Using my powerbook at non-profit.

Coca-Cola said:

I am applying for a position in a non-profit. I think I would be able to achieve more using a mac. However, the non-profit uses Windows with Office applications. Word is fine. However, I will be using access for creating databases of volunteers and employee's. I will also be using windows for invoicing, schedules, contacts, budgeting. How could I do all this better on my mac? And, how can I start using my own powerbook at work?

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I have found that Filemaker Pro is a much better database app than Access. It is good for smaller databases if they get larger you are better off going with Oracle or Peoplesoft.

skubish said:

I have found that Filemaker Pro is a much better database app than Access. It is good for smaller databases if they get larger you are better off going with Oracle or Peoplesoft.

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Oracle **Cough!**

Invoicing scheduling and contacts depends what software they are currently using

Filemaker Pro may be better, but it is not Access compatible and unless you are proposing to rewrite all their databases for them in Filemaker and buy them new licenses for the Windows machines... You just can't integrate easily or at all.

Without knowing any other details, I'll venture a guess that bringing Mac into that established environment will not be easy, and arguably, would be irresponsible from a business point of view to disrupt a functioning (and paid for) system.

You might consider Virtual PC to run the "windows only" software

I would say that Virtual PC is a waste of time for Access. It's not VPC-happy, as it were. If they are using MS Access, you should probably just use Access. Are you providing your own computer? If they are going to give you a Windows box, you can use it for databases and use your own PowerBook for all other work. But if they're picking up the tab for the PowerBook, it's only fair that you make sure it'll do what they need. And in this case, it won't.

But if you can get them to switch to web-based databases and MySQL, well then, that's the end of Access!