Family Tree Software

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Permalink Reply by Theresa Weller on December 16, 2010 at 5:55pm

I have FTM, too.  I've been using it forever.  Easy to navigate and easy to add stuff.  Dont have a scanner yet but you can attach docs to your individuals.  Prints nice family group sheets.  You can add or subtract what you want on reports.  I like the "Notes" section where you can put comments to yourself or put in tidbits that you cant figure where else to put them.  The only problem I have is the software doesnt recognize "dit" names and it doesnt like Indian names.  Its always asking for a correction.  I havent used any other software so I have no comparisons...

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Permalink Reply by Kim Mills on December 20, 2010 at 12:15am

I mostly use Roots Magic.  I love it's ease of use.  It's quick and easy to enter data in and easy to move around.  The only things I don't like about it are the website generator has not as many options as I'd like.  Also the media gallery doesn't do tagging.  But over all it's my fav program, I would defiantly buy it again.  I haven't printed many charts but the pedigree style does up to 6 generations per page.

I also use Legacy, just have the free version right now.  It's a great program as well, but I'm mostly going to use it for the website generator and a few forms that RM doesn't have.

If I had the extra money I would buy Legacy, but the free version offers a lot of great tools to.

I have FTM 2011 and it's ok, but it doesn't like my pc much.  It crashes almost every time I merge data.  Otherwise it's a good program and might work just find on your pc.

 

FTM doesn't have a free version to try but they do have vids you could watch.  But I'd suggest downloading the free versions of Roots Magic and Legacy and trying them out to.

 

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Permalink Reply by Mark Shelton on June 6, 2011 at 10:53am

I have legacy - full version. Everything you could ever need is in there - but finding it and learning to use it is another matter altogether.

 

The time has come for a simpler breed of family tree software, to complement the complex, lumbering giants like Legacy.

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Permalink Reply by Julia Coppard on June 6, 2011 at 4:42pm

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your message. I see a lot of people use Legacy.  I hadn't heard about it's complexity or learning curve required.  It sounds like more of an effort than a hobby!  

I decided to stick with what I know and am now using Family Tree Maker- it's easier as I use ancestry.co.uk for all my European family research and I like the story function it offers and family tree print outs.  I do also like myheritage.com though and for a free software, I managed to load up to 200 direct ancestors and it gave me all kinds of fun facts about my family i.e. most children born in a marriage, most common name, ancestor lived the longest etc.

I also made a vital connection to a London relative through loading my tree on myheritage.com so it was well worth the time and efforts in downloading export and importing GEDCOMS etc. etc.

 

While it's not a family tree software on your pc. I have now also conneted with many distant relatives through loading my tree on Genesreunited.co.uk I don't pay, so I can't access other peoples trees, but paying members can email me and ask about my tree which has found numerous distant cousins.  If you have European ancestry, you may want to also consider doing this for free.

 

These softwares are always evolving - perhaps Legacy will come up with a more user friendly version in future :-)

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