Family Tree Maker 2008 is Released

The program has been available in beta test for some time. Now Family
Tree Maker 2008 has"gone gold" and is available as a released product. The new 2008 version is has been completely redesigned, a good thing in my opinion. It will be interesting to see if long-time users of FamilyTree Maker agree.

You may be interested in the comments posted about the beta test version at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2007/07/family-tree-mak.html.

Here is today's announcement:

Revamped Software Continues 18-Year Legacy of Innovation and Excellence; Offers Users Online Integration with Ancestry.com and Other Web Resources Including Microsoft® Virtual Earth™

PROVO, Utah, Aug. 14 -- Ancestry.com, the world's largest online resource for family history, today announced the release of Family Tree Maker 2008, a completely redesigned and ground-breaking version of the world's No. 1 selling family history software. Family Tree Maker 2008 boasts an intuitive new interface and dozens of new features built on an entirely revamped, modern platform - the result of a two-year, back-to-the-drawing-board development process.

In one software bundle, Family Tree Maker 2008 provides users tools to quickly build their family trees, record their memories and organize their family photos, stories, video and audio clips. Users can quickly find and import facts and historical documents about their family from the Internet and print custom-designed family trees and books. With dynamic satellite maps and customizable timelines, Family Tree Maker 2008 truly broadens the capabilities that every family history program should include.

"Family Tree Maker 2008 redefines family tree building software, providing users with powerful, unrivaled tools and resources to discover and share their family stories," said Tim Sullivan, CEO of The Generations Network, Inc., parent company of Ancestry.com. "The software's seamless integration with the Ancestry.com Web site further solidifies Ancestry.com as the family history authority both on and offline."

Family Tree Maker users can tap into Ancestry.com's unrivaled collection of family history records and powerful search features - without leaving Family Tree Maker. When connected to the Internet, Family Tree Maker 2008 automatically searches Ancestry.com for historical documents about the individuals in the user's family tree. With a few mouse clicks, users with an Ancestry.com subscription can view and import these historical records into their family tree.

"Family Tree Maker 2008 offers every user an intuitive out-of the-box experience," said Megan Smolenyak, Chief Family Historian for Ancestry.com. "Ancestry.com developers worked closely with industry professionals as well as family history beginners to create a program that uniquely spans the range of user ability with an easy-to-use interface that also offers advanced, robust features."

The following new and updated features expand Family Tree Maker's capabilities:

  -- Interactive Street and Satellite Maps - Use Microsoft® Virtual Earth™* to access dynamic street and satellite maps that pinpoint important locations in ancestors' lives from within Family Tree Maker. A place-name database and hint engine helps users correctly enter localities in a consistent format.

  -- Web Integration -View and search any Web site from within Family Tree Maker*. Once users locate information about their ancestors, they can easily import appropriate images, text and even a cached version of the Web page in to their family tree.

  -- Individual Biographies - Create biographical sketches for each ancestor, adding life facts, historical documents, photos and other digital media. In addition, timelines highlight important personal, family and world events that occurred during ancestors' lifetimes.

  -- Media Organization -Upload and manage image, audio, video and other media files. Users can attach these files directly to specific people in a family tree to better illustrate their family story.

  -- Publish Family History Books - Create customized, illustrated family history books. Ancestry Press allows users to bring their family history to life with professionally designed charts, timelines, reports and pedigree charts, as well as photos, historical records and more. The books can then be professionally printed and bound (or printed on home printers).

First released in 1989, Family Tree Maker ranks in longevity among Microsoft Windows (first released in 1985) and Adobe Photoshop.

Family Tree Maker 2008 is now available for sale online at http://www.familytreemaker.com/ for $39.95. The program is also set to be released in select retail stores in October 2007.

  * Internet access required for Microsoft Virtual Earth and other Web integration.

  About Ancestry.com

With 24,000 searchable databases and titles, Ancestry.com is the No. 1 online source for family history information. Since its launch in 1997, Ancestry.com has been the premier resource for family history, simplifying genealogical research for millions of people by providing them with many easy- to-use tools and resources to build their own unique family trees. The site is home to the only complete online U.S. Federal Census collection, 1790-1930, as well as the world's largest online collection of U.S. ship passenger list records featuring more than 100 million names, 1820-1960. Ancestry.com is part of The Generations Network, Inc., a leading network of family-focused interactive properties, including MyFamily.com, RootsWeb.com, Genealogy.com and Family Tree Maker. In total, The Generations Network properties receive 10.4 million unique visitors worldwide and over 450 million page views a month (© comScore Media Metrix, March 2007).

