Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum

I just upgraded to FTM 2009 from a 1996 version and I am so thankful I did. New capabilities, new tools and much more intuitive. This is really going to help my family tree work. My entire family is excited about searching for their ancestors, their history and FTM 2009 gives us the tools we need and the professional results we want.

This is the most creative upgrade to Family Tree Maker, well, ever. Functionality is greatly improved, graphics, instant "hints", reporting, "uploadability" and much more. The downsides are only a few: 1) freezes more than it should; 2) double dates (1711/1712, etc) not only don't apear automatically, they can't even be inserted manually; 3) takes a bit more self trainning to find everything you're accustomed to using. The optional trainig manual "The Official Guide to Family Tree Maker 2009" is a must. Genealogy Networks has been helpful so far when I've gotten completely stuck on a few issues. Get their phone number and call.....I really don't find the self help guides very 'self-helping'! All in all, it's worth the time and effort if you enjoy keeping one or multiple data bases on file.

My wife and I have used Family Tree Maker for the last 5 years. I am generally one who always wants the latest version of programs -- but I had seen the early questionable reviews of FTM 2008 and stayed away from it. I watched carefully as the reviews toward the end (with the three major improvements) started to turn. I corresponded with Ancestry during the end of testing phase for FTM2009 and decided to take the risk. It was WELL-WORTH the risk and the wait. My wife does not like change and she was ready to stay with FTMv16 until she saw more of what I was doing and how things allow you to see more information clearly. We have not tried all of the features yet and there are a few disappointments (CSV export is not as good), but we are really excited about being able to continue our family research farther and wider back into history. I strongly recommend going for the Platinum version for the extra resources and the "built-in" 6-month subscription to Ancestry. (Hint: Do not activate the subscription until you are ready with everything else -- data updated and names entered).

I have used Family Tree Maker since 1996. I was very disappointed with the 2008 version but I stuck with it because I knew it was an entirely new program and it would take time to find out what all the issues are and make the corrections. I was very glad to find out that they decided to scrap 2008 and were working on the 2009 version. I was a beta tester for 2009 and I was very impressed with how hard the staff worked to correct problems and how they were willing to listen to suggestions. One of the big problems with 2008 was the fact that it constantly crashed. Since I have been working with 2009 crashing hasn't been an issue. Since the media files are kept in a separate file, 2009 does not take as long to open as it did in versions prior to 2008. I do know that some people still say it takes too long to open for them, so they are still working on this problem. It has been said that the charts and reports are not as good as they were in versions prior to 2008. New charts and reports have been added and more are expected to be added, but this is an area where you must be willing to "play" with the options to really see what is available. Since I had so many problems with 2008 I didn't use the new features that were introduced, but I have tried them in 2009 and they are very useful. The web clipping feature is helpful. Please make someone aware of any issue's or concerns that you may have with 2009. Issues do need to be prioritized so your issue may not be taken care of right away, but someone is listening to all issues.

I have beta-tested both FTM 2008 and 2009 and have had excellent dealings with all the staff involved. From the first I realized that this product is a highly progressive and intuitive program, and it has been a joy to use. The continuing research by the developers of additional modifications to make the software even more user friendly is always on-going. I have used Family Tree Maker for a number of years, and I would truly be lost if I were to revert to either older versions or try and cope with another brand of genealogical sofware entirely. The on-line tutorials are great, as there are always little things that you either haven't tried, or forget about. All in all, I highly recommend FTM 2009 as an essential tool in any serious genealogical research.