If you’ve never seen Family Atlas, then you’re really missing out. George Morgan of the Genealogy Guys Podcast said, “Family Atlas is a truly stunning new software product. A real winner!”

Family Atlas makes creating custom family maps fun and easy!  You start with an interactive world globe that you can explore.  Family Atlas lets you import your family data directly from RootsMagic or other genealogy software, and then create markers based on relationships, names, event types, and more.  You can even hand-enter set of markers such as “Civil War Battles”, “Places Where John Smith Lived”, or “Family Vacations”.

As places are imported or entered by hand, Family Atlas automatically matches them against its list of 3.5 million place names and locates them on the map.

Enhance your maps by adding lines, text, bubble pointers, title, legends and more.  You can even save your customized maps so that you can open and edit or print them later.

And when you are ready to make your map available for others, Family Atlas lets you print your maps, or save them to PDF or other popular graphics formats.

To see Family Atlas in action, be sure to watch our online video tutorial.

It’s never been easier to create completely custom family maps!  And for only $19.95, now is the perfect time to order your own copy of Family Atlas.  But hurry, our Mapping Mania only lasts until March 31, 2010!

It’s very exciting to see the growing interest and attention which genealogy and family history are now receiving in national media. Who Do You Think You Are? joins The Generations Project (also sponsored by RootsMagic) and Faces of America as current television series that follow individuals as they discover and connect with their personal family histories.  Not only are these programs entertaining for those already tracing their roots, but they introduce and inspire others to explore their own family trees.

To listen to the podcast and interview, click here to visit the Genealogy Gems website.

We are pleased to sponsor the St. George Family History Expo on February 26-27, 2010 at the Dixie Convention Center, 1835 Convention Center Drive, St. George, Utah.   Visit our booth, attend our classes, or take away one of our over $1,000 worth of prizes!

Free Exhibit Hall!

Visit us at the RootsMagic booth in the Expo’s exhibit hall and experts will be on hand to answer questions about the RootsMagic software.  Don’t miss special conference discounts on various RootsMagic products. The Exhibit Hall also features family history vendors from across the world. The Exhibit Hall is free to the public and is open:

• Friday, February 26: 9 am – 6 pm
• Saturday, February 27: 9 am – 5:30 pm

Free RootsMagic Classes!

Come learn about the new features in RootsMagic 4 ( including our award-winning integration with New FamilySearch) in 2 free classes.  That’s right, these classes are FREE to anyone (but you do have to come pick up a ticket from our booth to attend).

• New FamilySearch Made Easy with RootsMagic 4 – Friday 11:30 am, Sunbrook B Room
• What’s New in RootsMagic 4 – Saturday 8:00 am, Sunbrook B Room
• New FamilySearch Made Easy with RootsMagic 4 – Saturday 1:00 pm, Sunbrook B Room

Free Exhibit Hall Mini-Classes!

We had terrific feedback on our mini-classes in Arizona so we’re trying it again.  We’ll be teaching free RootsMagic mini-classes in the exhibit hall.  These mini-classes will be about 15 minutes long and will be held at our booth during the break between the regular classes.

• Getting Started with RootsMagic 4 – Friday 9:10 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• New FamilySearch Overview - Friday 9:30 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Fun RootsMagic Tools - Friday 11:05 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Creating a Shareable CD - Friday 12:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Mapping and Geocoding in RootsMagic 4 - Friday 1:00 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Entering Evidence Explained Sources - Friday 2:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Reports, Reports, Reports - Friday 4:05 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Data Clean-Up in RootsMagic 4 - Saturday 9:10 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Creating Wall Charts in RootsMagic 4 - Saturday 10:35 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Running RootsMagic from a Flash Drive - Saturday 12:05 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Publishing a Book with RootsMagic 4 - Saturday 12:30 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Using RootsMagic’s Research Tools - Saturday 3:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth

Fun Prizes!

And to help show off some of the great features in RootsMagic 4, we’re going to give away these great prizes in each of our free RootsMagic classes.

1. Two 4GB flash drives pre-installed with RootsMagic 4.  That’s right, RootsMagic 4 will run directly off a flash drive.  And with the included RootsMagic To-Go program you can easily transfer your data back and forth between your desktop computer and your flash drive as well.
2. Two $25 gift certificates from Generation Maps.  Generation Maps makes it easy to print those large wall charts you’ve created in RootsMagic 4.
3. Plus a bunch of stuff just for fun: RootsMagic tote bags, badge holders, genealogy ties, and more!

Other Classes!

Over 100 other classes will be presented by industry leaders and experts from the local and national genealogical community.  Products and services from genealogy companies will also be showcased in an exhibit hall where you can meet with specialists for free personal consultations on research questions or problems.

