When starting your journey into the whole realm of family history, somehow paperwork seems to miraculously multiply around you. I have never quite worked out how it happens, but it does. And if you’re not to this stage of your research yet … expect it!! It will come.

This paperwork is your research, and as such contains, names, dates, notes, mini pedigrees, contact details of distant cousins who might have family photos etc. So all extremely important stuff. But to really make sense of it all, and to keep a track of the info that you already have, you really need to put in into a genealogy program.

There’s several things to note when looking for a genealogy program. Choose a program that is right for YOU. They are all a little different, and one may well be better suited to you than another. Recommendations from others are great, but nothing beats being able to try a program out for yourself.

So below is a listing of the genealogy software we sell, together with a little about each, the price, and the publisher’s websites .

ANCESTRAL QUEST

Ancestral Quest 12.1 – $49.50
Win 2000, XP, Vista, Win 7
http://www.ancquest.com
download the demo

Ancestral Quest (AQ) family tree software is an easy-to-use and versatile genealogy program for Windows. Its format is perfect for the beginner and yet powerful enough for the most advanced genealogist. Easy data entry, keyboard shortcuts, scrapbooking, professional printouts, and excellent sourcing capabilities are just some of this genealogy software program’s wonderful, award-winning features. The publishers offer a fully-functional version for 60 days, which gives you plenty of time to work out if this is the program for you.

FAMILY HISTORIAN

Family Historian 4 UK Edition – $99.95
Win 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista, Win 7
Family Historian 4 Aus/NZ Edition – $99.95Win XP, Vista, Win 7
http://www.family-historian.co.uk
download the demo

This is a very different looking program, as it is a person based program, in preference to most which are family based. Apart from that it does have a number of unique features that others don’t, mostly in the way you view information, but also in its ability to view charts on screen. There is a demo available, so have a look at it if you wish. This came out at top choice in the ‘Choice’ Magazine’s genealogy software overviews in 2010.

FAMILY TREE MAKER

Family Tree Maker 2010 Aus/NZ Platinum Edition – $99.95
Family Tree Maker 2010 Aus/NZ Deluxe Edition – $59.95
Win XP, Vista, Win 7
http://www.familytreemaker.com

The best known of all programs, this has been around the longest, and is owned by Ancestry.com, the world’s largest genealogy company. For many people it is their program of choice, while others won’t go near it – so it is really a personal opinion. This new 2010 edition has been added to from 2008’s total rewrite. There is no demo of FTM, but the publishers have put a slideshow as well as a video tutorial on their website which you can look at.

LEGACY FAMILY TREE

Legacy Family Tree 7.0 Deluxe – $59.50
Legacy Family Tree 7.0 Platinum Aus/NZ Edition- $79.95
Win 98, Me, 2000, NT, XP, Vista, Win 7
http://www.legacyfamilytree.com
download the demo

You can download the “Standard” edition of Legacy for free. This is not a trial or demo version, and can be used for as long as you like. The difference between the standard and the Deluxe editions is that you don’t get the program CD, the printed manual, the licence code and some features have been disabled. The difference between the Deluxe edition, and the Platinum Aus/NZ Edition is that the Aus/NZ one comes with extra data CDs, a 3 month subscription to WorldVitalRecords.com and some gift vouchers. The program in both versions is identical.

ROOTSMAGIC

RootsMagic 4 - $49.50
Win 2000, XP, Vista, Win 7
http://www.rootsmagic.com
download the demo

This is a good quality program that is continually gaining support through new users. Easy to use, and well supported, with good reports and charting capability, this is a good program for those wishing to start adding their family tree data to a genealogy program. There is a free version called “RootsMagic Essentials”, which is a functional program, with some features that are in the full program disabled but if nothing else it is an excellent way to assess the program.

