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Can you believe that it is New Years Eve already? As is tradition, we in the RootsMagic underground labs like to reflect on all that has happened this past year.  And don’t forget to check back on Thursday as we present our resolutions for 2015.  But until then- let’s flip the calendar all the back to the beginning of 2014.

RootsMagic for Android

On February 7, we officially released our free RootsMagic for Android app. It was the latest step in our efforts to make RootsMagic available on whatever device you use, wherever you go. Android was the latest platform to join RootsMagic for Windows, iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) and even the Mac (with help).

 Support and Tips

We know that one of the reasons our loyal users love RootsMagic so much is that no other genealogy software provides the level of support and training that we do.  Over the past four years, we have pioneered the use of “webinars“, or free online classes, to help you learn anything you wanted to know about our software.  Our webinars have been viewed and downloaded over a million times from users in nearly every country on the globe.  And best of all, all of our webinars are archived and still available, free of charge.

We’ve also answered the demand for smaller, briefer tutorial videos that focused on very specific tasks. With this in mind, we introduced our YouTube channel, RootsMagic TV.  These videos are usually only a few minutes long and quickly show you how to do particular task without the details and explanations that you’ll find in our regular webinars.  Best of all, because they are hosted on YouTube, they are easy to share with others via e-mail or social networks.

In 2014, we’ve added regular tips and articles via this blog. These have been warmly received and we’ve loved hearing your feedback on them. They include:

• Planning Cemetery Trips with RootsMagic
• Get Research Help with RootsMagic and GenSmarts
• Never Get Lost in Your Tree with Color Coding
• Easily Follow the Fathers (and Sons)
• Know Your Relationships
• Find Exactly What you Want with a Few Keystrokes
• Saving Your Spot in RootsMagic Using Bookmarks
• Make a Map of Your Family’s Migrations
• Find a Person by Nickname or Maiden Name
• Finding Anything Anywhere in RootsMagic
• Keep Private Notes Private
• Keep Your File in Shape with Database Tools
• Finding Errors in Your Data with Problem Alerts
• Customize the Add Person Screen to Save Time
• Recovering Lost Registration Keys
• How to See When You Last Edited a Person in RootsMagic

A New Home for The Master Genealogist Users

On July 29, Wholly Genes Software announced that they would be discontinuing “The Master Genealogist” (TMG). On September 24, we released an update to RootsMagic that added a direct TMG import.

This direct import not only imports basic genealogical information from TMG like names, events, notes, and media, but also imports witnesses (with roles), source templates, and sentence templates. In fact, RootsMagic has the most complete TMG import available anywhere. Of course, due to different data models and template languages, no import can be 100% perfect but we prepared a guide to make the transition as smooth as possible.

MacBridge – Run RootsMagic on Your Mac Without Windows

On September 5, we released MacBridge for RootsMagic.  MacBridge for RootsMagic allows you easily install and run RootsMagic on your Mac in mere minutes with almost no additional setup or configuration.

MacBridge for RootsMagic is different than other solutions you may be familiar with. For starters, it does not install Windows on your Mac. It also does not create a slow and bulky virtual computer. It runs right on your Mac, using your Mac file system. You can even put the RootsMagic icon on your dock for easy one-click access! So while we are busily working on an actual native Mac version of RootsMagic, MacBridge for RootsMagic gives you the ability to work on a Mac today.

RootsMagic 7

On November 25, we released our brand-new RootsMagic 7. RootsMagic 7 adds DataClean, File Compare, even better online publishing, and the industry’s only multi-platform record hints, providing automatic hinting from both FamilySearch and MyHeritage. This upgrade has been our biggest and most successful to date and we’re thrilled with how well it has been received. Owners of previous versions of RootsMagic can upgrade for only $19.95

Thank You!

It sounds cliched, but we mean it when we say that none of this would have been possible without you and your support.  We are grateful for the wonderful feedback, enthusiasm, and encouragement that we receive from our community.  We hope that our work is deserving of your trust and support. 2014 has been an amazing year for us thanks to you!