Comments

[Tracey]

"FTM 2008 has standarized place names (or so they say)which is an interesting concept. But how are these locations vetted? "

Yeah, I also thought it was interesting until I tried to use it.

A lot of my ancestors lived in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. I had their locations listed as "Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania." When FTM 2008 was standardizing place names, it wanted to change that to "Germantown Maryland"! I guess the software's standardizing doesn't understand the Philadelphia concept of neighborhoods, large named subdivisions of cities.

And sometimes I find it useful to have place names that aren't quite standard: I *want* my 2g-grandfather's place of birth to be "Mikuszowice, Galicia (now Poland)," because Galicia is the term that appears in any record for him, and I don't want to lose track of that for some anal notion of what the "right" place name is.

[Tracey]

"also very, very important is that media files likes videos, photos and audio files have to be scanned or imported only once and can be allocated to many different persons. This saves a lot of PC-Power and capacity."

Yes, that is the one (and only one) feature I liked about the new product. I was appalled when I added pictures to my file years ago and discovered that the picture data was incorporated into the file for an individual, rather than linked. My family data file was actually *smaller* after the conversion, because the conversion extracted these files from the FTW file and turned them into separate, standard file types on the hard drive.

[Jon Egge]

FTM 2008 is a nightmare for big files. I would not wish this experience on anyone. I cringed when I learned that it used a new file format. At first it refused to import the file, but I was given a work around of using a GEDcom by a FTM tech. It took 40 hours! The result was a 268MG (it had been 128MG - 146,250 people) and totally unusable because of slow loading and response. I had no idea of the balance of the problems cited above, but for me it's back to 2006.

Strange when I called them at the end, all they could talk about was the probability of errors in my file (there are none) and the prosiblity of a bad install. It isn't my money I want back, it is the last 2 days.

[Ratbert]

I just found out the Dilbert's boss and Wally co-wrote the new progam and that Catbert is marketing the new product. So far Dogbert and nobody else thinks the new program is great. : )

[MacroAlan]

Plugins? It's been 2 months. What are they going to be? Do you want suggestions?

I am a database developer; my customers would not stand for this treatment!

Done an Outline Descendant Report lately? Where is the detail; where is the button to get detail?

I have been with FTM since version 2. Was on a suggestion group years ago. We fought hard for the fan and hourglass charts. I want them back.

[R Reed]

Hate the new 2008 FTW. Have used the program since its inception, and as VP of our county genealogical society have recommended its purchase to many, many people over the years. However, I have been doing research for more than 20 years, and my file has more than 150,000 names in it. There is no way to import the file into 2008. I am an IT Coordinator for a local school system and my computer is far superior to the normal patron. It takes more than 48 hours to import my file 90% then the program shuts itself off. I've attempted more than 5 times, which translates into a couple of weeks. I've quit using it, and have started recommending to all our patrons not to upgrade. If they can't get Ver 11/2006, then to look elsewhere. Until I can import my file, it's useless. The fact that it is no longer backwards compatible as far as opening files go is a huge, huge drawback.

[R Reed]

Hate the new 2008 FTW. Have used the program since its inception, and as VP of our county genealogical society have recommended its purchase to many, many people over the years. However, I have been doing research for more than 20 years, and my file has more than 150,000 names in it. There is no way to import the file into 2008. I am an IT Coordinator for a local school system and my computer is far superior to the normal patron. It takes more than 48 hours to import my file 90% then the program shuts itself off. I've attempted more than 5 times, which translates into a couple of weeks. I've quit using it, and have started recommending to all our patrons not to upgrade. If they can't get Ver 11/2006, then to look elsewhere. Until I can import my file, it's useless. The fact that it is no longer backwards compatible as far as opening files go is a huge, huge drawback.

[Jon Egge]

To R.Reed:

IT is a big file nightmare: Forget it. You won't like what happens after you get it converted. It took 40 hours to import mine and on opening was so sugglish it couldn't move. No one deserves this.

