5 Responses for "What good genealogy software programs do you recommend? Mine is old and outdated already?"

1. Holly N December 29th, 2008 at 11:45 pm 1

   I use family tree maker and have for years. You can try their beta version for free to see if you like it at familytreemaker.com.

   Just don't put a lot in it so you don't have to retype when you buy the cd.
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2. Benthebus December 30th, 2008 at 12:20 am 2

   I use Generations for my tree and custodian 3 for keeping my index's.
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3. Lola December 30th, 2008 at 12:57 am 3

   The real question is the purpose you have for it. FamilyTreeMaker is most helpful if you have a subscription to Ancestry. Their charts, and reports are inflexible, and awkward at times. I'd recommend getting it from Amazon or another seller – as it can be cheaper, and can come with free months of access to the site.

   Family Tree magazine did a rating on various programs for their Jan issue.
   http://www.familytreemagazine.com/articles/jan08/software.asp

   There are other programs if you are not in the US that are likely to be better for you.
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4. wendy c December 30th, 2008 at 1:32 am 4

   Personal ancestral file is the program from the LDS church, which is a long time standard, even if it is free. And they are among the most serious genealogists out there. Any of the standard programs should be completely transferable via gedcom. Actually, the more bells/whistles in a program, the more likely there are to be 'proprietary', and difficult to switch.
   Just an alternate perspective to consider. Some of the BEST qualified researchers I have known, were not concerned with programs,or even computers, but the content of the research itself
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5. pams4125 December 30th, 2008 at 1:52 am 5

   Try the Family Tree Maker 16 Version. The new version FTM 2008 is constantly being updated and requires a lot of work still. Version 16 has a lot to offer including charts,scrapbooking, etc. and other software included. It also includes a subscription to Ancestry.com if you buy at a retail store instead of online. If you have used software before The Genealogist Master is the best I have been told. A lot of serious genealogists use both. The Version 6 you can download and use it as a trial. I personally would wait until the Version 7 comes out though sometime next year if you are going to go to that expense. Hope this helps.
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   personal experience for over 8 yrs.