "appears to be a bug with the tasks from the people workspace. This has been reported to the developers and they are working on a solution." No fix has ever been provided for this.
   
   So if you do not mind reporting to your family members that they are polygamists or are ok with having your step relations reported as half relations then by all means buy this software. Other aspects of it are fine and work as expected. But if you encounter any issues like described above or come across any new, forget about having them fixed.



3. I have been using FTM software for years and recently upgraded to 2009 FTM Essentials. I have about 3000 names in my files and when I print the Calendar Report some names are left out, some deceased people are shown, some anniversaries are not shown, etc. On previous versions when a day such as July 22 had more names than would fit, a second page printed. Not so in 2009. It just leaves them off. You cannot change the fonts on a Calendar report either. Very disappointed. After many emails with their technical support and no resolution, I have pretty much given up and am looking for a new program.



4. very easy to download and use. just besure to call ancestory about the 3 months free use. your credit card info will have to be given.



5. We enjoy using the Family Tree Maker. We did have it on our computer before and had problems where we had to get a new hard drive and the program could not be transferred. Our son has been using this program for years and we had purchased it so we could keep up with "our trees" and when we talk we can share information. Our opinions are that it is a good program.

5 comments about Family Tree Maker 2008 Deluxe [OLD VERSION].

1. Software freezed up everytime I tried to use it; will not connect to the internet. I finally gave up and went back to using the older version, "Family Tree Maker Essentials", which works great. Don't waste your money on the 2008 version. Stick with the old one, or try 2009, but all you'll get out of this one is the free 3 month subscription. But even then, I couldn't do it online, since it would not connect! I had to call the customer service people to activate it.



2. The soft ware is working good. I just had a hard time getting it up and running because Iwasn't aware of a patch that need to be downloaded to be able to register it. Other then that I've been very impressed.



3. I was a little lost with this version. It has sone big differences and is more like Roots Magic. I am still trying to get the internet connection promised.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   



4. I like what I have done so far. A little disappointed that I cannot just transfer my tree from Ancestry, but I can deal with it.



5. Well, I just received this product and it seems the 3 months FREE to [...]doesn't have an expiration, so if nothing else this may be worth the [...] paid with free super saver shipping, untaxed, as the specific vendor wasn't in WA, where I and Amazon are, so I added a [...] base Amazon product to complete the, at least, [...]order.
   
   The main program and registration doesn't recognize that I am online even though I am connected to the Internet; other aspects of the program connect OK.
   
   The add on material seems OK. The 2009 version says it has increased synchronization with Ancestry.com, which 2008 definitely NEEDS!
   
   My main interest is Genetic Genealogy, which the computer based portion of the program seem to have absolutely Nothing; if there is something please let me know as a comment!

5 comments about RootsMagic Family Tree Genealogy Software.

1. This is my first family tree software and it was easy to figure out right from the start. I was getting way too many people and family names to keep organized on a regular spreadsheet. I was literally getting lost in generations. With Rootsmark it is easy to keep individuals and families in order. I now have nearly 900 people and 450 family names listed. It is easy to navigate back and forth between any of them. It is simple to add photos and documents to individuals. There is lots of help on the software and at the Rootsmark website. Check out their tutorial video online for a good basic idea how the familytree software works. The only problem I have is transfering data from one computer to another. I get it done, but I think there is an easier way.



2. I purchased RootsMagic, ver. 4 in August of 2009. I had used another genealogy program for 20+ years, and while I was very happy with its ease of use and capabilities this program could not present citations in the style recommended by Elizabeth Shown Mills in "Evidence Explained."
   
   I read many reviews and tried several free demos of other genealogy programs. I was very impressed with the citation routines in RootsMagic 4. I spent several months converting a small project I was working on from my old program. It was not until I was well into this work that I noticed a serious flaw with RootsMagic ver. 4.0.7.1. [...]. What is uploaded are the citation format field names used to create the database, not the actual citation.
   
   Sharing my work with others is important to me. Work without citations does not allow the reader to properly evaluate the quality of the data. I contacted RootsMagic's help line 7 weeks ago. After exchanging files to help locate the source of this problem and being told Tech Support would look into this I have heard nothing. I inquired again at 4 weeks, but was told nothing.
   
   If you intend to only share your work by paper copies this is an excellent program. I would seriously consider another program if you intend to share GEDCOM's with non-RootsMagic 4.0.7.1 users.



3. I purchased this item for my husband as a gift. He is so happy with how easy it is to use. He has been tracing his family's background for awhile and really had no way to organize, compare facts, and arrange dates until he starting using this program. I did a review of other products and decided on RootsMagic4 because of other feedback and the ease of using this program. My husband loves this program and feels like all the paper, notes and newspaper articles he has been working on are now organized and located at his fingertips with this wonderful program. He always remarks to me what a super job I did in finding such a great genealogy software. I love the fact his office and work area are now neat and organized. :)



4. Great Product, vendor was very responsive. Disk was dirty and wouldn't run but a quickl cleaning and all was well...



5. Again, as in the past, received prompt service from Amazon and the vendor, got the purchase in excellent condition and am using it.. very well satisfied with the experience and the product...