[Whip Me, Beat Me, but don't Family Tree (2008) me !]

To R. Reed:
If you are 2006, version 16.0.350, then you might try a "Tools", "Compact File..." then try an import into this new bogus program. My file has 170,000+ individuals and eventually imported into this new bogus program after almost eight hours on a 3.2 GHz 4MB PC. I only say that so that can you know that it is worse than worthless as you can already tell by opening the program an manually putting 20-50 individuals in, but you will also be able to tell that even without squat for features the new bogus program will allow you to take a nap after any data input or move to another field. Why it is such a processor hog with no features must have even the gods baffled? You need to see this so you can feel that pain as well. Some might get the idea that the current company's internet and mail sales activity of this new program suggest a potential scheme to defraud.

[Pork Rinds]

It doesn't matter how much lipstick you put on a pig, it's still a pig. So don't kiss this 2008 hog.

[Vaughn]

Yep, count me among all the disenchanted. I too have purchased every new version from V1.0 Banner Blue days. I have not been able to import my file of 2.0 gb, 1300 individuals with lots of photos in the scrapbooks. 2008 says can't import because of unrecognized error. Support said my file was bad (NOT). So I went through their 5 step process for repairing and nothing worked. Seems like their import program can't handle a CR (carriage return--enter key) at the end of a piece of text. uuuuh where did these programmers come from, Podunk U.? So solution is the GEDCOM approach and oh by the way I'll have to manually reenter all 3,000 + photos. Do they really think I am going to do that??? OK FTM I'm staying on 16 and when absolutely necessary I'll move to the best competitor at that time. Whew! this thing (2008) stinks. I consider the $30 a lesson learned.

[Jay H. Simpson]

According to the FTM web site there are two releases 17.0.0.416 and 17.0.0.438 of FTM 2008. These can be patched by installing the correct patch bringing either release up to 17.0.0.440. I have release 17.0.0.435, an apparently non-existant release. So when I check for an available up-date, the wizard says there is none. Shall I consider myself lucky? Has anyone else experienced this?

[Ruth E. Pill]

I ordered the 2008 ver. of Family Tree Maker and it should be delivered anytime now.

Some how came across your Web-site. After reading what everyone has been saying I will be sending it back unopened. I appreciate all the input, sounds like you all have saved me a lot of grief. Thanks

[Jon Egge]

Yep, carriage returns were apparently the problem with my file. There were about a dozen of them out of 1,200,000 fact records. I tried their repair routine and it deleted the whole individual record. Not good. So I located each individually and deleted the pesky little things patiently by hand. I have order a copy of version 16. I was using 2006.

[Deena]

I purchased my first FTM about 6 years ago and have never used any other genealogy program. Currently I am using FTM 2006 version 16. I stumbled across this site while researching another problem. I will say after reading the input, there is no way I will purchase FTM 2008. I have not been considering moving up, and now I will not consider upgrading. Thanks to those who contributed their input. I am sorry you had to endure so much grief. Anyone who has lost precious data, or had data shuffled can feel your pain. Take some comfort you may have saved this one individual from going through the horror it sounds like some have experienced.

[Colin Rilley]

FTM 2008 is a disaster. So much loss in functionality which is used by a geneologist (many of the reports)have been lost. I have decided to go back to FTM 2005 and see whether they will exchange my FTM 2008 for a version of FTM 2006 (Ver 16). Nice presentation of a few reports via Ancencestr.com is no substitute for core functionality.

[Colin Rilley]

If anyone wants to really see what functionality has been lost in FTM 2008 see the attached blog reference and see Freds comments - Blog Item 6 it is really worth a read. I wish I had read it before I made the mistake of purchasing the product.

http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2007/09/28/welcome-to-the-new-family-tree-maker-blog/

I have found in 4 days even more things

[Ira Helms]

I have a friend who bought 2009 but can't seem to import a GED/
I don;t know how to tell her to do it.

[Dan Hunter]

Critical Data Losses Associated with Family Tree Maker 2008

Be afraid – be very afraid -- of losing valuable data when transferring/upgrading to Family Tree Maker 2008 (FTM2008) software. I highly recommend NOT upgrading to this product at this time, and instead staying with earlier versions of FTM or using other vendors’ software.

