Guest Author: Best Family History Software

I'm pleased to introduce my readers to my guest author today - Jenna Smith.  Jenna has written an article comparing various Genealogy Software. Enjoy!

Best Family History Software

More and more people are interested in studying their family history. From people perusing Brookdale senior living reviews to professional genealogists, the human race wants to know its roots. This isn't new thing, but in the past people have found digging into the past to be daunting logistical challenge. Fortunately, there are a number of tools out there now that will help you to conduct your research efficiently and have a bit of fun doing it. The following are three of the top pieces of software you can use to flawlessly trace your family tree:

Family Tree Maker

The proprietary, award-winning genealogy software from Ancestry.com has been kicking since 1989 and as of 2010 is available for both PCs and Macs. The program allows users to organize and track information related to family history searches. In 2006 it won the CODiE award for “Best Consumer Productivity Solution.” Since then, FTM has been upgraded a number of times. While the software shares many similar features as other genealogy and family tree services, Family Tree Maker has received high marks for its ease of navigation and user-friendliness. New bonus features allow for customized narratives, 3D options, and quick information retrieval.

Reunion

Developed exclusively for Macs by Leister Productions, Inc., Reunion consistently receives rave reviews. Like Family Tree Maker, Reunion allows users to create family history reports, including charts that illustrate family trees and tools for publishing their results online. Also like Family Tree Maker, Reunion is beloved for its ease of use. Released in a number of different versions over the years, the latest Reunion 9 provides even more options for customizing your family history research experience. Newer features include enhanced file importing capabilities, an expansion of output formats, a with-the-times approach to same-sex couple documentation, and the ability to flag people and events with historical significance.

RootsMagic

RootsMagic runs primarily on Windows operating systems, although some users have been able to utilize the software application Wine in order to run it on Linux. The latest version of this software has a revamped interface that is FamilySearch certified and the new layout allows integration with Family Tree Maker and other software like Family Origins. RootsMagic also allows for DNA research and can be used to create 6 different types of CSS websites, including pedigree charts, and multiple forms of narrative reports. While its multimedia functions don't operate as seamlessly as the previous two programs listed here, RootsMagic has a stellar support staff and supports a number of 3rd party software.

Whether you use a PC, Mac, or Linux there are software options here for you to conduct extensive family history research. The programs discussed above also offer state-of-the-art methods for sharing and storing your reports. There's never been a better time to discover your roots!

About Jenna: Jenna is a journalism student at Saint Louis University. Upon graduation, she hopes to travel the world while producing compelling content for the masses. When she isn't writing,  you can find Jenna with her nose in a book, or her headphones in to block out the rest of the world. 

Family Tree Maker 2012 Discount

Some good news! If you use FTM, you can get 20% off Family Tree Maker 2012 at Ancestry.com

I've got mine on order and am impatiently waiting for it!

Right now I'm using FTM 2011 both for Windows and Mac and although at first I didn't like the huge jump I had to make to upgrade from a very old version, now I love it.

NEHGS Tour Through Ireland & Irish History

Programs and Events from NEHGS

A Tour Through Ireland and Irish History

July 5, 2011 5:00PM - July 15, 2011 5:00PM

Ireland

Please join NEHGS as we explore our Irish immigrant ancestors’ native land, the rolling hills of Ireland. We will discover spectacular scenery, and enjoy legendary Irish hospitality in internationally renowned hotels and restaurants and elegant private homes.

Please e-mail education@nehgs.org if you wish to be placed on a waiting list for the event.

To learn more about upcoming events, programs, and tours, visit AmericanAncestors.org/Event to register online or download a registration form. Please mail your registration form to:



NEHGS, Education & Tours

Attn: Joshua Taylor

99-101 Newbury Street

Boston, MA 02116-3007

For more information call 1-888-296-3447, or e-mail education@nehgs.org

Press Release: AncestorSync Available in June

The following Press Release was sent to Olive Tree Genealogy blog by AncestorSync. This is the first time I've heard of them and so I know nothing about the company but their Press Release sounds intriguing.

Real-Time Collaboration, Inc. Unveils AncestorSync™ To Bridge The Gap Between Desktop and Online Family History

AncestorSync™ enables you to synchronize your family tree, source documents, citations, and notes across all of your computers and a web pedigree of your choice.

Orem, Utah (Real-Time Collaboration) – Real-Time Collaboration has announced the release of their latest offering, AncestorSync™, which allows you to seamlessly download, upload, or synchronize your family tree from your online pedigree to your personal computer, and back again.

AncestorSync is the first service on the market that allows you to easily move all of your family history work from a desktop genealogy program to an online pedigree without anyone or anything getting lost in the process

AncestorSync™ has partnerships with FamilySearch, Geni, Inc., and ourFamilyology, Inc. and is a joint venture of Ohana Software, LLC. and SharingTime, LLC., wholly owned subsidiaries of Real-Time Collaboration.

"AncestorSync™ is precisely the type of service we envisioned when we created the Geni API. Genealogists no longer must choose between their favorite desktop software and Geni. With AncestorSync™ as the bridge, they can maintain their offline tree while taking advantage of the incredibly rich data and collaborative community Geni offers,”states Noah Tutak, Geni CEO.

"AncestorSync makes interfacing you genealogical data with FamilySearch family tree easy. One product to read, write and synchronize your tree regardless of the desktop software you may own, " says Gordon Clarke, FamilySearch Web Services Product Manager.

AncestorSync will be of great value to genealogists by expanding their ability to work with their desktop application and sync their data with our online service.  We look forward to adding this feature for our customers, says Brandy Sacco founder and owner of ourFamilyology.

AncestorSync supports a variety of program formats including: Ancestral Quest, Legacy Family Tree, Personal Ancestral File, RootsMagic and GEDCOM. It will soon support The Master Genealogist and MacFamilyTree.  AncestorSync will be available in June for a budget-friendly $15 annual fee, and is PC and Mac compatible.

For more information about AncestorSync™, contact us at info@ancestorsync.com or 1.877.436.3256 or visit our website at www.ancestorsync.com.