Rating: 
Summary: Extra CDs a useless marketing gimmick
Review: I used version 6 of Family Tree Maker that came with Family Tree Maker for Dummies. I liked it so much I bought version 11. It came with the program CD and 4 additional CDs marketed to help you expand your family tree. The 4 extra CDs aren't worth the cost of producing them. At least not to the consumer. All the CDs do is list names that have been extracted from other data bases that it then refers you to. In other words, if a name appears on the social security death index, the CD lists the name and then tells you to go there for the information. A useless waste of time, and money. Every step along the way, Broderund uses every opportunity to steer the unsuspecting consumer toward purchasing even more CDs. The program is very good. Buy it without the extra CDs, and then don't fall for the World Family Tree marketing lies. The program will prompt you to contribute to the World Family Tree, but then you have to "subscribe" to see what others have contributed, if anything. There are far too many free and legitimate sources of information to fall for the easy CD fix.
Rating: 
Summary: Watch out! (and buy a better another product)
Review: I would be very suspious about buying this product after using Family Tree Maker version 9. In that version, Broderbund has an application called aqueduct.dll that routinely creates an aqueduct.txt file in your root directory that completely "profiles" your computer. I have a complex system, and the profiler file was over 2000K - rather large for any text file - and it compiled a list of every piece of hardware, software, and program setting on my machine with personal info. (If you are a version 9 user, look at it. You are in for a shock!) Talk about loss of privacy. Goodness knows what they do with this information!!... A download from the FTM site site is supposed to "fix" this, but the patch does not load, requests to tech support simply return unrelated automated "help" messages. I have never received a reply for a real person. - The program in general, creates lots of ads, pointed requests for signing-up for other paid services at every turn...and in general, is a very middling product. The companion software "to help you build your family tree" is undocumented stuff that is simply worthless to anyone serious about finding their roots.(There is much controversy about supposed "spyware" in this product on computer message boards that are worth looking at too. Responses by a guru named Dick Eastman, who appears to have never really looked at the product, and Genealogy.com should be taken with a grain of salt, and in some ways are laughable.) - - If you are serious about genealogy, I recommend "The Master Genealogist" which is top rated by writers of the National Genealogy Society newsmagazine, but there are other better and less annoying products to choose from too. - - As a former version 9 user, I would recommend you avoid this program like the plague.
Rating: 
Summary: Robust program that has a lot of spam
Review: I've used a lot of different programs. The best free program is "Brother's Keeper", but Family Tree Maker is light years ahead of that program. I've used Origins because of its macintosh compatiblity. But at the end of the day Family Tree Maker has the most features, makes entering information and sources a snap, and generally keeps things easy.The two real contenders these days are genealogy.com (the makers of Family Tree Maker), and ancestry.com. By far, the better website is ancestry.com. You can download a FREE program from their site to input ancestor information in. However, this program is very clunky to enter descendants, to add source information, etc. But what it does do, which you won't find anywhere else, is give you FREE access to one of the largest databases of personal family trees. I highly recommend starting with ancestry.com, if you want to dive into the genealogy world. The program immediately connects to the internet and tells you what the closest matches are to your tree. You just point and click. (another note, I have dsl, so the tree may be slow for dial-up users. Only for the internet savvy!) In the other corner is Family Tree Maker. The program is far more robust, allows you to enter images into scrapbooks easily, has tons of features, and seamlessly integrates with the massive family tree library. If you have the money, you can go really far with FTM. But you will have to pay for CDs or internet information. If your tree matches up with an online tree, you'll need to pay the monthly fee to look at it. The site requires you give them your credit card information, and you have to CALL to tell them when you want to stop, as it auto-renews your subscriptions. No email to tell them to cancel you! A real hassle. But at the end of the day, the program itself is solid, and the best to create a family tree in. But I agree with other reviewers in the respect that the online "features" of the program are expensive and annoyingly spammish. To wrap up, I strongly recommend FTM, but don't spend money on "Collector's" and "Deluxe". Just buy the plain and straightforward one. Use the program to keep all of your info in. Then start your internet search at ancestry.com and the Mormon's site familysearch.org. Once you've built up an extensive tree, then consider spending money on FTM cd's and internet access, if you really need them.
Rating:
Summary: Useless Data CD's
Review: The program itself is great for organizaing the information. I love the actual program for all of the information that I can attatch to my files as well as the ability to include/exclude people from trees and the different tress, maps, reports that I can create. I can also create books and other ways to share my data. The acual program I would rate as 5/5. Unfortunately this version comes with additional "information" cd's. These are a waste. Buy the program alone. The additional cd's are a waste of space, money and time. Even the program to search the cd's take a long time and do not actually provide you with data. I rate this product with only 3 stars because of all of the useless garbage attatched to it.
I'm sure there are cheaper programs that will help to organize your information, for $90 I expected a little better.
Rating:
Summary: False advertising - bait and switch
Review: This ... software package gives you no useful data. All it does is give you teasers and try to sell you the details---either additional CDs or a web site subscription. Do not buy it. Do not believe anything printed on the box. It does NOT give 1100 years of data. It does not give church records, land rccords, marriage license records, or anythnig else of value.
Rating:
Summary: Skip the data
Review: Wouldn't it be nice if Amazon would sell the "program only" option on this product (which is available elsewhere)? I concur with several other reviewers that the data CD's are useless for most users. The program is good, and the program is available without the data CD's and the membership for a lot less. I generally find that people into geneology are willing to share their data at no charge, and kinda expect others to do the same.
Rating:
Summary: Skip the data
Review: Wouldn't it be nice if Amazon would sell the "program only" option on this product (which is available elsewhere)? I concur with several other reviewers that the data CD's are useless for most users. The program is good, and the program is available without the data CD's and the membership for a lot less. I generally find that people into geneology are willing to share their data at no charge, and kinda expect others to do the same.
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