On behalf of everyone here at RootsMagic, we hope that you’ve had a wonderful holiday and have had time to connect with family and friends. We’ve certainly had a very busy last few weeks since the release of RootsMagic 7.

To be honest, we’ve been doing this holiday offer for many years now and thought we had a good idea of how many CD’s we would need to order from our manufacturer to make it through the holiday season and the first part of 2015. Well, the demand for RootsMagic 7 on CD blew our expectations out of the water. We have sold and shipped every last CD that we had in stock. When it was apparent we were going to run out, we placed a rush order with our manufacturer for more. But with the holidays, we aren’t expected to have more CD’s in stock until the week of January 6, 2015.

With the delay in shipments, we’ve decided to extend our holiday offer. During this special holiday sale, you can order copies of RootsMagic 7 for just $19.95 (plus shipping). Even better, you can order our other products at that same $19.95 price.

Of course, in addition to being available on CD, RootsMagic 7 may also be downloaded so you can begin using the software right away while you wait for the CD to arrive. Or save yourself the cost of shipping and order the download by itself. Don’t worry, if you ever lose your registration key, you can always have it sent to you and download the software again.

There is no limit on the number of discounted gift copies you can buy during this limited time offer which will expire January 6, 2015. You will receive the full program for each copy you order.

To take advantage of this offer, just visit www.rootsmagic.com/holidayoffer.

The Christmas season is upon us and, for many of us, our thoughts turn to traditions, gifts, and family. It can be difficult to find a personal, meaningful gift that won’t end up stashed away in a box in the attic. With that in mind, here are 5 easy gifts that you can make with RootsMagic that will really bring families together.

1. Family History Book

There’s nothing quite like a solid, printed book. And RootsMagic’s Publisher feature does the heavy-lifting for you! With a few clicks, you can create a beautiful book complete with a table of contents, chapters, footnotes, endnotes, bibliography- even an index!

2. Shareable CD’s and DVD’s

If you’re looking for something a little more high-tech than a book, how about a computer disc? RootsMagic can create a Shareable CD that has all of your data and media on it as well as a special reader version of RootsMagic on it.

With a few clicks, you can personalize the disc and burn as many copies as you need to give to family members. They only need to pop the disc into their computer to view, explore, and even print their own family histories.

3. Family History Website

Are you looking for a free and easy only way to share your family history? The new RootsMagic 7 Online Publisher can create beautiful, dynamic websites with pedigree, family and individual views as well as supporting notes, sources, and media. And with our free MyRootsMagic hosting service, your genealogy has an online home with the click of a mouse. You can keep your website private for only your family or share your gift with the world.

4. Wallchart

A wallchart makes a visible yet decorative reminder of your family history that will beautify any home. You can use RootsMagic’s built-in wallcharts or use the Charting Companion software.

And once you are ready to have your chart printed, be sure to use our chart printing service.

5. RootsMagic

Of course, what could be better than giving your family or friends the gift of RootsMagic itself? In what has become an annual tradition, you can buy discounted copies of our brand-new RootsMagic 7 software for yourself or to give as gifts.

During this special holiday sale, you can order copies of RootsMagic 7 for just $19.95 (plus shipping). Even better, you can order our other products at that same $19.95 price.

There is no limit on the number of discounted gift copies you can buy during this limited time offer which will expire December 20, 2014. You will receive the full program for each copy you order.

To take advantage of this offer, just visit www.rootsmagic.com/holidayoffer or order by phone at 1-800-ROOTSMAGIC (1-800-766-8762).

Happy New Year!  2013 was a busy year for us and we’ve hit the ground running in 2014.  Let’s look ahead at some of our goals and resolutions for the new year.

More Awards

We received some last-minute awards for 2013 after we did our Year in Review.

GenSoftReviews has presented RootsMagic with the “Top Rated Genealogy Software” award for the fifth year in a row.  These awards are based on reviews made by users and visitors to the site.  And while you’re there, be sure to rate RootsMagic for the 2014 awards!

