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'Filemaker Go' Released for iPhone and iPad

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Apple owned subsidiary Filemaker has released Filemaker Go ($19.99) for iPhone and Filemaker Go for iPad ($39.99). From the description:
View, edit and search your FileMaker Pro records on your iPhone with FileMaker Go. Whether you’re checking inventory in the warehouse, managing event registration on-site, or updating project status while traveling, you can do it all while you’re on the go.
Click to expand...
The companion app allows users of Filemaker and Filemaker Pro to access and modify their databases on the go. Here's a walkthrough video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp9tLd4IHas

Article Link: 'Filemaker Go' Released for iPhone and iPad
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/07/20/filemaker-go-released-for-iphone-and-ipad/
ellsworth said:
Agreed... I think the prices are too steep compared to other apps that do even more.
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For example Bento, which is about 8 times cheaper but appears to do more than this app. I suppose it does makes sense, given where the two apps are positioned (and also because Bento is really just another part of the iPad showcase), but it does seem steep.

Does FileMaker get much use? Are there any consultants around here who use it as part of their toolkit? I've only seen it in use twice -- once as a warehouse management tool at a (now defunct) company in the 90's, and recently as a scheduling tool for a large NGO (it got in through the back door, and I actually wrote a bespoke system to replace it).

EDIT: I've not actually used Bento on iPad. I just went to take a look and wow, the reviews are negative. Is it really that bad?
 
adrian.oconnor said:
EDIT: I've not actually used Bento on iPad. I just went to take a look and wow, the reviews are negative. Is it really that bad?
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Bento for iPhone has a near 4 star review.

Surely, their's room for improvement, but for $4.95, it seems worthwhile.
 
adrian.oconnor said:
For example Bento, which is about 8 times cheaper but appears to do more than this app. I suppose it does makes sense, given where the two apps are positioned (and also because Bento is really just another part of the iPad showcase), but it does seem steep.
Click to expand...

Er.... Bento is a cut down version of Filemaker written by Filemaker!!!

If you're a home user and need a low end product with a cheap mobile version then use Bento.

Filemaker is a business product, and $20/$40 for the mobile version is NOTHING. Folks complaining about the price just don't need this sort of app.
 
adrian.oconnor said:
For example Bento, which is about 8 times cheaper but appears to do more than this app. I suppose it does makes sense, given where the two apps are positioned (and also because Bento is really just another part of the iPad showcase), but it does seem steep.

Does FileMaker get much use? Are there any consultants around here who use it as part of their toolkit? I've only seen it in use twice -- once as a warehouse management tool at a (now defunct) company in the 90's, and recently as a scheduling tool for a large NGO (it got in through the back door, and I actually wrote a bespoke system to replace it).
Click to expand...

Hi Adrian

Are you aware of what FileMaker is and what it does or do you only know it from hearsay so far? It's basically a database system, similar to Microsoft Access for example. So, in itself it's actually not supposed to do much. Users or consultants will develop a solution based on it, which then will do something.

So to speak, it is actually a framework for bespoke systems.
 
ummm, not to sound rude but i don't think you guys have a clue what Filemaker Pro is or does. Bento has no where near the power of Filemaker Pro.

secondly, this app IS NOT a stand alone app. it brings additional features and capabilities to the desktop client Filemaker Pro. why is it not "stand alone"? well, the easy answer is that it REQUIRES you own one of the Filemaker Pro products to design/build your databases in first.

thirdly, yes FMP is in use all around the world. just because you have't seen it doesn't mean it isn't being used. it has the industry's largest market share of desktop database solutions, compared to things like MS Access, etc.

unlike Bento, FMP is a Relational Database, supports scripting, linking to external data sources, the whole 9 yards.

FMP goes for $250+ up to $2000 depending on what you buy. $20 for a mobile interface to your database files is nothing, and worth every penny.
 
Very nice!

I've never used filemaker before, but once I saw this article I read up on it. I see the benefits of this right away.

Useage senerio:

Let's say I have a online database for a company. This database has a mysql/mssql backend. My roadworrior salesmen have to logon. To this site to input sales, create invoices and such. I'm a small company so I do t have the resources to hire someone to create a iPhone app, or redesign the custom built webapp.

With filemaker pro/server, I can use my existing database as a datasource for creating a filemaker application with forms, that functions the same as the web quicker then I could add mobile function to my site. Then the roadworriors can use this database on their phone/iPad, and it syncs WIRELESSly to filemaker pro/server which int urn syncs live to the website.

Can we say this is probably an easier solution for a company then say hiriing a team of app developers, or website developer to create mobile app/website.
 
DemonBob said:
Can we say this is probably an easier solution for a company then say hiriing a team of app developers, or website developer to create mobile app/website.
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Whether it's easier depends on your ability to do the development on Filemaker. Of course, there's a 'middle road' which is to hire a Filemaker developer to do the configuration.

