software

Could someone recommend the best and/or most widely used family tree
software? I've been using Genopro for years now but I'd like to start using

Peter Goodey...

There is no "best" - only what's best for you. "Widely used" is
irrelevant.

Hugh Watkins...

!!! NOT !!!

snipped

widely used software has a better financial base and is made by a team
of programmers

Family Tree Maker is on version 16 and often has a free offer of access
to ancestry.com or .co.uk attached
newbies love this -- until it breaks :-)

FTM 2006 is at firesale prices but has a gratis up date on the web to
FTM 16

widely used software has a broader community you can ask for help when
you get stuck

for advanced research (eg one-name or one-place studies)
many use data base software like Custodian 3
and programmers often make their own

many people to use for many years

enjoy

Hugh W

A question like this produces nothing except a string of replies all
saying in effect "I use so-and-so, therefore it must be good and what's
good for me must be good for you".

something a bit better. I'd rather not have to pay to use it, but if it's an

Don Phillipson...

I bet you will get more precise results if you list:
1. Genopro functions you want to continue using;
2. Other features that Genopro lacks that you
want to add to your repertoire.

excellent program I wouldn't mind too much.

Charani...

What's best is what suits you best.

A lot of people use and recommend PAF which is free from
Legacy also has a paid for version as well which I use and find
useful. I'm not one for reading manuals or help files as a general
rule but Legacy is very intuitive and their help file really is
helpful, which makes a pleasant change :))

Most of the programs have either free or trial versions. Try as many
of them as you can for a while to find one that you feel comfortable
with.

Richard van Schaik...

I still use Genopro for solving puzzles (the graphic layout is excelent
for that purpose), but try e.g. Legacy (free for the basic version) or
PAF (free, and I still use it with pleasure). For paid versions there
are loads of trials downloadable like TMG (The Master Genealogist),
Haza, (Reunion).

Just search a bit with these names in e.g. web-search. Reunion between
brackets as as far as I know its a Mac program (but I certainly could be
wrong).

The program I like might not be the one you search for, so try them all!

Retired...

I use Kith & Kin - Its British and doesn't ask for states and zip codes!
The associated TreeDraw program is probably one of the best available for
drawing trees.

In the end, your program of choice depends on its ease of use and whether
you wish to enter everything in one program, or like me, just keep the basic
data and links in a FH program, and the rest of the data (photos, scans,
transcripts, etc) in standard office-type format.
Whichever program you choose, make sure that there is an "exit route", such
as GEDCOM, for the data should you wish to change again at some time in the
future.

Some are available as shareware or as trial versions, try them out if you
can.

Avoid any software which seems to have regular updates - Family History
software should be reasonably mature by now; and avoid any which comes
complete with data discs, unless you have some particular interest in the
data offered.

Pat...

Take a trip to
for yourself.