If you wish to attend the other classes, registration is just $75.00 for both days or $40.00 for a single day.  Individuals who want to attend only one or two classes and visit the Exhibit Hall can register for single classes at $12.00 each.

Expo details and the class schedule are available online at: www.FHExpos.com.

Thursday – Phoenix Family History Center

Our first stop is at the Phoenix Family History Center.  They have graciously offered to host Bruce Buzbee, author of RootsMagic, for a demonstration of RootsMagic 4, its features, and how it interfaces with new FamilySearch.  The demonstration is free to the public.

• Time: Thursday, January 21, 2010, 7 pm
• Place: Phoenix Family History Center, 3102 N 18th Ave, Phoenix, AZ

Friday – Saturday, Arizona Family History Expo

Come join us at the Arizona Family History Expo on January 22-23, 2010 at the Mesa Convention Center, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa, Arizona.   Visit our booth, attend our classes, or take away one of our over $1,000 worth of prizes!

Free Exhibit Hall!

Visit us at the RootsMagic booth in the Expo’s exhibit hall and experts will be on hand to answer questions about the RootsMagic software.  Don’t miss special conference discounts on various RootsMagic products. The Exhibit Hall also features family history vendors from across the world. The Exhibit Hall is free to the public and is open:

• Friday, January 22: 9 am – 6 pm
• Saturday, August 29: 9 am – 5:30 pm

Free RootsMagic Classes!

Come learn about the new features in RootsMagic 4 ( including our award-winning integration with New FamilySearch) in 2 free classes.  That’s right, these classes are FREE to anyone (but you do have to come pick up a ticket from our booth to attend).

• What’s New in RootsMagic 4 – Friday 3:00 pm, Robson Room
• New FamilySearch Made Easy with RootsMagic 4 – Saturday 9:30 am, Robson Room

We are also teaching a couple of other classes as well:

• Mapping Your Family History with Family Atlas – Friday 4:30 pm, Robson Room
• Personal Historian: Bringing Life to Your Life Stories – Saturday 2:30 pm, Robson Room

Free Exhibit Hall Mini-Classes!

We’re trying something different at this expo and teaching free RootsMagic mini-classes in the exhibit hall.  These mini-classes will be about 15 minutes long and will be held at our booth during the break between the regular classes.

• Getting Started with RootsMagic 4 – Friday 9:10 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• New FamilySearch Overview - Friday 9:30 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Fun RootsMagic Tools - Friday 11:05 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Creating a Shareable CD - Friday 12:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Mapping and Geocoding in RootsMagic 4 - Friday 1:00 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Entering Evidence Explained Sources - Friday 2:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Reports, Reports, Reports - Friday 4:05 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Data Clean-Up in RootsMagic 4 - Saturday 9:10 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Creating Wall Charts in RootsMagic 4 - Saturday 10:35 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Running RootsMagic from a Flash Drive - Saturday 12:05 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Publishing a Book with RootsMagic 4 - Saturday 12:30 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Using RootsMagic’s Research Tools - Saturday 2:05 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
• Creating a Custom Report - Saturday 3:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth

Fun Prizes!

And to help show off some of the great features in RootsMagic 4, we’re going to give away these great prizes in each of our free RootsMagic classes.

1. Two 4GB flash drives pre-installed with RootsMagic 4.  That’s right, RootsMagic 4 will run directly off a flash drive.  And with the included RootsMagic To-Go program you can easily transfer your data back and forth between your desktop computer and your flash drive as well.
2. Two $25 gift certificates from Generation Maps.  Generation Maps makes it easy to print those large wall charts you’ve created in RootsMagic 4.
3. Plus a bunch of stuff just for fun: RootsMagic tote bags, badge holders, genealogy ties, and more!

Other Classes!

Over 100 other classes will be presented by industry leaders and experts from the local and national genealogical community.  Products and services from genealogy companies will also be showcased in an exhibit hall where you can meet with specialists for free personal consultations on research questions or problems.

If you wish to attend the other classes, registration is just $75.00 for both days or $40.00 for a single day.  Individuals who want to attend only one or two classes and visit the Exhibit Hall can register for single classes at $12.00 each.

Expo details and the class schedule are available online at: www.FHExpos.com.

The Generations Project is a new reality series that helps those who have questions about their family history investigate their own identities by walking in the shoes of their ancestors. As they undertake these journeys, they often uncover the hidden identities in family pasts, and come to see that in many cases the best way to know who you are is to know who you came from.

