I’m no expert on alternative family tree programs but I thought RootsMagic was a reasonably popular one. Today I’ve tried to import a gedcom file sent to me by a client from RootsMagic into TMG, and I can’t.
TMG can’t handle UFT-8 gedcom files.
So I used Family Tree Maker instead.
I bought FTM 2005 Starter Edition for a few bucks to see what had changed since the version I used before I saw the light and bought TMG. It gave me 712 warnings for 8701 people, but that’s OK. I only want to look at it, not change it.
So now I have to learn to get around FTM all over again.
TMG Sydney 
Hi,
There is a free version of RootsMagic called RootsMagic Essentials that you can download to view/edit/etc the RM database your client sent.
http://www.rootsmagic.com/essentials
– Bruce