RootsMagic also received the GeneAwards for “Best Genealogy Product of 2013”, “Best New Feature of 2013” for the RootsMagic Problem Alerts, and a mention for the “Best New Trend of 2013” with “single cross-platform file format”.  This is the 5th straight year that RootsMagic has won the GeneAward for “Best Genealogy Product”.

Help You Get the Most out of the Software

We’re dedicated to making RootsMagic the easiest way to record and share your family history.  Our free online classes, RootsMagic TV, and user groups help you learn how to most effectively use our software.  We offer online forums, mailing lists, a knowledge base, and free technical support to answer your questions and get you through rough spots.  In the coming year, look for more content and more ways to help you get the most out of our software.

New Updates and Features

Watch for regular updates to all of your software with improvements, fixes, and new features.  Updates can be found by clicking Help > Check for Updates on the main menu of most of our software.

RootsMagic Everywhere You Want It

One of the most common questions we hear is “When will I be able to run RootsMagic on my __________?”  We hear you loud and clear.  We know how important it is to have your information where and when you want it.  We’ve already expanded online and onto iOS devices with Android devices coming in the very near future.  We’re pushing out onto other platforms as well.  Be sure to watch this blog and our newsletter for official future announcements.

Thank You!

As you can see, we’ve got big plans for 2014 and beyond.  None of this would be possible without you and your support.  We try very hard to listen and respond 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.  May you have a successful 2014 (both genealogically and otherwise)!

The great news is here!  We are pleased to announce that an update to RootsMagic 6 is now available which has been “Share+ Certified” (note the “plus”) by FamilySearch for use with their new “Family Tree” system.  This means that RootsMagic is the only software certified to collaborate and share data with FamilySearch Family Tree!

Last March, RootsMagic became the first software certified to share data with FamilySearch Family Tree.  Today’s update brings in many collaborative features for FamilySearch that can only be found in RootsMagic.  These include enhanced discussions, viewing and copying sources between RootsMagic and Family Tree, as well as viewing a change history for a person and reversing incorrect changes.  There are also many enhancements and improvements to existing FamilySearch features.

What is FamilySearch Family Tree?

FamilySearch Family Tree is a new way to organize and record your genealogy online. It is free, is available to everyone, and provides an easy way to discover your place in history with free tools to help you preserve and share your family’s story for generations to come.

In Family Tree you can:

• See what the system already contains about your ancestors.
• Work with others to fill in missing information and correct errors.
• Add sources and explanations to show that information is accurate.
• Find and merge records that are about the same person.

How is FamilySearch Family Tree different than new.FamilySearch.org?

RootsMagic, the genealogy software named “Easiest to Sync” with new.FamilySearch.org, now brings the same power and features that you love to FamilySearch Family Tree- with more to come!

Family Tree has most of the features that are available on new.FamilySearch.org. It has some new features including the ability to edit and delete most any information about a person, a detailed history of changes made to people, and the ability to add sources to back up your conclusions. While new.FamilySearch.org has primarily been available to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Family Tree is available to everyone.

Goodbye, new.FamilySearch.org

FamilySearch has announced that they will be shutting-off the ability to make changes to their (old) new.FamilySearch.org website on Sunday, June 30, 2013.  This means that previous releases of RootsMagic (4, 5, and pre-6.1) will no longer be able to write data to new.FamilySearch.org after this date.  Users of these older versions of RootsMagic should upgrade or update their software to take advantage of the latest FamilySearch support and features.

How do I get started?

To get started:

1. Download the latest version of RootsMagic 6 or the free RootsMagic 6 Essentials.
2. Watch our brief video tutorials to help you get up-and-running quickly.
3. Check out our list of Frequently-Asked Questions for tips and explanations about the update.

More to Come!

In the coming days, we’ll be blogging more about RootsMagic and how you can use it to share and collaborate others through FamilySearch Family Tree.  We’ll also be adding new features and enhancements to our Family Tree support.  In the meantime, enjoy the update!

We have some bad news, some good news, and some great news.