5 comments about Reunion 9, Genealogy and Family Tree Software for Macintosh.

1. Caveat: I am relatively new to genealogy and not as well versed in the other software. I also only have a Mac so my software selection was limited.
   That being said, I am very pleased with Reunion 9. I have an lot of family data readily available (multiple bound volumes heading down multiple lines) and I have an eventual eye on putting it all into an electronic format so I wanted a very solid and sophisticated program. I also wanted a program that was generally easy to use but not at the expense of functionality.
   Reunion is quite easy to use. It comes with a manual (electronic) and tutorial that helps you get started. Some of the options seem a bit odd at first but after some practice and more experience, it becomes clear how they fit in. It is clear that the writers of this system are versed in complicated family trees. I did get prompt and helpful customer service when I had questions about the best way to integrate 2 large already-completed family trees. I am impressed with the lovely reports and they way it quickly sorts through loads of data to make it understandable.
   Other amateurs should note that the program (and, indeed, probably no program) will be able to substitute for careful attention to detail. I was hoping that whatever software I bought would be able to somehow magically know if a "John Smith" was the same John Smith in another branch of the tree. This is practically impossible barring some gift like birthdates that happen to match in both. Reunion can easily merge records (if, indeed, the two Johns end up being the same), so it makes fixing those issues painless. It can also do a lot to flag potential duplicates. You, however, need to make sure it's all accurate.
   Overall, I'm pleased.



2. Waste of money. Program is so dated, very tedious, confusing, boring and bland. Hard to believe this is a MAC program. Price is way over the top and overall not good value. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE.
   I bought IFAMILY FOR LEOPARD-that gets a definite WOW from me.
   Don't waste your money on Reunion, buy ifamily for leopard.



3. I have been using the Reunion software now for about two weeks and find it very user friendly. It is very easy to move around from place to place, make corrections, and go back and make additions to something already worked on. I would highly recommend it to any Mac user.



4. I'm just getting started compiling genealogical data from several sources into Reunion and, so far, it seems remarkably intuitive. I haven't yet tried to integrate images, but the advertised capabilities of this software are impressive, and to date the claims have proven true. I have also purchased the Reunion app for my iPhone, though I haven't tried synching them yet.



5. Add me to those who are satisfied with this software. I find it easy to navigate and easy to enter data. With a little time investment you can learn a few shortcuts to enter data even faster. It prints results in many different formats and exports data as mentioned. I like the report of how each person is related to you. I'm happy I went with Reunion 9.

5 comments about Family Tree Maker 2010 Platinum.

1. "Support" just says, "we know it doesn't work, we are trying to fix it." That does not help. Windows seven has been out for months now, and was out in Beta many months before that. FIX IT, or give us back our money!



2. I am getting back into my family's genealogy after a few years' absence and I thought I wanted a simpler program than the one I had used in the past - The Master Genealogist. After a month's trial with the Family Tree Maker, I went back to TMG - it is not that much more complicated than this one and it is so much more flexible and more comprehensive in almost every way. For instance, once a woman marries, she is shown in the index under her maiden name and her married name.
   
   I did like that 6 months' free access to [...] was included with FTM. There is nothing really wrong with this program, it's just if you've ever used TMG, nothing else compares.



3. Complete software package, good opportunities for ancestry entries. Like so many geneology activities, however, the scarce data is hard to find and substantiate. Buying software like this when on sale is great!



4. FTM 2010 from Ancestry.com is very user friendly, has many extra features for recording facts about your ancestors and numerous useful reports to print. The software is updated annually, but you can skip a year or two before buying again. FTM is fully integrated with Ancestry.com website for an annual fee to update or crosscheck your FTM database. There are some cons, but not of major concern and I have not had to contact their user support. This product also included 6 months of Ancestry.com membership in the price, which made it a great overall value.



5. This product is still not working after three long phone conversations with help desk personell who were not able to get it working. Very disappointed!!! Will give it another try.... Hope for better results.

5 comments about Family Tree Maker 2010 Deluxe.

1. Recording family genealogy is one of my "bucket list" items that will hopefully help current and future generations when some family members, like myself, finally get around to wanting to know more about where they came from. As did other genealogy hobbyists, I saw the need for a data management tool very early. I have since been a Family Tree Maker user for many years dating back to the early 1990's. What I like most about Family Tree Maker is the efforts through the years to continually maintain and improve the software with new, reliable features and functionality. Before recently upgrading from FTM 2006, my family genealogy work had taken a backseat to other interests. But now being semi-retired and with renewed interest to get on with my "bucket list", the features in FTM 2010 Deluxe made it time to upgrade. What a great decision! I especially like the new screen designs that show on one screen information that took multiple screens in FTM 2006, the improved internet research tools, the improved source documentation features, and the DNA project which may be the only means left to determine my GGgrandfather's ancestors. Anyone interested in becoming a long-term genealogy hobbyist should seriously consider Family Tree Maker as a means for collecting and preserving his or her family history treasures.



2. I have to say that this software is amazing, its not perfect but none of them really are. I tried several and ended up with Roots Magic which is a very good software, with nice features, but it is very bothersome and time consuming retyping all the data you find, unless you have the Gedcom file to import.
   