I am an experienced genealogist with an extensive IT software development and testing background. When I recently attempted to upgrade to the recently released FTM2008 from Family Tree Maker 16 (FTM16), I experienced an large number of problems, the most dangerous and severe being LOSS OF DATA ! !

Below are my file statistics before and after upgrading to FTM2008:

File Size: (BEFORE UPGRADE) 18.598 Mb (AFTER) 13,855 Mb
Total individuals in data base: (BEFORE UPGRADE) 12,300 (AFTER) 12,300
Total marriages: (BEFORE UPGRADE) 3,769 (AFTER) 3,769
Total Text Records: (BEFORE UPGRADE) 194,103 (AFTER) 152,213

More than 20 percent of my text records were lost and failed to transfer. The lost records appear to be source data documenting events (i.e., birth, death, etc.) and individual notes for individuals. Also, some sources that did transfer appear to have been scrambled and no longer relate to the correct events.

I initiated numerous communications with the technical staff who purportedly supports FTM2008, and, in turn, received comments such as “I do apologize that you are frustrated with the software” …and… “I am not sure why this information has not transferred to the new software”. Other than these comments, there appeared to be no concern for the problem, nor any expressed intent to fix it.

Because of the seriousness of data loss, I subsequently sent a message to David Humphreys (Project Manager responsible for FTM2008) and two letters to Tim Sullivan, President and CEO of The Generations Network (TGN) – the company that owns Ancestry.com and produces Family Tree Maker software. THERE WAS NEVER A RESPONSE FROM ANY OF TGN’s MANAGEMENT.

It was recently announced that in mid-October 2007, Spectrum Equity Investors acquired TGN (which included FTM2008, Ancestry.com, and MyFamily.com) for $300 million. So, I sent correspondence to the two Co-Founders and Managing Directors of Spectrum Equity Investors advising them of this critical problem with FTM2008 – and like the correspondence sent to the senior management of TGN – NOTHING HAPPENED ! !

I highly encourage all using, or who might be considering using, FTM2008 to proceed with utmost caution. Besides the FTM2008 software being less than adequate in it’s present form (generally “buggy”, reduced reports, more cumbersome, difficult to install, etc.), as genealogists, we can not afford to lose the results of our research. I would suggest everyone retain their previous versions of their data files and software and refrain from using FTM2008 until the company announces a new release and CAN PROVE that their buggy software is fixed and reliable.

FTM2008 definitely has a long way to go before regaining and earning back the reputation that it enjoyed with the earlier versions !

Users may confirm the many problems being encountered with FTM2008 by doing a Google search using “Family Tree Maker 2008” and “problems”. Literally 100’s of sites are listed ! !

Dan Hunter

[John Blair]

A FTM user since 1996, hung and left out to dry! 30,000 people database, and everything is 10x slower.....the reports gone, etc. After updating for years and never having problems I did the same with FTM2008....I'm glad I found a FTM 16 to buy....though after moving to 2008 I lost information, and then transferring a GEDCOM Back to Version 16 it mixed all my notes around so at times you can't even figure out what they said! Back to FTM 16 and giving Legacy a try....hard to believe that being a faithful customer doesn't mean a thing.

[Jasper Carrot]

There is another kind of leech. They are called genealogical leeches. They steal genealogical data from others and give little or nothing in return. One of the worst offenders is Barry Pereira of Singapore.

[Tracey]

Well, the one good thing about this experience: I eventually got a full refund. I shipped the software back via UPS on September 21. The refund finally hit my credit card on October 22.

[jerry wallace, sr.]

i have been using ftm for years also. boy was i shocked at the slow down in the program. 96,000 enters. windows vista basic home. will this be fixed in the near future?

[Gary]

I emailed FTM about marriage notes. I have thousands of marriage notes which are now called relationship notes in FTM 2008. I have not found a way to print them in any report. Here is FTM's answer to my question.
" The only notes that can be included in reports are person notes and fact notes so the relationship notes cannot be included. If you want the notes included and they are shared by the husband and wife you could add the notes to the Marriage fact."

Unbelievable !