Bad News, Good News

The bad news is that FamilySearch will be shutting-off the ability to make changes to their (old) new.FamilySearch.org website on Sunday, June 30, 2013.  This means that previous releases of RootsMagic (4, 5, and pre-6.1) will no longer be able to write data to new.FamilySearch.org after this date.

The good news is that the latest update to RootsMagic (6.1) already works with new.FamilySearch.org’s replacement- FamilySearch Family Tree!  In fact, RootsMagic is the first software certified to share data with FamilySearch Family Tree.

How will this affect me?

If you use RootsMagic 4, 5, or 6.0 to work with new.FamilySearch.org, beginning Sunday, June 30, 2013 any attempt to make changes to data on new.FamilySearch.org will give an error message.  This is not due to any bug or breakage in RootsMagic. It is simply because FamilySearch is shutting off that capability as they replace new.FamilySearch.org with FamilySearch Family Tree.  Note: This does not affect any other features in RootsMagic 4 or 5. Only new.FamilySearch.org features are affected.

What should I do?

If you are using RootsMagic 6.1 or RootsMagic Essentials 6.1, you don’t have to do anything. RootsMagic 6.1 does not work with new.FamilySearch.org. It works directly with FamilySearch Family Tree, the replacement for new.FamilySearch.org.

If you are using RootsMagic 6.0, simply download the free update to RootsMagic 6.1 by choosing Help > Check for Updates from the main menu of RootsMagic or download the update from our website.

If you are using RootsMagic 4 or 5 and you want to continue interfacing with FamilySearch, you’ll need to upgrade to RootsMagic 6 or download the free RootsMagic Essentials 6.

What is FamilySearch Family Tree?

FamilySearch Family Tree is a new way to organize and record your genealogy online. It is free, is available to everyone, and provides an easy way to discover your place in history with free tools to help you preserve and share your family’s story for generations to come.

With RootsMagic, you can search FamilySearch Family Tree for matches for people in your file. Once you have found a match, you can copy any data that FamilySearch has about that person into your own file. You can also copy any data that you have into the FamilySearch system. You have full control over what data is copied in each direction.

RootsMagic is the first software certified to share data with FamilySearch Family Tree and won the awards for “Easiest to Sync”, “Best Dashboard”, and “Trailblazer” from FamilySearch.

Wait- what’s the “great news”?

Hmm- we better save that for another day. We don’t want to overwhelm you all at once. Stay tuned for an exciting new announcement in the very near future!

We are pleased to announce that an update to RootsMagic 6 is now available which has been “Share Certified” by FamilySearch for use with their new “Family Tree” system.  This means that RootsMagic is the only software certified to share data with FamilySearch Family Tree!

What is FamilySearch Family Tree?

FamilySearch Family Tree is a new way to organize and record your genealogy online. It is free, is available to everyone, and provides an easy way to discover your place in history with free tools to help you preserve and share your family’s story for generations to come.

In Family Tree you can:

• See what the system already contains about your ancestors.
• Work with others to fill in missing information and correct errors.
• Add sources and explanations to show that information is accurate.
• Find and merge records that are about the same person.

How is FamilySearch Family Tree different than new.FamilySearch.org?

RootsMagic, the genealogy software named “Easiest to Sync” with new.FamilySearch.org, now brings the same power and features that you love to FamilySearch Family Tree- with more to come!

Family Tree has most of the features that are available on new.FamilySearch.org. It has some new features including the ability to edit and delete most any information about a person, a detailed history of changes made to people, and the ability to add sources to back up your conclusions. While new.FamilySearch.org has primarily been available to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Family Tree is available to everyone.

How do I get started?

To get started:

1. Download the latest version of RootsMagic 6 or the free RootsMagic 6 Essentials.
2. Watch our brief video tutorials to help you get up-and-running quickly.
3. Check out our list of Frequently-Asked Questions for tips and explanations about the update.

More to Come!

In the coming days, we’ll be blogging more about RootsMagic and how you can use it to share and collaborate others through FamilySearch Family Tree.  We’ll also be adding new features and enhancements to our Family Tree support.  In the meantime, enjoy the update!