Family Tree Maker 2008 Review: Newer Isn’t Always Better
I usually am willing to give a new program more than a few shots, rather than dismiss it as rubbish out of hand, but after a month or so of trying to get used to the new Family Tree Maker 2008, I am considering sending it back and asking for a refund. In my opinion, the creators of this new program forgot the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) formula.
What I liked about the previous program was that it was obvious where to input your names, dates, etc., and the tabs were a larger size and clearly labeled. You could easily find the index of names, go back or forward a generation easily, add facts and documentation, and click on a button directly below the name to search in Ancestry (with a subscription; I have one).
I should have known when I got the new disk and installed it that there were going to be problems. In over a decade of using Family Tree Maker, is has always been possible to overwrite the old program and not have to migrate any files. Not so this time. Each family file has to be imported into the new program. That isn’t difficult, but it does take up extra time. Genealogy is suppose to be fun, right? Now look at the new format for the 2008 version.
While it looks neat and tidy, the welcome screen navigation has changed to a tree, with the details for the person on the right had side of the screen. It may be hard to make out with this small screenshot, but to me this format is just plain confusing. It is not un-learnable, but I didn’t want to learn a new program. I wanted the one I had to work as it was, with new features to make it easier to find my ancestors and record them.
What is new in the 2008 FTM version?
This completely redesigned program has dozens of new features, including:
- A new interface that combines elements of a pedigree chart and a family group sheet, making it much easier to enter, view and edit your data
- Vastly improved integration with Ancestry.com
- A web clipper that lets you merge data from anywhere on the web into your tree
- Standardized criteria for rating your sources
- Features that make it easy to manage photos and other media files and incorporate them into charts and reports
- A place authority with more than 3 million place names that helps you correctly enter locations
- Dynamic lists that show you all the people and events associated with a particular place
- Timelines that highlight personal, family and world events that occurred during your ancestors’ lives
- A robust tool for sorting and managing your to-do list
- The ability to import data from other genealogy programs, including Personal Ancestral File, The Master Genealogist and Legacy Family Tree
- As I have said, I don’t think the new interface is as user-friendly as the older versions of FTM. If anything, I find it much harder to view, edit and enter data.
- I wasn’t having any problem integrating Ancestry.com information with the old version. I found it much easier to read. And, I should note here, the new program does not recognize that I am even logged into my account so that I can access the sources online. I logged in several times, and Ancestry shows me as logged in, but the 2008 FTM version does not.
- Admittedly, I have not tried to manage any of my photos or media files as of yet in the new version. I was having so much trouble just navigating to names as it was.
- The time line feature is not anything new. The older version had it too, and truthfully, I didn’t find it all that helpful. As for the place names, that could be helpful, but at the same time, I could use Google or some mapping utility to do the same thing.
- A robust to-do list…Well, that could be helpful for someone buying the program for the first time. I use GenSmarts, but most of the time I am well aware of the genealogy holes in my files.
I will give FTM08 a few more shots, but to my thinking right now, the hard-working programmer who built this new program didn’t make it any easier to use. It might be prettier, but for any newbies to genealogy programs, this one is going to be a toughie. About as difficult as finding my GGG-Grandfather Miles Yates.
Additional genealogy links:
Yates and Wilkerson FTM genealogy
Tracing Our Roots - weekly genealogy column by Brenda Kellow
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Filed under: Featured Posts, Genealogy
I have to say, that I could not agree with you in 100% regarding Tree Maker 2008 Review: Newer Isn’t Always Better | iPentimento, but it’s just my opinion, which could be wrong
You hit a homerun with your review. I have never been so disappointed with an FTM product as with FTM 2008. I have used FTM since I began family history research 17 years and 20,000 relatives ago. FTM 2008 is just so slow and hard to navigate. I don’t know why FTM switched from such a proven format to this, barely useable program. For the first time in 17 years, I’m taking a break from family history research because it just isn’t any fun anymore using FTM2008…sigh!
Ray, after I wrote that review, I was told that FTM 2008 was made to work with Vista and that was the reason for the change. I use XP, and I am going to try to do so for as long as possible, as well as using FTM 2006. Sorry we are in the same boat…at this point, it is the Titanic!
I went back to FTM 2006. I liked many things about 2008 but I couldn’t get on the internet .Yes! I used the go to internet button nothing seemed to work. I installed and reinstalled it but that didn’t word. So I gave up and went back to my old program. I think the 2008 program might be fine when they get the bugs out of it.
Since I wrote that article, I have found out that FTM 2008 was probably written for Vista users. I am still an XP OS user for the time being, but if I get a new computer (I’m hoping soon) then I may be happy I have the 2008 version. Only time will tell. If anyone is using Vista that still had trouble with FTM08 please comment further.
I wish I had read these reviews before I upgraded FTM 2006 to FTM 2008. As far as I’m concerned, it was a waste of my money. The program is absolute garbage and I’ve decided to stick with FTM 2006. The newer version is awkward and it has not simplified anything for me.
I started using FTM 2008 in XP and something was probaby wrong since every click took literally minutes. I had asked for support to Ancestry.com and never got an answer. Then I changed my computer that came with Vista and things started to work slightly better as long as I just navegate the program, but when I make some editions it almost freezes (cpu shows 98% busy for many minutes). So I’m seriously thinking to go back to FTM 2006 which never gave me any problem.
I have owned every version of FamilyTreemaker, and was always anxious for the next release. NEVER have I been so disappointed. For those of you who believe that it will work better with Vista, quit worrying, as I have all of the same problem XP users are battling.
I kept thinking I would give it a chance and learn the new version, but truly, my interest is continuing my famly research, not trying to debug new software.
You are right, “Newer is not always better”. What a shame!
Looks like the votes are running more against the FTM08 version than I thought. Thanks to everyone who left a comment and opinion.
A relative with FTM 2008 tried to send me a disc of info — the file appears with the FTM icon and the property “FTM Family File”. When I try to open this on my FTM Version 16, I get the message “Family Tree Maker does not recognize the format of the file you are trying to open.” Do files saved from FTM 2008 not open with older versions of FTM??? Should I have my relative try to save it to disc in a different way???
Marty, what was the file extension type? As far as I know, both 2008 and FTM 16 should support PDF and RTF files. If they saved it as a Word file (DOC) then I don’t think it would open in FTM no matter what version. Was it a GEDCOM file? GEDCOM’s are the most common file type for sharing genealogical information, even between different genealogy programs that are NOT Family Tree Maker.
Does anyone have a better answer?
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