Jumping in with TMG

[mtnbluedatab 0]

I have used FTW for several years and left it about 2005; went to Legacy 5 and put it on the shelf. Now, looking at Legacy 7.5 it stills installs into root C:, and still has the terrible GUI. Maybe will be better in 8.0, but not likely. I tried FTB, looks nice, lacks many needed functions, and leverages on $subscription/yr.

 

So, I am looking for a prosumer package. The reviews of TMG are not all glowing but pointed me here because of the 'steep learning' curve comments. Usually means lots to learn = good, like Photoshop.

 

I am trying out the 30 day trial, but my first impression is good. Great in fact.

 

Here are my concerns/questions:

 

Most if not all genealogy SW packages are at similar vintage numbers. They are quite similar in most features, with some differences. Most are therefore built on quite old database engines, and application environments. This can be OK; meaning stability. But, it can mean dead end development, and tired out teams. Revenue not keeping up with the cost of SW maintenance refresh. Just keeping up with MS OS upgrades, but not quite.

 

Before I jump in with TMG for the long term, it would be nice to get a hint of your technology roadmap. At a minimum your commitment to support, and upgrades. Are you ahead of the curve with MS? (I worked as a SW Director for years and MS make it easy to stay in sync with their development, as opposed to Apple).

 

I almost wish I had not thought of these issues, as my first impression of TMG 8 is very good. I have not hammered it with my typical mistakes, glitchy input style, messing with backups/retrievals, etc, but I am looking forward to solid performance.

 

Please help me push that 'cart' button for V8G. It's in there and ready. I want to standardize on TMG.

 

 

Stan

 

 

[Michael Hannah 0]

Hi Stan,

 

I am not part of the Wholly Genes company in any way, just a very long time satisfied user who volunteers on this Forum. But with my "outsider" yet biased position understood, I will try to answer some of your questions "from my personal point of view".

 

You mentioned "...the 'steep learning' curve comments. Usually means lots to learn = good..." I have always been befuddled by these comments. I think TMG is easily able to be used "out of the box". In my opinion these comments are really focused on the fact that TMG is designed for "The Master Genealogist". By that I think it is suggesting that it is designed for doing serious genealogy record keeping. I think that task requires both an understanding of genealogy and a degree of precision in documenting, with the substantiating sources, what is and is not a fact. I think many people are actually expressing their surprise that doing serious "genealogy" has a learning curve, which TMG expects and encourages.

 

But, yes, there is lots to learn because there are lots of features, especially lots of ways to "customize" what data you record and how you record it, and to customize the GUI. But I believe most of these features are not required to get started with TMG. On the other hand whenever a user stumbles and asks in the Forum or users' e-mail list "I wish I there was a (better) way to do X", other users are happy to point out the optional features that might have been overlooked and their own at least ten different "better" ways to do X. Seldom is there no way to do X in TMG. The user may not be able to do it using method A, but there is almost always a method B, and likely C, D, and E, which will work

 

As for keeping up with the underlying software industry, I think TMG is at least as good as most genealogy packages. Wholly Genes, like most companies offering genealogy software, is a small concern, but has continued to keep up with MS. For example, TMG Version 7 would already "work" when the new MS 64-bit operating system was released, with the sole exception of some parts of the report writer. TMG 8 was later released with 64-bit OS in mind and with a new fully functional and improved report writer. However, TMG is built on an underlying MS database engine which does not permit Unicode, and which MS has stated it will not upgrade. I expect that someday TMG will have to be completely rewritten using a new non-MS engine, but even with the Unicode limitation I expect TMG to outlast my lifetime. As far as keeping up with genealogy, I have found TMG even better at keeping up with if not leading the pack in providing serious genealogy tools, such as recording integrated DNA data.

 

While no software package is perfect, I believe TMG is an excellent tool for serious genealogy, and in my opinion better at doing that than any other product available.

 

In other words, come on in, the water's fine!!

 

Just one user's opinion,