   I usually buy things like this from Amazon, but this time I received Family Tree Maker 2010 because it was part of a subscription package. I decided to give it a try, so I imported the Gedcom file I exported from RootsMagic.
   
   The software lets you search from within the software from places like [...], Google, etc, and if you find legitimate information you can merge it to people in your tree, the software copies all the data for you, and even adds new people. It lets you choose what details you want to include, no more typing! Plus it automatically puts citation for the references in your tree. You can also copy media file images such as photos and images of census records. When reviewing a person in your tree all the references are right there for you to view if you need to. I wish I would have bought this sooner.
   
   The coolest feature is that the software automatically finds matches to data [...] you will see a little leaf next to the person in the tree, click on it and it will pull up the search on Ancestry you can review all the info and if you choose you can import new info and people that you find for that person. With a few clicks I was able to add a whole new branch to my tree plus add all the media files all without typing a single name.
   
   Awesome! Well worth the money. But if you don't want to spend the extra money check out Roots Magic, they also have a free version on their website called Roots Magic Essentials that works very well. I used the free version for quite a while, ended up upgrading to use the extra features.
   
   Have fun!



3. I've purchased this product and got to say, it's pretty good. I'm trying to learn more about it, as I use it. Linked [...] is certainly a plus. Organizing family data is easy, plus you can print out or email the family tree to others to share is an excellent plus. I highly recommend it.



4. Always wondered about my roots. Found out things my mother did't know. I'm using it everyday to search my family tree. Works well with Ancestry.com. The free 3 months of Ancestry are almost up and I'm very far into it. I recommend this product very highly and plan to dig even deeper into my ancestors past....



5. I have really enjoyed this Tree Maker. This is the first one I have ever purchased, so I can't compare it to the older models, but I like the way it works. I have not had any problems with it so far and I like the way it labels the relatives to the person who's information you are working with. I would buy it again without any hesitation.

5 comments about Family Tree Maker 2010 Essentials.

1. The Family Tree Maker 2010 would be great except when you have dial-up internet, it is so slow changing from one screen to another while using (...). My computer has enough hard drive to handle the program, but it is frustrating when trying to get more information from (...). I am currently just using (...) and then will download it onto Family Tree Maker. I think the description should have stated it would be slow on dial-up.



2. I didn't have any complaints about this version of Family tree maker till I tried to export my files to a cousin with the 2008/2009 version. First, I couldn't directly burn it to a disc (had to use a cd/dvd burning program to do it). Then when my cousin received the disc, she couldn't directly import the file because the only way that the files are copied are in backup and you have to restore, not import the file. (Doesn't mention that when you're looking into importing. Found that out from the tech support at Ancestry.) I don't if this is so difficult because I have windows 7 or because I'm not a techie. It should be more idiot proof (user friendly) since we're not all computer geniuses.



3. I have always liked Family Tree Maker but haven't upgraded the past few years because the reviews were terrible. Rave reviews on this version caught my interest and I ordered. Glad I did because it is great so far. I still don't like Ancestry's handling of the free membership in [...]. They require that you provide your credit card number for the free membership "for your convenience" so they can automatically renew your membership if you forget to cancel. I see this as a bit of a scam on their part. Membership in ancestry is good if you have never used it before, but I have hardly found any new information over the past six years.



4. Easy to use. Addictive, however, causing very late nights because it is hard to stop researching. I found the small leaf icon
   indicating more information about a person may be available to be helpful. A couple of clicks and the possible sources are listed with links. Thanks to Family Tree Maker, I have been able to connect with five other people so far whose trees contain members of my family members. While I have attached images to tree members, I have not yet tried attaching video and music files. I like the feature of being able to add notes and anecdotes because that humanizes the entries beyond just names and dates. Because the program allows a personal tree kept on your hard drive and another one with [...], I sometimes get confused as to which one I'm updating but I've only been using the program for a couple of weeks. Family Tree Maker has made the process of creating a family record easy and organized.



5. First off, I am a young adult new to genealogy research. I bought this software to create my family tree, and especially to research the German side of my family (to find my ancestors beyond my great-great-grandparents & how/why they came here, etc). I love the way this software works seamlessly with the research tools and archives on [...], and allows me to merge the information I find into my tree. It also saves the sources (census records, ship passenger lists, etc.) and links them to the corresponding person in my tree, so if I need to refer back to it, all I have to do is go to that person.
   
   On the downside, the interface is not perfect; it has a learning curve, and there are a few things that are not as straight-forward or seamless as they could be. I am still learning the nuances of it and discovering features I hadn't yet used. Also, a warning about the included [...] subscription: it is only good for one free month (whereas I had assumed "includes a subscription to [...]" meant a full year). Annual US membership is $155.40 if paid in full, or $[...]. if you choose to pay monthly.
   
   Overall, I am happy with my purchase, and even though membership is expensive, having access to so many records all at my fingertips and not having to travel to libraries, museums, and other places where those records are kept makes it worthwhile. I'm looking forward to completing my research in as few months as possible and presenting my findings at my family reunion this June!