[bert]

just got FTM 2008, what is all the fuss. there are more free programs that have more features. i do have some old FTM cd's when i had version 3, was hoping to use them again. only lost 54.99. all those poor people who have been faithful to FTM all these years, and now all there who have bought all those FTM cd's, which you can't use with 2008. should of done some more reading. my friend has an older version, i thought it was great, didn't know they were going to change every thing so you can buy more more more......
sure hope i can get me money back

[Dan Hunter]

This is a follow-up to my Nov. 3, 2007 posting concerning the potential for data loss while transferring information to Family Tree Maker 2008 (FTM2008).

Although efforts to make contact with the management team of FTM2008 were unsuccessful prior to my posting, two days after the posting, David Humphreys initiated contact which resulted in ongoing communication.

For those who are only “scanning” this posting, I will sum up the info below by stating that I now tend to believe there is NO LOSS OF DATA when info is transferred into FTM2008 from external sources.

After establishing contact with the FTM development team, I shared a copy of my database with the team and they repeated the same processes I described that I believed contributed to data loss. They report they could not identify any data loss in the transfer to FTM2008, and explained that the apparent loss of data is due to the fact that FTM16 (the old version) stores data differently in its internal database dependent on whether the data was "entered directly" into FTM16 - or - was “imported” into FTM16 (e.g. from an imported GEDCOM or other file).

I've been advised that the new FTM2008 uses a totally differently schema (data base storage structure/content/semantics) from the older software -- BUT -- does not result in any loss of data.

I have begun checking their explanation with a smaller sub-set of my data, and have so far found their explanation to be true.

The main difference I’ve found (and which led me to believe there was data loss) between FTM2008 and FTM16, is a difference in how some source information appears to the end-user in FTM2008. ALL source information in FTM2008 is a more hidden, and harder to view than it was in FTM16, but in certain situations the source information within FTM2008 for events (i.e., Name, Birth Date, Death Date, Marriage Date, etc.) is more “secreted” than FTM2008’s “norm”.

It appears that when source comments stored in FTM2008 DO NOT reference (or are not linked to) specific records within the Master Source file, these comments appear differently than source comments that ARE directly linked to an entry in the Master Source file - - BUT - - they are stored in the database and appear to the user (and in reports) somewhat differently in FTM2008 than these same comments did in FTM16 (they appeared with the comments but showed “”)

Coupled with the fact that FTM16 stores data in different ways (discussed above – ‘direct-entry’ versus ‘import’) the other factor that led me to the conclusion that data had been lost results from how FTM2008 produces a GEDCOM file, as opposed to how FTM16 produces a GEDCOM file. It appears both versions DO produce standardized GEDCOM-compliant files; however, each version uses different rules to produced those compliant GEDCOM files (i.e., FTM2008 appears to take long comments and/or notes, and generates multiple short “CONC” lines within a GEDCOM file (instructions that cause those lines to be later concatenated/linked) - whereas FTM16 takes those same long comments and/or notes, and generates longer lines within a GEDCOM file.

To recap - - - I now tend to believe that the importation of data to FTM2008 will not result in a data loss within the new version’s database. Some of the info may be a bit hard to find, but everything appears to be there.

As far as needed improvements to FTM2008, the management team responsible for FTM2008 development advised me that the ‘just-released’ Service Pack 2 strives to improve the reliability of the application and should improve some performance issues. The new SP2 also added the Ahnentafel & Register reports to the application. They assured me they were “looking hard” at ways to improve the way FTM2008 deals with ‘Sources’ along with other on-going performance-enhancing improvements.

For me personally, I will continue to use FTM16, but will regularly re-evaluate FTM2008 for performance and functionality issues, and will probably upgrade in the future when I can be as comfortable with the new version as I am with the old.

Dan Hunter

[Terry Smith]

My experience with this software has been negative. I could not even import a GedCom to it. After cycling through the file for a while it returns a "unknown" error and when contacted on the issue they asked for my GedCom which I sent to them. After weeks of nothing, I finally sent the CD's back for a refund. Even with the release of patch 2, the problem still persists, so I cannot recommend the software at all. Of course I have a hugh databse of over 294,000 names, so maybe 2008 is not ready for the BIG datafiles.... [sigh]

[Kat Wolf]

Two things irritate me (in addition to many others) about FTM 2008. I do not like the fact that I cannot work on my book without uploading it to Ancestry's website. I travel a great deal and work on my book while I'm inflight. With this new software, I cannot do that without an internet connection. Ever tried getting an internet connection at 10,000 feet?