THE MASTER GENEALOGIST

The Master Genealogist Version 7 Gold – $82.00 (program on CD)
$69.50 (program as a download) or $112.00 (program & manual)
Win 2000, XP, Vista, Win 7
http://www.whollygenes.com
download the demo

This is at the top of end of programs, but it is way too much for many in relation to what it can offer. If you’re wanting ‘a nice easy program to use just to add names, dates etc’ this program probably isn’t for you. It is so different from the other programs in so many ways, such as visually, its terminology, and its charting capability. The publishers offer a fully functional (allows import, export, printing, saving etc) 30 day trial of the program. After that, the demo is viewable, but not useable.

iFAMILY FOR LEOPARD

iFamily for Leopard – $44.00 (download only)
Apple Mac OSX 10.4 or later (Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard)
http://ifamilyforleopard.com
download the demo

iFamily for Leopard is a relatively new genealogy program specifically for the latest Macintosh with Leopard. It is a genealogy application for people who think differently. There is a demo available, so feel free to have a look.

REUNION FOR MACINTOSH

Reunion for Macintosh 9 – $149.50
Apple Mac OSX 10.3 or later (Panther, Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard)

http://www.leisterpro.com

download the demo

Reunion has been the best Macintosh program available for a long time now, and it continues to holds its place. It is a well-written, well-supported program, and is very easy to use, and does have powerful charting capability. There is a demo available if you wish to try before buying.

This is in no way intended to be a comprehensive list of all genealogy software that is currently available, but rather a good range of them. As each of them a little bit different, it is good for you to take the time to work out which program is going to suit you the best.

If you would like to read up some more before making your decision, here’s some great places to do so:
Genealogy Software Reviews
Choice Magazine

Having worked in the genealogy industry for many years now, I come across many people who have often heard of ‘GEDCOM’, but really don’t know what it is, how it works or understand the importance of it.

Firstly what is GEDCOM?
GEDCOM is an abbreviation that stands for GEnealogy Data COMmunications. In short,it is the language (file format) by which different genealogy software talk to one another. All recent genealogy software supports GEDCOM imports and exports.

Why do I need to know about it?
Can you imagine spending years and years typing in thousands of names, dates, places, and citations, only to find out that when you upgrade your trusty five-year-old desktop computer to a new swish little laptop you have to update your genealogy software too? Then you find out, your genealogy program won’t work on Windows 7 (or has since been discontinued) … what do you do? Would you consider starting all over again? If you have your files saved into GEDCOM you won’t have to!!

If this happens to you, the first step to do, is to save your current files into GEDCOM, because if your files are in this format you can then bring them into ANY current genealogy software. Then secondly look for another program (I won’t go into that here as that’s post for another day – but we do sell a range of genealogy software).

Another reason to know about GEDCOM, is that if you wish to send copies of your genealogy data to your reli’s who are also researching the family, there is a good chance that they may not be using the same program as you, so to be sure they can read it – the saftest way is to save your file as a .GED, and send that.

Another thing you will need to you know about GEDCOM is that it is good, but not perfect. Not all the data fields in a genealogy program are specified precisely in GEDCOM. Or your present genealogy program might be perfectly happy with a birth date listed as, “after 1847 but before 1852″. However once that information is exported to a GEDCOM file and then imported into a family tree program, the birth date may say something else, or typically is left blank. Despite all the shortcomings, GEDCOM is still a simple and somewhat effective method of transferring genealogy data from one program to another. Most of the data will transfer properly, and then there are easy ways of reviewing the data to look for errors.

Generally names, dates, places and relationships do transfer without a problem, text, events, notes and source citations may not always work perfectly. The exact problems encountered will depend upon the two genealogy programs involved. But for a family tree of 1000’s using GEDCOM to transfer your data still saves a lot of work, although retyping from scratch also does have its merits too.

