Review by ck

Others who are experienced in gathering data and building family trees have addressed this program’s functionality, so I’m focusing on what it’s like for a beginner to start a genealogy project with the aid of this software.

I first tried to work on a family genealogy using the Windows version of Family Tree Maker, but am much more comfortable on a Mac. I’m not sure whether it’s my Mac background or differences among the versions, but I am finding Family Tree Maker Mac 3 to be more intuitive to use.

What’s working for me thus far was to begin with the family members about whom I knew the most. Because much of the basic research was done, I was able to get comfortable with inputting data and exploring the multimedia and customizable features of the program. I also gained immediate feedback on how to enter and edit effectively, and was able to view my data in various formats.

Working with your data and thinking about what form you want your charts, reports, and books to take is important to consider early in the process so that your work is consistent. Especially if you write narrative sections and include a number of images, the way your materials are output may influence how you choose to write and input images. After I’d finished this step, I made my way back to the product-registration section and registered the software, which began the three-month membership in Ancestry.com that is bundled with the program.

The day you begin, set aside an uninterrupted half-hour to install the program from the enclosed DVD, register it, and download and install any software updates. Although the program ships with a paperback guide, the install disk also contains a PDF file of the guide. If you have space, install it on your computer so you can zoom in on screen shots and other information as you get used to the program.

Entering data is pretty intuitive, and it’s pretty simple to toggle between people, even when your list grows. The program’s auto-save feature is handy, but if you’re working with the program only periodically, you may want to install the program and thus your database on an external hard drive and store it away from your computer. The ability to work on and sync your data among your computer and your iOS devices is a boon, as long as you are comfortable with storing your data on the Ancestry.com website (product materials provide details on data protection).