Family Tree Maker 11 Deluxe Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all, the current version out on the shelves, Family Tree Maker 11, as well as 10, do not have 35 CDs. It has the number given in the manufacturer's description above. I also have to add that these two recent editions do NOT have any ads within the program, nor do they tell you to update. This also must have been something else that occured in an earlier version.
Now, I have to say that if you do most of your genealogy research via your PC you need to buy either Family Tree Maker Deluxe or Basic. I'm not saying this to be cute. I'm saying this because it comes with a reader that Genealogical.com uses for many of its CDs. Not only that, but if you publish your GEDcom on the web, FTM appears to have the most seamless process and translation of your GEDcom.
I didn't start out with FTM, I started out with the Generations program, published by Sierra, bought out by Broderbund which is the same publisher of FTM, and not exactly the favored child. So, I felt I had to move on to FTM.
You are going to have to spend some time learning the program. Luckily, the guide that comes with it is perfectly adequate and there is no need to buy the published book for it.
Using the program, you will find the database well designed. When you add notes, though, you will find the interface a bit clunky. However, you're not going to find a better program out there. After purchasing FTM 10, I decided I would move on to the Master Genealogist, because I had heard it was more flexible regarding notes. It is, to a point, but it's a very unpleasant program to use in comparison, and the reports you can generate with FTM are surprisingly better. FTM version 11 lets you save/export in PDF files more than ever, which is very helpful if you have family members who do not own any genealogical software.
Now, this said, the charts that FTM generates are horrible. Chances are you will either have to fill out blank ones by hand, if you don't want to spend an afternoon with the FTM printed pages, a tape dispenser and scissors. FTM does not even have a cascading pedigree chart, which will add to you spending a lot of time numbering what you do get out of it. Or you might have to buy a charting companion. My old Generations program has a great charting tool (Easy Tree) which I still use instead.
As well, the family group sheets generated aren't very good. You can customize to have as little or as much information as you'd like, but the actual layout of the sheets are not exactly innate for the eye. You will do better by using the program, publishing a GEDcom on the web, and printing off of the host site. Seriously.
The timelines, are also not helpful. Not as many people use timelines, but they are necessary in doing serious detective work on a family or if you are going to put together a retrospective on an individual's life.
There are small extras that deserve mention, scrapbooks, which let you create a photo album, and/or slide show. (This is not a digital scrapbook, just the term they use for organizing photos by person.) I found it an adequate tool, but I would rather have the option of adding photos to group sheets, charts and reports instead.
There are data CDs included in the package. Basically, they're just a tool to get you on the web and researching, which is what you know to do already. They are superfluous.
It should be noted that FTM is connected to genealogy.com, which has been bought out by ancestry.com. I don't know how this will affect doing research via your FTM window in the future.
On the Family Tree Maker web pages themselves. They're very pleasant pages but aren't of much use to you until you have done quite a lot of specific research already. They're not databases or photo albums, but places to display research plus a few photos and a brief introduction. Perfectly nice, but not what you might think you get. The good news is that the program walks you through creating your page and it turns out well.
In any case, the obvious strengths of FTM are data entry, report generating, and web publishing. The weaknesses are charting and group sheet generating. You may or may not find it helpful as a research aid. So, this is not at all a five star product but it's still the best you can buy.

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Includes ten CDs with 1100 years of valuable historical data open the door to your past. Amazing creative projects like family trees, timelines, and even multimedia scrapbooks make it easy to share your findings with friends and loved ones. An easy-to-use Publishing Center provides the tools you need to create a secure personal home page for online sharing, too!

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