Hiring a team of developers to do a bespoke web system would cost a lot more than an order of magnitude more. I used to manage work like that, and you could burn through tens of thousands of dollars a week easily!
 
nkawtg72 said:
ummm, not to sound rude but i don't think you guys have a clue what Filemaker Pro is or does. Bento has no where near the power of Filemaker Pro.

secondly, this app IS NOT a stand alone app. it brings additional features and capabilities to the desktop client Filemaker Pro. why is it not "stand alone"? well, the easy answer is that it REQUIRES you own one of the Filemaker Pro products to design/build your databases in first.

thirdly, yes FMP is in use all around the world. just because you have't seen it doesn't mean it isn't being used. it has the industry's largest market share of desktop database solutions, compared to things like MS Access, etc.

unlike Bento, FMP is a Relational Database, supports scripting, linking to external data sources, the whole 9 yards.

FMP goes for $250+ up to $2000 depending on what you buy. $20 for a mobile interface to your database files is nothing, and worth every penny.
Click to expand...

I see a slew of ready made database 'apps' made by seasoned FMPro developers hitting the apps store soon! This is exciting.
 
A bespoke system does cost more, the last few companies I was with used bespoke web systems. But to be honest going from that system to something industry standard like salesforce, would cost probally more in the long run.

It was a nightmare, the only reason I thought of that senerio, was the last company I was with was looking for an easier way to add mobile functionally to the web application. The database was over 1500 tables, procedures, views together, and they have been using it for years. The parts they were looking to make Mobile were some of the smaller sections of the database. I.e we had 20~ sales men, and a few other smaller departments that only looked or need small sections of that database.

The web portion, uses active x, required dll, and soap to be installed for all computers accessing it..... I became very intimate with SSRS during my stay at this company.
 
seriously?

this guy is the marketing VP of a company owned by apple??

The vid looks like an infomercial, and somehow there's a mouse pointer where the finger should be... :confused:

And what's up with the transitions to white while the guy is still talking??
 
From Win to Mac said:
this guy is the marketing VP of a company owned by apple??

The vid looks like an infomercial, and somehow there's a mouse pointer where the finger should be... :confused:

And what's up with the transitions to white while the guy is still talking??
Click to expand...

Looks good unfortunately our database is behind a secure proxy so this app won't let me access the database without being on the same network...
 
FSUSem1noles said:
Looks good unfortunately our database is behind a secure proxy so this app won't let me access the database without being on the same network...
Click to expand...

Why not use the built-in VPN capabilities of your iPhone / iPad then? :)
This virtually puts you into the same network.
 
This may become a KILLER app for the iPad for enterprise.... So many uses for mobile remote data management, CRM, etc....

I have been patiently waiting for this to be released...
 
Finally...

I have several solutions that I developed and deployed for our manufacturing company. The first one runs all phases of manufacturing, from quote processing through to shipping to our customers, with every step in between. The second is a bridge that I wrote that interfaces the manufacturing system with our website in order to retrieve orders, load custom designs, and report back to web customers when their orders ship. All done in filemaker pro (server). Downloaded this program this morning and all I can say is WOW, it just works. All my scrips, portals, sql and mysql connections work perfectly. The ONLY issue I see at this point is speed, but I would imagine that this will be improved in later versions. As far as functionality, it works great. Testing it on the local network and over VPN, all good to go - It found the filemaker server instantly over both connection methods. All in all, if you are a filemaker developer, it's a no brainer.
 
FM Touch

Have you heard of FMTouch? It runs FM databases natively, from your iPhone/iPod. It was my make-or-break iPhone app and bought it right away when it was $70.
 
I guess FMTouch will have a bit of a hard time, now that there is an official app from FileMaker.
 
Haven't bothered to check (in the middle of updating iTunes now), but does the iPad version offer significantly much more functionality to justify being twice the price of the iPhone version, or is it just optimized screen resolution?

I love my iPad, but I feel I'm getting gouged. Either devs think...
  • the ratio of iPad users is much lower than iPhone users, so they need to make their profits back faster,
  • mostly business users will get the iPad, so they can afford higher prices, or
  • there's significantly more work in putting in a higher-resolution version (not really justifiable now that the iPhone has the Retina Display)
 
I've asked a number of FileMaker Pro questions on this forum over the years. Not too many users here from what I found, so the lack of excitement over this does not surprise me. (Now go check out some of the FileMaker forums!)

I have been looking for a portable solution for FileMaker for some time. For work we do a lot of field work and have wanted to move over to a paperless system. Our IT department has been fooling around with Access for 2 years with next to nothing to show for it. The problem has been the third party software required to use a database on a Windows Mobile PDA. The ruggedized PDA's we have been playing with are $1500-3000.

I should be able to put something together in a few weeks at a significant cost savings to the department, even with the purchase of all new PDA's.

I, for one, am very excited about this!!!!!!
 
Yippie

I think I just peed a little.

FM people have been waiting for this for a long time. This will be a killer app in some companies. I can see small companies switching everyone to iPhones just because of this.
 
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