I used The Master Genealogist for several years and it seemed like I spent more time trying to learn how to use all the features than I did entering information. It was very time-consuming to enter data and the citations never seemed to look much like EE. I went through several iterations of TMG and waited a long time for the version that came out about 2 years ago to see if the clunky DOS-like interface would be updated. It was not so I made the decision to switch programs and settled on Roots Magic. It won't do everything TMG would do (I really miss being able to set flags) but it's so much quicker to enter data and the citation function is far superior to TMG. I don't think I would recommend TMG to a beginner. Most of the other programs would probably be more suitable, especially since most of the features I originally wanted when I bought TMG have been incorporated into the other programs over the years. I agree that new users should try downloading the free versions of a couple of programs and see how they like them. With most of the programs having a lot of the same features, it becomes more like shopping for a car: they all do pretty much the same thing but everyone has their own idea of what looks good, drives best, and which options they need. Stephanie Wells I gave up on TMG because, except for basic functions, it was too "techy" > for me, although I understand it is extremely powerful for those who have > the patience or inclination to learn it. > > I think FTM is good for those who want to keep a database on their > computer synchronized with an online tree at Ancestry. It is also helpful > for those who are highly visual and like to see everything at once on what > I consider to be cluttered and overwhelming screens. I find it less robust > and flexible than Legacy and RootsMagic on source citations, reporting and > other features, but that may just be me. >