Family Tree Maker 2006

Family Tree Maker 2006 includes additions and improvements that upgrade the program to a more professional level while still keeping it easy to use. The most notable improvements include improved source management, more room for notes and more powerful options for searching and merging individuals found in online databases at Ancestry.com. All of that combined with excellent publishing and charting features make FTM 2006 an excellent, well-rounded tool for organizing your family history.

Pros

Cons

Family Tree Maker 2006 is good, solid program for all but the most exacting genealogists. The family view is very nice, allowing you to view a couple, their parents and up to eight children all on one screen. Pedigree view offers an alternate way to navigate through the family tree. Source management has been improved to allow you to easily view all sources associated with a single fact or person, as well as all places where a particular source has been cited. Source citations can be easily copied and applied to more than one person or fact. A wide variety of nice customizable charts and reports are available, although the pedigree chart prints without any type of numbering. If you want even more chart options, Charting Companion is available for free download to users of FTM 2006 ("Exclusive Offers" under the Internet tab). FTM 2006 also offers nice book publishing features and photo editing capabilities. Tight Internet integration makes it easy to search Ancestry.com's databases and merge the information into your family file. If you plan on transferring your data from another program, FTM's GEDCOM import isn't perfect. The order of children and spouses aren't always preserved in the transfer, and data in unrecognized tags may be misplaced or dropped altogether. Overall, however, Family Tree Maker 2006 is an easy-to-use, yet robust solution for organizing and publishing your family history. Even if you haven't been a fan in the past, it's definitely worth another look.