How do I save my file into GEDCOM?
Without going into the specifics of each program, if you are wanting to save your file into a .GED format to send to a relative (or just for your own backup of course), this is usually done by going to the top bar of your program, click on File, then scroll down to something like ‘Export to’ or ‘Save As’ (programs do vary their wording, but they’re generally all pretty similar), then follow the prompts. If it isn’t obvious, press the F1 (Help) key, and search for GEDCOM.

When saving your GEDCOM file, the really important thing to know is “where” you are saving your file, as you will need to access that file sometime, so you will need to find it.

When should I save my file?
This is entirely up to you, as it also depends on how much work you do on your tree. Personally I backup my file into GEDCOM format everytime I do any work on it, some would suggest once a week, others once a month. I’ve also heard a number of bad news/good news stories of people who’s computer crashed and lost all data, only to then be able to recover most of it from recent backups or GEDCOM files. So it really does pay to take to extra time to have good backups.

Hopefully this gives you a brief introduction, and underlines the importance of having your file backed up in both your genealogy program’s normal format, and also GEDCOM.

Happy researching!!

Family Tree Maker, one of the world’s most popular genealogy programs, also allows users to upload their tree straight from their data file, to the Ancestry.com website. Uploading a tree from Family Tree Maker to Ancestry.com differs depending on your version. Please follow the instructions below if you have Family Tree Maker 2008, 2009, or 2010.

Family Tree Maker 2008, 2009, or 2010 allow you to upload your file directly to Ancestry.com through the program.

1. Open the program and click on the People section at the top

2. Click on the Share button in the upper-right corner and select Upload to Ancestry…

3. Decide what options you would like to upload your file with, and click OK. You can choose between Entire file and Selected individuals on the left, as well as different Privacy and Media options on the right

• Checking Privatize Living People will change the name of anyone considered by the software as living to Living Surname. Facts and Shared Facts for living individuals are also not exported. However, Ancestry.com automatically privatizes living people for you
• Include private facts uploads all facts. Private facts are not private on Ancestry.com. They are treated as regular facts. Privacy is handled by privatizing the tree file itself. You will be given this option when you upload your file to Ancestry.com
• Include private notes uploads all notes. Notes are always treated as private on Ancestry.com, and can only be viewed by the owner of the tree and those invited as Editors.
• Files uploaded to Ancestry.com have a limit of 75 mb. Media files, such as photos, can add a lot of weight to a file. If you are having a hard time uploading your file, try un-checking Include media files

4. The file will be processed and uploaded to Ancestry.com. An Internet window will then open titled Upload Your Family Tree Maker Tree with various options

• Tree Name is a required field. Please type in a name for your tree. It would be best to name your tree using only alpha-numerical characters. Using other characters such as slashes and commas can cause issues loading your tree
• Allow others to see my tree as a public member tree allows you to adjust the privacy of your tree. By default, this box is checked, which means your tree will be a Public tree. If you want your tree to be private, please un-check this box
• Description allows you to type in a description for your tree. This isn’t a required field
• The checkbox labeled I accept the Submission Agreement is required to be checked. If you would like to read the Submission agreement, you can click on it to view that, or also view that by clicking here
• Click the Upload button to finish this process. You’ll then be taken back to your Home page with a screen that says your file is being transferred to Ancestry.com and will be available shortly

Click the Upload button to finish this process. You’ll then be taken back to your Home page with a screen that says your file is being transferred to Ancestry.com and will be available shortly.

Visit the Ancestry.com website for more Questions and Answers relating to Family Tree Maker, and using the Ancestry.com online trees.

[Please note, a portion of this blog post has been copied from the Ancestry.com Help file]

So it is finally going to happen …

Ancestry.com have made the announcement at the NGS Conference today that they are planning a Macintosh version of Family Tree Maker due for release later this year.

While I’m not a Mac user myself, I do know that the Mac market is definately a growing one, and will no doubt make many previously-PC Family Tree Maker users happy, as they can continue to use their fav program on a Mac.

