Family Tree Maker* (FTM) 2019 was released on 29 Sep 2019, as a 30th anniversary edition. I’ve been using FTM for over 20 of those years, ever since Brøderbund Software released version 4.0 on CD-ROM for the first time. The software has seen many changes and improvements since its inception. The pre-order sale email from the current developer, Software MacKiev, touted 10 main reasons to upgrade to version 2019. I’ll cover each of those reasons in turn, as well as a few other points, based primarily on using the version for macOS (Mojave), but I took a gander at the Windows version, as well.
[Read more…] about Family Tree Maker 2019 Released – A Review (Updated 26 Oct 2019)Mac Software
Family Tree Maker 2019 To Be Released Soon
Jack Minksy, president of Software MacKiev, the developer and publisher of Family Tree Maker, posted the following announcement on Facebook on 23 Sep 2019:
[Read more…] about Family Tree Maker 2019 To Be Released SoonFamily Tree Maker 2019 Pre-Order Sale
I recently received an email from Software Mackiev announcing a sale for the upcoming Family Tree Maker 2019 upgrade. That offer has since expired, with the upgrade price now $39.95, $40 less than the regular price and $20 less than the normal upgrade price. There are some interesting new features that might make it worthwhile. These are the top 10 reasons to upgrade, as presented in the email:
[Read more…] about Family Tree Maker 2019 Pre-Order SaleThe Family Tree Software Alternatives Series
This is the landing page for The Family Tree Software Alternatives series, which reviews 14 major Mac and Windows applications for recording family trees. The focus is on compliance with the GEDCOM standard, both for importing and exporting files, but other aspects, including usability and major features, are addressed as well. Some of the information is now out of date, since some of the applications have released newer versions, but most of the points still hold true.
Part 1: How to Scrub Your Data
Part 2: How to Get Your Tree out of FTM
Part 3: RootsMagic 7
Part 4: Reunion 11
Part 5: MacFamilyTree 8
Part 6: Family Tree Builder 8
Part 7: Heredis 2015
Part 8: Gramps 5
Part 9: iFamily for Mac
Part 10: GEDitCOM II
Part 11: Legacy Family Tree 8
Part 12: Ancestral Quest 14
Part 13: Family Historian 6
Part 14: Should You Stick with Family Tree Maker?
Part 15: Brother’s Keeper 7
Part 16: RootsMagic 8
How Well Does Ancestry.com Handle GEDCOM?
Family Tree Maker to GEDCOM to Other Apps Crosswalk
The Perils of Following the GEDCOM Standard
Why All Genealogy Apps Should Support GEDCOM 5.5.1
The Event Structure in GEDCOM Files
Genealogy apps should always follow the GEDCOM standard, right? You’d be justified in thinking that if you’ve read many of my articles, and generally speaking, apps should follow the standard, especially 5.5.1, since GEDCOM 5.5 is obsolete. However, what should apps do when there are mistakes in the standard? Should they import, export, and/or validate GEDCOM files strictly according to the standard, or according to how the standard should have been? This is a letter versus spirit of the law question, and the answer depends on the mistake in question and the purpose of the app. [Read more…] about The Event Structure in GEDCOM Files