Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum Australia / New
Zealand Edition
Although the family tree and genealogy
software market has relatively been available since the home
computer came into existence, it's not since recent years have these
programs truly transcended what users can create and share with others
and Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum is no exception to the rule.
Boasting a plethora of features that can be used by a variety of
different levels of computer experience, this family tree program is
easily one of the best we have seen in quite some time.
With that said,
Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum is the number 1 selling Family History
Software in the United Kingdom and has held its position quite strongly
for 19-years. Even though it has quite a loyal following in the United
Kingdom, you could probably be so bold and say around the world as well.
Best of all, this program can be accessed
by users from around the world and has allowed millions of people from
around the globe to share and preserve their family histories. Although
what started as a humble family tree software has grown considerably and
allows you add a variety of options to your family's history from
interactive media, timelines and even access to www.Ancestry.com.au which
has thousands of people recorded. Features like this, truly
makes this a holistic program and through the internet, it may even
allow you to fill in those gaps of your family tree.
Features
-
NEW Family Tree
Maker 2009 Technology the world’s most popular genealogy software.
-
Access to
Ancestry.com.au The subscription with a credit card – everything you
need to get started is in the box!
-
Printed Getting
Started Guide – Follow the directions in this handy guide to begin
your first Family Tree Maker™ project and master the program’s
basics.
-
Printed Family Tree
Maker ‘Little Book of Answers’ book worth over $20. Learn the why,
how, and when of using its most popular features; get advice for
mastering advanced tasks; and read quick lessons that will make your
family history research fast and fun.
-
Training Tutorial –
learn the basics quickly and easily with this brand new on-screen
training tutorial.
The installation of
Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum was a breeze and it simply
auto-installed once the disc was detected by out computer. For techno
junkies, the system used for this program was an AMD Phenom II
Processor, AMD/ATI HD4870X2 Graphic Card, 4GB RAM and a 500GB SATA hard
drive. Once the relatively quick installation was completed, we were
greeted to a rather intuitive interface that although has a slightly
higher learning curve than some of the competitors, it still allows the
basic user to get straight into the program and start recording their
family history. It should be noted that I've had a look at a number of
different "family tree" programs in the past and I can happily say that
Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum is one of the fastest programs
available, whether your accessing files or creating new complex family
links.
Australia Features
-
NSW Assisted
Immigration
-
NSW Unassisted
Immigration
-
Australia Electoral
Rolls, 1901 - 1936
-
Victoria, Australian
Rural Cemetery Records, 1836 - 1988
-
First Fleet
1787-1788
-
Second Fleet
1789-1790
-
Third Fleet 1791
-
Other Fleets & Ships
1791-1868
-
Sands Directories:
Sydney & NSW
Some of interesting new
features of Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum are the new reports and
charts and some great enhanced map features, ensuring that you can
really pinpoint where your family members are currently at and where
they originally came from. The program contains a great export feature for
HTML and RTF files that actually keeps the formatting of your information
quite structured in line of your original information.
Thankfully Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum features some great
documentation and tutorials to assist you in creating your family tree
and for novices such as myself, the "Getting Started Guide to Family
Tree Maker" is a great instruction set for mastering the basics of the
program. Match that with some interactive training tutorials which I'd
heavily advise that you begin before commencing your family history and
you have everything at your fingertips for recording the knowledge of
your family.
A colleague has noted to me that the interface has been tweaked and
revamped for the 2009 edition which allows for easier access to menus
and features that in turn improves productivity. With that said, some
users of previous incarnations will need to re-learn the functions and
features of the current edition that may be a negative for some, however
in the long run, it's definitely in the right direction. The program is
also backward compatible to previous incarnations, ensuring that your
information can be flawlessly transferred to the current edition of
Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum.
In conclusion, Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum is a very powerful
genealogy software package that we would highly recommend to any user,
particularly of Anglo-Saxon decent who wishes to research or create
their family history. As the program is so well connected with the
greater community via the world wide web, this program is a valuable
resource tool for filling in those gaps or even communicating with other
people. The features are brilliant, the learning curve is a little
steep, however at the end of the day, this will give your family and
acquaintances, a valuable recording tool for generations to come. |