It is said that … “it will be built on the functionality of Family Tree Maker 2010 and constructed from the bottom up to take full advantage of the Mac platform in terms of technology and user experience”.

So what do you think? Are you excited for a Mac version?

Stay tuned for more … we’ll let you know as we hear more details.

This post was recently put on the Legacy Family Tree Blog and as it answers a question that we do get from time to time, felt that it was useful to pass this on to our customer and blog readers.

——

The question from Tim was: “Can I use Legacy to trace more than one set of parents without creating two different family files?”

Legacy answer: Yes Tim. Here’s how…

First, notice in the image below (click to enlarge), that John Brown’s parents are Charles and Sally Carter Brown. Let’s assume that these are his biological parents.

To add a second set of parents (such as adding his adoptive parents) follow these steps:

1) Click on John’s “Parents” icon.

The “Parents of John Brown” screen appears. In the “Relationship to Father” and “Relationship to Mother” fields, you should enter how John is related to each parent.

2) Click on the “Add New Parents” button.

This adds the second set of parents (displayed as “Unknown & Unknown):

3) Click on “Unknown & Unknown”, and then click on the “Add Father” button.

Add the information for the father and click Save. Do the same with the “Add Mother” button. Add her information and click Save.

4) Enter how John is related to the second set of parents in the “Relationship to Father/Mother” fields.

Done!

When you click on the Select button to return to the Family View, you’ll notice that John’s second set of parents appear above him, and John’s Parents icon now has the number 2 next to it, indicating that he has two sets of parents. When you want to navigate between the parents, just click on this icon and select the other set of parents.

I think this should answer your question Tim. Do others have experience in researching/recording two sets of parents? Do you have other suggestions?

——

You can find more information on Legacy Deluxe or Platinum here
To visit the publisher’s website click here

Millennia, the publishers of Legacy Family Tree made the announcement earlier this week, that “New FamilySearch” integration is now available in Legacy Family Tree 7.4 (public pre-release).

The FamilySearch integration features are now available in version 7.4. The Update  is available in two versions, the Standard edition which is FREE, and the Deluxe edition which is US$29.95.

For the differences between the versions, check the “which version do you want to download” chart on the publisher’s site.

Anyone using Legacy Family Tree version 7 Standard, Deluxe or Platinum editions can update to version 7.4.  Click here for details on the release, and here to download the update.

Version 7.4 is certified in Access, Print, and Ordinance Status. This will allow you to:

• Match your Legacy individuals with FamilySearch individuals
• Combine potential duplicates that exist at FamilySearch
• View the real-time ordinance status of individuals
• Much more…

Please note: if you wish to purchase the Legacy 7.4 upgrade edition, you will have to buy it direct from the publisher’s in the US as it is not a product (Update) that we can sell.

Just keeping you informed, Version 7.5 will follow within the next month or so with more features.

For more information including downloading the free update, as well as videos on the FamilySearch update visit the FamilySearch page on the Legacy website.

A complete overview of all the latest Windows and Mac Family Tree Software available in Australia. Including Manuals, Guide Books, Upgrades and more.

Family Historian (WIN)

Family Historian 4 – Software – $99.95
First released in 1995, Family Historian has proved itself to be one of the quality well-written genealogy software programs available, and has many dedicated users worldwide.

Family Historian 4 Australian and New Zealand Edition – Software – $99.95
The Australian and New Zealand Edition includes the following:

• - Family Historian 4 program CD
• - Australian Shipping 1788-1968 (CD) – $59.95
• - Australian Dictionary of Dates and Men of the Time (CD) – $29.50
• - New Zealand Directory 1866-67 (Stevens and Bartholomew) (CD) – $43.50
• - 90 day subscription to WorldVitalRecords.com.au

Family Historian 4 Upgrade from Version 3 – Software – $49.95

Getting the Most from Family Historian Manual (version 4) – Manual – $29.50
This book has all the information you need to become an expert in using Family Historian 4 – one of the leading genealogy software programs available. It uses simple examples and tutorials to take you easily through all the major features of the program.