The series will premiere on Monday, January 4, 2010 at 6:00pm MST on BYU Television with repeats shown throughout the week.  New episodes will air every Monday.  BYU Television is available on Dish Network channel 9403, DirecTV channel 374, many local cable systems, or online.

Welcome to 2010!  Now that 2009 is in the past, and in the spirit of the new year, we’d like to present our resolutions for 2010.  While losing 20 pounds would be great for us personally, as a company our goals are a little different.

RootsMagic Updates

When we spent over three years in rewriting RootsMagic 4, we did so with an eye on the future and emerging technologies.  Just as we broke new ground with our Shareable CD’s in version 3 and RootsMagic To-Go in version 4, we’re working on new and unique features to make researching and sharing your family history even easier.  In 2010, watch for regular updates to your software with improvements, fixes, and new features.

One much-requested feature that we’ve already been working on is making RootsMagic available in other languages.  Since RootsMagic 4 is a unicode application (computer jargon for supporting all international character sets), it is able to be translated into any language including Russian, Japanese, and Chinese in addition to western-alphabet languages such as Spanish, German, and Portuguese.  If you’re interested in seeing RootsMagic translated into your native tongue or would like to help with the actual translations, please contact us.

Personal Historian 2

It’s been a long-time coming but we’re excited to be finishing up the next version of Personal Historian, our software which helps you write and organize personal histories and biographies.  Much of the development work that went into RootsMagic 4 is being transplanted into Personal Historian, giving it improved writing and publishing capabilities, better media management, and an even easier-to-use interface.  Look for previews and announcements in this blog in the coming months.

More Website Improvements

Just as the rewrite of RootsMagic set the stage for many new and exciting features in our software, the redesign of our website in 2009 has set the stage for new methods of interacting with our users via the internet.  Watch for more tutorials and support options coming to our website later this year.

More Awards

Just when we thought we had wrapped up our 2009 Year in Review and the awards we’ve received, one more sneaks in at the last minute.  This one came from the GenSoftReviews website, where people can rate and review their favorite genealogy software products.  We are honored to receive the “Best Liked Genealogy Software 2009″ award.  RootsMagic finished 2009 with the highest rating of all genealogy software programs with an average of 4.95 out of 5 stars!

Thank You!

Of course, these resolutions are not a comprehensive list of our plans and goals for 2010.  There are many other projects which are in development in our secret underground laboratories which we’ll talk about when the time is right.  In the meantime, thank you again for your support.  We try very hard to listen to your problems, questions, and suggestions.  If there is something that you’d like to see us do, please contact us and let us know.  Happy New Year and may you have lots of success in 2010 (both genealogically and otherwise)!

Well, 2009 has been a busy year for us.  It’s gone by very quickly and we thought it would be fun to review all that has happened in the last 12 months.  If you’re not one to dwell on the past, check back tomorrow as we present our 2010 New Years’ Resolutions with a peek at our plans for the coming year.  But until then, “Sherman, set the Wayback Machine to 2009!”

RootsMagic 4

The biggest event by far this year was the release of RootsMagic 4.  Over three years in the making, RootsMagic 4 was a complete rewrite from it’s predecessor, introduced many new and exciting features, and paved the way for incredible new features in the future.   After working insanely long hours for months on end, it was apparent that we weren’t going to make our original goal of releasing version 4 in late 2008.  After a community preview in January with 2,000 of our own users testing it, we did something we had never done before and invited the public to preview RootsMagic 4 before it was released.  With the terrific feedback and suggestions we received, we were able to officially release RootsMagic 4 on March 25, 2009.  Our users were thrilled with the new features, we were thrilled to get some sleep again, and our families were thrilled to have us back.

Growth

We feel very fortunate that in these days of economic uncertainty, not only have we been able to stay in business, but we’ve been able to grow as a company.  To keep up with this growth, we’ve hired additional sales and support staff.  We recognize that this growth is only possible because of your support and eagerness to tell your friends and family members about us.  Thank you!

We Get Around

In 2009, we traveled more miles, taught more classes, and attended more conferences than we ever have before.  In fact, there was one weekend where we were present at four different events in four different states at the same time!  Thank you to all the societies, user groups, family history centers, and companies that organized these events.  And thank you to all of you who came to see us!  By far, the most rewarding aspect of these events is the chance to meet our users face-to-face, answer your questions, and receive your suggestions.

Website Facelift

After almost 7 years with the same basic design and layout, our website was starting to show its age.  We’ve been meaning to update it for several years now, but something has always gotten in the way (cough.. Version 4…cough).  We finally bit the bullet and did it and on November 18, our new website was launched.  It’s not perfect but it’s much better organized and, from what you’ve told us, easier to find what you’re looking for.