The second irritation for me is the fact that I cannot get rid of "hints" that have no relationship to the person I'm researching. Maybe there's a way, but I've not found it...unfortunately.

I never work on just one tree. I have several people I work on concurrently. I love many of 2008's features, but I just can't recommend this version at this time. My sister-in-law is also a genealogist, but her opinion of this version cannot be repeated here! LOL!

[Tar]

If you are looking for other Gen. Software,
you might consider the top ten.
Note PAF has been discontinued.
FTM seems to be running on it's past old reputation?

http://genealogy-software-review.toptenreviews.com/
http://genealogy.about.com/od/software_reviews/

[Br G]

FTM 2008 has no "all in one tree" report like previous versions.

You have to be kidding me!!! This is the most important report!!!! PLEASE PUT IT BACK IN!!!!

[Bill]

I use FTM version 16. I'm having the same problem with this version as others using 2008 in respect to not being able to connect thru v 16 to my ancestry.com account. I'm using Norton 360 and after loading, that is when my nearly 1 month old problem began. I've used every help desk available to me with software which I believe may have been able to solve the problem since I could not. I can think of nothing else to do. Is there anyone using other than Norton software with version 16 not experiencing web connection difficulties who would care to share with me that information? I've used Norton Internet Security for several years and have never experienced this difficulty. No other software that I'm using with connections back to their sites are a problem.

[Frustrated Froggy]

I first loved FTM 2008 but right now it is not number one on my hit parade...Every time I try to open it, it claims there was a problem with the last tree I worked on, should it fix it...it goes through that process and then shuts down...I have four trees on there and it won't even open the back-ups!!

I would love to un-install and re-install but I can't find my disk; can anyone help me there?

[Russell Morrison]

Well, I've read all the complaints and seen that FTM are trying to fix the problems...BUT I have yet to find a fix for "Authentication with the server failed". I've been looking for a patch for two days now with no success. So if anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. Oh yeah, I did try to leave a message under ancestry.com's 'internet issues help', but apparently their server wasn't working....and still isn't. Gotta love technology....

[Clarence E. Jennings]

I purchased FTM 2008 back in July 2007. When I received the CD and installed it, I got this message: FTM 2008 has encountered a problem and must close. Ever since I have tried dozens of suggestions. No dice. Tech support told me to get rid of all virus programs and shut off firewall and reinstall. While doing this, I received 1375 spyware viruses which I had to get rid of. 2008 still does not work. Same problem.
I am thinking seriously of getting new software such as Legacy. I consider that a drastic measure, but Ancestry doesn't seem to want to help.

[Karl Bratcher]

I too purchased the FTM 2008 pre release in early July when it was first being offered to old FTM customers. I installed in August upon its delivery and quickly discovered the loss of the ability to print reports and family trees on my personal computer then learning that FTM is so kind to offer to print these important reports for us, a fee being involved of course.

I've been paying the FTM nickle and dime fees since the begining of FTM and currently can look across my desk and see a stack of CDs standing over seven inches in height and all my effort to benifit were for not. The FTM 2008 version will not even read these disk due to some unknown problem rendering all my purchases useless.

Another problem I created for myself is in somewhat angry mind I stored the FTM 2008 Disk in a place I really could care less where. It didn't make to my worth while stuff.

I subscribe to ancestry.com service too and only now is it becoming worth some porsion of the asking price.

I'm trying to make my mind up about which program to switch to, perhaps someong might help me out with their ideas.

Familty Tree Maker is still in the making money mode and really doesn't care what the customers think or need. FTM's only salvation is two fold, first they need to fire the harvard gang and get a few sharp hign school kids to right a great program. Secondly they must produce and furnish all FTM 2008 purchasers with same3 and free of any charge including shipping charges.

If I find my FTM 2008 disk I think I'll send it to Hillary.

[Jerry Case]

As a retired software programmer and tester, I find it unbelievable that there seems to be no systematic process for submitting and tracking bug reports for FTM 2008. I have submitted a couple of bug reports to Ancestry via their tech support page but, other than an automated reply, nothing seems to happen as a result.
REAL software MUST have a bug reporting/tracking process! If anyone knows of such a procedure, please post here.