Family Tree Maker (WIN)

Family Tree Maker 2010 Deluxe Australia and New Zealand Edition – Software – $59.95
Family Tree Maker 2010 provides users the tools they need to build their family tree, record their memories and organise their family photos, stories, videos and audio clips in a way that will help them easily capture and share the story of their ancestors.

Family Tree Maker 2010 Platinum Australia and New Zealand Edition – Software – $99.95
Users can now track the migration paths of a person and their family through time, by mapping event locations with Microsoft Bing Maps. They can also view relationships between any two people in their family tree by using the improved relationship calculator and create family books made from information and photos from their tree.

Family Tree Maker 2010 Upgrade Australia and New Zealand Edition – Software – $39.95

Who Do You Think You Are? Family Tree Maker Version 2008/17 – Software – $19.95
If you are wanting a copy of Family Tree Maker but don’t need all the ‘extras’, and don’t need the very very latest, you can buy a copy of the ‘Who Do You Think You Are? Family Tree Maker’ which comes with the 2008 version of Family Tree Maker.

The Family Tree Maker 2010 Little Book of Answers: Tips, Tools and Extras – Manual – $15.00
Whether you want to learn how to create a family health history, discover the best way to enter adopted individuals in your tree, or create custom exported files, the “Little Book of Answers” can help. In quick, easy-to-understand topics, you’ll learn how to adapt Family Tree Maker 2010 to work for you and your unique family. Works as a great companion piece to The Official Guide to Family Tree Maker 2010.

The Official Guide to Family Tree Maker 2010 – Manual – $37.50
The Official Guide to Family Tree Maker 2010 — your complete guide to creating a family history you and your family will treasure for years to come.

iFamily for Leopard (MAC)

iFamily for Leopard – SOFTWARE – $44.00
iFamily for Leopard is a genealogy application for people who think differently. Whereas other genealogy software tends to emphasize the family unit, this software’s focus is on each individual person. This distinction is subtle and is a feature of iFamily for Leopard.

Legacy Family Tree (WIN)

Legacy Family Tree 7.0 Deluxe – Software – $59.50
First released in 1997, Legacy Family Tree has not only stood the test of time, but the creators have have managed to yet again enhance the program, without make it too flashy, while still keeping it nice and easy for the first-time user.

Legacy Family Tree 7.0 Platinum Australia/New Zealand Edition – Software – $79.95
HOW DOES THIS DIFFER FROM LEGACY FAMILY TREE 7.0 DELUXE?
In short … it doesn’t … this one just comes with extras. The program is the same in both packages. The Australia/New Zealand edition comes as a boxed product, includes 4 Australian and New Zealand Data CD’s and 3 months subscription to worldvitalrecords.com.au.

Legacy Family Tree 7.0 Deluxe Upgrade from Versions 5.0 or 6.0 – Software – $49.50

Legacy Family Tree 7.0 Platinum Australia/New Zealand Upgrade from Versions 5.0 or 6.0 – Software – $69.95

Legacy Family Tree 7.0 Printed Manual – Manual – $29.50
Are you using either the free Legacy 7.0 Standard edition, or the Legacy 7.0 Platinum Aus/NZ edition – neither of which come with the printed manual – but would like a manual for some extra help?

