Why FTM and not just the online tree on Ancestory.com? What are the advantages of using FTM?
216269
The biggest advantage for me with Family Tree Maker is being able to print out reports (ancestor based, descendant charts etc. that include siblings) to hold in my hand and look over while searching files on ancestry.com. You can print reports and books from ancestry but they cost you big time, which may be fine when you are all finished but not until then.
904810
Family Tree Maker 2008 is Vista 64-bit compatible, according to Microsoft's Windows Vista Compatibility Center (the URL is monstrous so I put at end of post). Family Tree Maker 2009 is not listed, probably because it is so new, but if 2008 is compatible I'd have to think 2009 is also. There's a seriously geeky web page that looks at FTM 2009 and includes Vista 64-bit: http://members.shaw.ca/arnie-krause/ftm_2009.htm. All that said, I do not have Vista yet. I found your post because I am considering getting a new computer with Vista 64-bit and had same question. Please post if you have success or failure! Thanks. The URL: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/Details.aspx?type=Software&p=Family%20Tree%20Maker%202008&v=The%20Generations%20Network&uid=17&pf=0&pi=1&c=Hobbies%20%26%20Personal%20Improvement&sc=all&os=64-bit
1987600
FTM 2010 is, in my opinion, the best out there and I have been working on genealogy since 2000. Use the help functions, the on-line tutorials and go take a class on this software at you local history or genalogy center. I strongly urge a beginner to go take a basic genealogy class to get you started.
1420449
Thank you. I sort of thought it had something to do with that but it seems so long. Thought I was missing some obvious feature. Thanks for your input
1141027
Dasa, thank you so much for posting this. It's so great when teach-savvy people like you are so generous as to pass on tweaks like this to all the rest of us non-experts. (And doubly so since there are sites out there charging for this same info -- as they have every right to do, of course, since the data are clearly valuable. That much moe generous of you to take the time to write it up in accessible form & pass it along out of the goodness of your heart.) We all really appreciate your taking the time to help out us mortals.
1010980
To E. Hopkins:If you need to upload MDs to the computer, you need this unit and that's all there is to it. You're not going to find anything else than can read your MDs, not ever.The MD format may have a very few points in favor of it over modern flash recorders, but I wouldn't think that any of those points would be so compelling that the advantages offered by the more modern recorders wouldn't far outweigh them.
153126
I think you should look at the National Geographic genetic testing program. I was not happy with 23andMe - the list of "cousins" they posted on the website disappeared and were replaced with other people. There's a lot of discrepancy with their informatin and they don't respond to questions about it. Just my experience.
2077950
William, I think after Broderbund's Family Tree Maker going through so many companies, it is now a part of Ancestry.com and has been re-branded as such. Here's an article from Wikipedia: Family Tree Maker (FTM) is advertised as "the #1 selling genealogy software". As with other genealogy software, FTM allows the researcher to keep track of information collected during research and to create reports, charts, and books containing that information. The software was originally developed by Kenneth Hess of Banner Blue Software, which was purchased by Brderbund in 1995. It passed through the hands of The Learning Company, Mattel, and others before coming under its current ownership. A redesigned Family Tree Maker 2008 was released August 14, 2007. The 2009 version of the program corrected some of the errors and omissions of its predecessor, and introduced a few new features.[citation needed] Family Tree Maker 2010 claims to further enhance the radical re-design and be more powerful and feature-packed with faster navigation and quicker load times. A version for the Mac was released in 1997, but due to low market demand was discontinued for over a decade. A new version of Family Tree Maker for Mac was finally released November 4, 2010. Family Tree Maker Version 16 was awarded a CODiE Award in the "Best Consumer Productivity Solution" category in 2006.
153127
Yes, you buy the kit, follow-directions for spit etc., send it in, wait (for a fairly long time if there is a backlog) and when processing is done all the results will be on the website. You can also upload your raw data file to other sites like GEDMATCH for more ancestry information. After you order the kit, you have access to the forums where you can ask questions, see wait times etc. I think this was your question versus how useful that information was, but I think if you are interested in Genealogy, you might want to consider one of the others...ancestry is best with GEDMATCH (free, uses existing raw data), I think. Yes, you buy the kit, follow-directions for spit etc., send it in, wait (for a fairly long time if there is a backlog) and when processing is done all the results will be on the website. You can also upload your raw data file to other sites like GEDMATCH for more ancestry information. After you order the kit, you have access to the forums where you can ask questions, see wait times etc. I think this was your question versus how useful that information was, but I think if you are interested in Genealogy, you might want to consider one of the others...ancestry is best with GEDMATCH (free,... » Read More Yes, you buy the kit, follow-directions for spit etc., send it in, wait (for a fairly long time if there is a backlog) and when processing is done all the results will be on the website. You can also upload your raw data file to other sites like GEDMATCH for more ancestry information. After you order the kit, you have access to the forums where you can ask questions, see wait times etc. I think this was your question versus how useful that information was, but I think if you are interested in Genealogy, you might want to consider one of the others...ancestry is best with GEDMATCH (free, uses existing raw data), I think. « Show Less
1384642
Not much of a difference - you can still pretty much do the same things with both (books and all) and can still sync to ancestry.
1846411
I found that I could use it as just a format. Yes, at least for me it was stand alone. It's just that if you are missing data you have to search it on your own and then add it manually. I needed a lot of missing data and so I'm at a stand still on what I will do next as it seems that Ancestry.com had very little to offer me and kept offering sites that required more fees. Other than that the software was pretty straight forward as long as you read the instructions. Good luck and hope this help.
380692
Try National Geographic DNA Project. I think they're probably the best. Was not impressed with 23andMe
819545
Lots of good stuff. Go to Metagenics Web Site. Open an account. This will let you review all the details.
99267
Just go to your new version of FTM and click on open and then on your old data for family tree it will automatically update what you have to the new version, might also ask you a few questions if this is what you want to do and of course you do.
1009969
Yes, but I would be careful. The reason I didn't continue with Roots Magic was that all my gedcom files did not transfer. I had a lot of information in my files other than the basic birth, death etc....things of that nature. If you don't have a lot of notes, it should be okay. If you are like me and have a lot of notes etc. then I would be wary.
2268810
Theres spots for all of the first major holidays. Then it has a page for the 1st thru 5th birthday, as well as a few blank pages to record anything you want. It also has somewhat of a growth chart. It's nothing compared to the old fashioned ones, it's more modern and gives you more freedom of what you want to put rather than suggesting what you should put.
1580361
no - it just has suggestions on how to enter your ancestors - correctly- on the chart. but there are many websites to help you with your ancestors and the LDS church [the Mormons] has free to the public, not church members [well they can use it too] but you can go to many church libraries in every state and get on their computers and search your ancestors for free.. that is what I do.