RootsMagic Essentials

2009 brought another first for us.  Many of you have told us about friends or family members that would like to dip their toes in the world of genealogy but weren’t ready for software as comprehensive as RootsMagic.  In answer to these requests, on November 18, we released our first completely free genealogy software, “RootsMagic Essentials“.  RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features found in its namesake but at a much friendlier price- free.  Since then, thousands of people have downloaded RootsMagic Essentials and have started tracing their family tree.

Awards

We’ve been honored with several awards this year including:

2009 FamilySearch Software Awards
Best Dashboard and Easiest to Sync

ThinkGenealogy Innovator Award
July 2009

GeneAwards 2009
Best Genealogy Product of 2009
Most Improved Product of 2009

Thank You!

We know this sounds clichéd, but none of this would have been possible without you and your support.  2009 has been a big year for us and, rest assured, we’re working hard to make 2010 even better!

“RootsMagic Essentials” Brings Free Tools for Family History

SPRINGVILLE, Utah. — November 18, 2009 — RootsMagic, Inc. announced the immediate availability of RootsMagic Essentials, free desktop genealogy software based on their award-winning RootsMagic 4 system.  RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features found in its namesake that allow the public to easily start tracing their family trees.

Essential Features for Everyone

“Many of our users have told us that they have friends and family members who are interested in getting started in family history but aren’t ready to invest in a more comprehensive package like RootsMagic,” said Bruce Buzbee, president.  “RootsMagic Essentials gives them the features they need to start researching and recording their family tree at a price that can’t be beat—free!”

RootsMagic Essentials shares many of the same features with the full RootsMagic software including clean and friendly screens, the ability to add an unlimited number of people and events, pictures and media management, the SourceWizard to write your source citations for you, powerful merging and clean-up tools, dozens of reports and charts, support for international character sets, FamilySearch integration, and the ability to share data with other people and software programs.  The full version of RootsMagic is available for purchase and includes features not available in RootsMagic Essentials.

Free and Available Now

RootsMagic Essentials is available now for free at http://www.rootsmagic.com.  Users of other genealogy software products will find it easy to experiment with RootsMagic Essentials using their own data.  RootsMagic Essentials can directly import data from PAF, Family Tree Maker (through 2006), Family Origins, and Legacy Family Tree.  It can also read and write data using the popular GEDCOM format.

“We’re excited to make RootsMagic Essentials available to the community,” said Michael Booth, vice-president.  “Our mission is to provide ’software to unite families’ and our hope is that RootsMagic Essentials will encourage more people to record their family trees and connect with their family histories”.

About RootsMagic, Inc.

For over 20 years, RootsMagic, Inc. has been creating computer software with a special purpose—to unite families.  One of our earliest products- the popular “Family Origins” software, introduced thousands of people to the joy and excitement of family history.

That tradition continues today with “RootsMagic”, our award-winning genealogy software which makes researching, organizing, and sharing your family history fun and easy.  “Personal Historian” will help you easily write and preserve your life stories.  “Family Reunion Organizer” takes the headaches out of planning those important get-togethers.  And “Family Atlas” creates beautiful and educational geographic maps of your family history.

For more information, visit http://www.rootsmagic.com.

Source: RootsMagic, Inc.

We’ve been wanting (needing?) to update our RootsMagic.com website for over 4 years, but have never been able to turn the corner on it.

Well, we finally did it.  Mike Booth (VP of Technology for RootsMagic) has put in some serious hours completely redesigning our website to make it easier to find information about RootsMagic, Personal Historian, Family Atlas and our other products.

We will be adding additional content and functionality to the website in the future, so have a visit and let us know what you think.

If you have the RootsMagic News screen come up when you start RootsMagic, it may have already notified you of this update.  If not, you can do “Help > Check for Updates” from the RootsMagic menu to download and install this update.

You can also download the update from http://www.rootsmagic.com/updates/rootsmagic

Here are the new, fixed, and updated items in this update:

NEW

- Added “Use standardized place” button when editing a place from the master place list
- Streamlined NFS features

FIXED

- Source list now prints all occurrences of multiple citations of the same source for the same fact
- Fixed a problem with longitude sometimes having the wrong E, W designator
- Fixed problem with non-admin, non-power users getting a “Can’t save application settings” when exiting from RM
- Importing a GEDCOM with more than 2 addresses for a person doesn’t hang anymore
- Merging doesn’t put — MERGED NOTE — when one record has a note but the other doesn’t
- Record number doesn’t print for the spouse of children in narratives anymore
- Nickname delimiter (parens vs quotes) honored in website narratives

Addendum: Version 4.0.7.1 is the current version and includes just a couple of minor tweaks / fixes.