Legacy Family Tree Training Video CDs Volume 1 – DATA CD – $39.95
Learn Legacy Family Tree at your own pace from the comfort of your own computer. Each of these training CDs has been updated for Legacy Family Tree Version 7.0. This Volume 1 set contains the following training CDs:

• - Legacy for Beginners
• - Mastering Legacy: Names, Dates and Places
• - Your 12-Step Checklist to Using Legacy
• - Legacy’s Ultimate Guide to Sources
• - Researching with Legacy: Mastering Events and Chronologies

Legacy Family Tree Training Video CDs Volume 2 – DATA CD – $39.95
Once you’ve learnt the basic features of Legacy either by viewing Volume 1 training CDs, or by working through it yourself, then you’re ready to find out more about the program. Get even more out of Legacy with Volume 2 training CDs:

• - Legacy’s Tagging and Searching Made Easy
• - Creating and Sharing Perfect Reports
• - Insider’s Guide to Legacy: Tips and Tricks
• - Video Guide to Working with Digital Pictures in Legacy

Legacy Family Tree Training Video CDs Volume 1 and Volume 2 Set – DATA CD – $69.50
Suitable for beginners right through to advanced – and covering everything from first time entry of data, through to tagging, chronologies, and photographs … everyone will learn something using these video training CDs. Simply place a CD in your computer, and it will start playing. From time to time it it suggests you pause it to try a feature out yourself, and then allows you to resume.

Reunion (MAC)

Reunion for Macintosh Version 9 – Software – $149.50
What is Reunion? Reunion is a genealogy software program – a ‘family tree program’ for the Macintosh. Reunion helps you to document, store, and display information about your family – your ancestors, descendants, cousins, etc. It records names, dates, places, facts, plenty of notes, sources of information, pictures, sounds, and videos. It shows family relationships in an elegant, graphic form – people and families are linked in an easy-to-understand fashion.

RootsMagic (WIN)

RootsMagic 4 – Software – $49.50
RootsMagic is one of the easiest-to-use family tree software available for Windows Vista, XP, and 2000, yet is also one of the most powerful. See why professional genealogists and beginners alike say RootsMagic is the best genealogy software in the world. Making Shareable CDs to share with your family, running the software and data directly from a portable flash drive, integrated WebSearch, and many other new features keep RootsMagic 4 “the top of the genealogy tree”.

RootsMagic 4 Upgrade – Software – $44.00
RootsMagic has always been one of the easiest-to-use family tree software available. Now completely rewritten from scratch, and available for use on Windows 2000, XP and Vista, it is also one of the most powerful.

Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic (Version 4) – B. Buzbee – $29.50
This is one of the easiest genealogy software programs available, yet many people will barely touch the tip of the iceberg of RootsMagic’s features. If you are one of these people, then ‘Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic’ is the book for you.

The Master Genealogist (WIN)

The Master Genealogist 7 Gold Edition: CD – Software – $82.00
The Master Genealogist (TMG) is the gold standard in family history software. Used by novices and professional researchers alike, the latest version reinforces TMG’s reputation as the most powerful family history project manager on the market while adding many new features to make it easy and fun to use.

The Master Genealogist 7 Gold Edition: Download – Software – $69.50

The Master Genealogist 7 Gold Edition: Upgrade from TMG 6 Gold – CD – Software – $42.00

The Master Genealogist 7 Gold Edition: Upgrade from TMG 6 Gold – Download – Software – $36.00

A Primer for The Master Genealogist – T. Reigel – $29.95
‘A Primer for The Master Genealogist’ can help users quickly become comfortable and adept with this powerful tool. It provides an introduction in straightforward terms, with a level of detail that helps but doesn’t overwhelm a novice user.

The Master Genealogist Users Guide – Manual – $35.00
Digital print version of PDF Users Guide – British edition.

TMG 7 Bundle 1: Program and User Guide – Software – $112.00

TMG 7 Bundle 2: Program and ‘A Primer for The Master Genealogist’ – Software – $107.00

TMG 7 Bundle 3: Program, User Guide and ‘A Primer for The Master Genealogist’ – Software – $137.00

PathWiz! Version 8 – Software – $25.00
Take control of your TMG exhibits! PathWiz! Version 8 is an exhibit and path management tool which allows you to access a TMG Version 7 project database table (dbf) containing paths to and information attached to exhibits (graphical images and other files) stored anywhere on your local PC or Network.

For more new releases click here