Family Tree Maker 3 for Mac

[Smsgtbob]

I would like to discuss issues with folks who use FAMILY TREE MAKER 3 FOR MAC. I've tried to use the FTM for MAC programs since 2011 - from the initial purchase in 2011 through FTMM2 to FTMM3 and none of them seem to be compatible with my iMAC, even though they indicate such on the package contents. I've talked to 30-40 FTM techs on the subject over the years but none of them have been able to solve the issues - specifically the Registration process, which essentially renders the program useless for its ancestry.com connection. I have dozens of programs I've used over the years and have been able to make them work when I used PC's and on my 8 year old iMAC - just not the Family Tree Maker program.

So - any FTMM3 for MAC users out there that might give me some pointers?

Bob

[brianofcava]

This doesn't directly answer your question, Bob, as I have no experience of FTM for Mac, but we have now switched across completely to Reunion (now version 10) (having retained our FTM on our old Windows m/c for some years). The initial cost will be a nuisance, but everything goes very smoothly.

[DoctorGeoff]

Just as a general comment, software for Macs can be a problem.
An "eight year old iMac should be an Intel machine, and there could be a hiccup with the OS
"Our software runs on OSX-5" and they don't tell you that you need a PPC machine - or the other way round.
My Macs are a G4 and a G5, and getting software can be a bit hard, but I avoid the problems of "This will run under OSX 10.6 (or 7, or 8, (but under their breath is but not very well."

The product description for FTM3 for Mac says OS X 10.5 on ... but many developers have had to produce different versions for 10.6 onward - and there is not a lot of incentive for developers to work on versions for older version of the OS.

Personally, I am intending to try Gramps on my iMac.

Geoff

[Smsgtbob]

I have even installed Parallels --> Windows 7.1 and the FTM Windows version on a Virtual Machine on my iMAC to see if that would let me use the Family Tree Maker software. It is so slow as to be mind boggling and moving from one feature takes more time than my REUNION 10 all-MAC program. I've decided that FTM and I have come to a parting of the ways - I'm too old to keep bangin my head against the FTM barriers. I'll continue with Reunion and its great features and I can utilize the ancestry.com data as a 'workaround' - a bit awkward but more to this old man's patience and abilities.

I tried GRAMPS about 10 years back and it is a good program - one has to learn LINUX to utilize it. Using Windows, MAC OS and Linux can be time consuming when jumping from one OS to another..

Thanks to all for responding.

[DoctorGeoff]

So I said I would try Gramps. I did try - honest.
In its current version it must be one of the worst pieces of software I have ever tried - and I used to teach a lot of software engineering stuff at BSc and Masters level.
The killer was when it refused to import a GEDCOM file because it would only handle certain file types of which GEDCOM was one.
Before that, the version for Mac OS X 10.4 would not install on my iMac (running 10.4.11) but would install on my Powerbook (running 10.5).
Maybe the Windows and Linux versions are better, but life is too short ...
Goodbye Gramps ...

Geoff