Database apps reviewed & rated
With the easy, everyday database Bento sadly no more, we look at the other alternatives on offer
With Bento discontinued, we look at six alternative database programs
The first question to ask is, do people need a low-cost, easily customisable Mac database? FileMaker recently dropped Bento, the database that was not only easy to use, but integrated beautifully with Apple apps including Address Book and iCal. Was killing off Bento an economic decision, because the users moved up to FileMaker Pro? By now they’ll have the numbers, and will know. But for the rest of us we need to assess whether Bento’s demise has left a gap in the Mac ecosystem.
There’s a good argument to make that is the majority of spreadsheet documents are, in actual fact, databases. Not every problem capable of being solved by a database app looks like a database. For the day-today small-database user, who might use it for maintaining mailing lists, inventories, DVD collections, and small businesses, Bento was as fast as a spreadsheet but could present the data more clearly and flexibly.
In looking for a replacement, it’s important to recognise what made Bento so popular. It was quick to learn, and, until recently, made good use of the databases already built into OS: the
In looking for a replacement it’s important to recognise what made Bento popular
contacts files, filing system, Mail messages and media libraries. Thanks to its need to remain cross-platform, these are features unlikely to appear in FileMaker Pro anytime soon.
Bento also benefitted from a great set of interface tools – exemplified by its smart field types, such as ratings, encrypted fields, lists, file lists message lists and so on – that sidestepped problems with data entry, and its iTunes-like collections and smart collections made grouping easy.
One might have disagreed with Bento’s layout choices, but creating good-looking, easy-to-use forms was a snap. Bento databases tended to be small, focused, and weren’t required to handle vast amounts of data.
Bento was neither perfect nor to everyone’s taste, but it still leaves big shoes to fill – as evidenced by the demand from you for this group test!
Panorama Sheets £24 provue.com Symphytum £6.70 giowisys.com Tap Forms £18 tapforms.com