[Michael Sharp]

FTM 2008 has basically destroyed my interest in working on the family tree. I dread the thought of opening and navigating with this cumbersome pokey software. I'd imagine the code behind the g.u.i. is total spaghetti. If the corporation I work for presented work like this to our clients we would be out of business in a year, but since the general public has millions of folks to be duped by shoddy work, these guys may hang around a little longer.

[Bill Godwin]

I too was a happy FTM 16 user who tried to upgrade to FTM 2008 - it crashed repeatedly. After SP1 it continued to crash. After SP2 it crashed every time I tried to open it. Tech support was useless - they were sure it couldn't be their program, but suggested I reintall after a clean reboot (even Windows can manage an update without a clean reboot!), but of course that didn't help either.

But what was really telling was that I wrote the president of the company and didn't even get a form letter acknowledgment back. That tells you how important customer input is to them!

Meanwhile, I've stayed on FTM 16 and am gradually converting over to RootsMagic - stable, full-featured (lots better output and reports and charts), and with good customer support.

[Patricia]

Well, they did it again. Just got my new FTM 2008 update, and it doesn't compute. The message "the program has stopped working," opens, then FTM shuts itself down without having ever started! Uninstalling and reinstalling had no effect. Their directions for a fix apparently don't exist in VISTA, yet another disaster, which limits Version 16 printing functions.

It's appalling how much time I've wasted since 2008's initial release, trying to get this program to open, to get it registered, to get it compatible with my Ancestry.com subscription, and to import (mangling data relentlessly) 41,000 persons, only then to operate at a rate usually exceeded by the speed of the last ice age.

Guess it's too late to get my money back?

Patricia

[Greg]

This is a repost of a posting I put on Ancestry.com product manager blog:

I have recently installed FTM2008. I am sorely disappointed. You have dropped entired classes of functionality from the software in an “upgrade.” In 25 years of involvement in the PC software industry I’ve never seen this done.

I will need to remain with FTM16 for foreseeable future or use this as a chance to switch to more capable software otherwise I risk creating an orphaned family history that ran to 550 pages and that we’ve printed as a hard cover book and distributed to several hundred relatives and many libraries. FTM2008’s loss of book publishing, numerous reporting capabilities, ability to use prior books, etc. renders it useless for me. The genealogy reports are substandard and the format of details and level of control is terrible and far different format than prior versions.

The program now appears to be a thin veneer of a storefront for selling ancestry press products and online research. Albeit creaky and tough to use, the book publishing of prior versions was essential and you’re destroying tens of thousands of hours of investment in your product by your customer base by leaving to out when issuing an upgrade.

It is as if Microsoft dropped half of Word when it comes out with a new version. Unacceptable.

To upgrade software implies delivering all of the functionality that came before plus more. FTM2008 is a brand new product with very little of the prior functionality retained.

A final comment:

The pricing of FTM is the best indication that the purpose of FTM is now to sell sevices rather than provide useful software. No one can make, test, or support a useful software product for $30. It is only a shell to sell other ancestry/etc products. I also find it ironic that they have millions to spend on national television and other media campaign yet they've obviously cut the throat of their primary software product.

[Jerry Greenwood]

When planning to buy a laptop with Vista, I called FTM and they said I could download a "patch" to make it work. I installed my FTM V11 (I read the reviews of 2008 and didn't buy!). My backup, made with V11, will not upload. The error message says the backup was done with a later version. NOT!! All FTM will tell me is to buy V16. Anyone have any 'fixes' for this problem?

[Jerry Case]

I just received an email from Ancestry saying that they would soon be releasing FTM 2009 and, because I registered FTM 2008, I would be receiving a free copy of FTM 2009.
Let's hope that FTM 2009 works better than FTM 2008. There may be no users of FTM left, though. A lot of people in my genealogical society have moved to Legacy 7 even though Legacy can't import any images. Once you've imported a gedcom into Legacy, its capabilities and user-friendliness seem outstanding. Legacy's tech support is both accessible and helpful.

[Lynda Rogers]

Hi,
I too have just started with the new FTMaker 2008. I have managed to put all of my FTM 16 data into the new programe (still have the other FTM running) but for some reason I have not been able to add my SCRAPBOOK. Can anyone offer me some advise on this. Yes, the program is very different but I have been able to adjust to the differences so far. Will retain my old programme for some time until I am completely comfortable with the old one.