FileMaker Pro 12 Adds New 'Starter Solutions' and Broadens iOS Integration

[thatisme]

Okay, so 100% of CPAs is what percentage of the general population? (Help me here, my math is weak.)

I think the main issue is that a very large proportion of users can't figure out how to get Word to make tables, so they use Excel for that since it's set up to do tables. So that's the other problem: Word is another overly-muscular application. It does so much more than most users need from a word processor that it tends to bury the more basic and important functions.

But (back on topic) this seems to be the issue with FileMaker. It's vastly overpowered for what most users need from a database, but the only alternative is the completely dumbed-down Bento.

I was also puzzled by the characterization of Bento as a "FileMaker add-on." As far as I can tell, they aren't interoperable at all.

Funny thing is that Word and Excel are bloated for sure, but there's always something you wish it did that it doesn't do easily.

 

[scoobydoo99]

I should have included my opinion of Bento in my first post: it sucks. I have very simple database needs, and Bento isn't even up to that task. I'd be happy with a modernized flat-file version of FileMaker if the price was right.

Bento is great for creating rather static databases (like duplicating the Addressbook database for some weird reason or creating a cooking recipe database instead of using one of the many apps or a database for your books instead of using Delicious Library...I really have no idea why Bento exists). If you want to do anything with the data go somewhere else (AppleWorks database is more powerful).

I see a lot of negative comments about Bento. I just got the iOS version for my iPad, and am using the free 30-day trial of the desktop version on my Mac.

Databases are not my area of expertise, so could you briefly explain why Bento is so bad? My need is for a reference to museum artifacts, with descriptions, facts, photos, and videos attached to each artifact. Also the ability to create "collections" from the library, so I can have a set of artifacts grouped together for giving tours. Bento seems good enough to do that. Are my needs just really simplistic, or would I find more capabilities of other software useful? Thanks, sorry for the n00b question

 

[IJ Reilly]

Funny thing is that Word and Excel are bloated for sure, but there's always something you wish it did that it doesn't do easily.

"Easily" being the key modifier. Feature cram. That's the result when the design goal is getting as much in as possible with little thought given to how well the features are implemented. This is why I prefer Pages. Most of the important stuff is easy to do.

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I see a lot of negative comments about Bento. I just got the iOS version for my iPad, and am using the free 30-day trial of the desktop version on my Mac.

Databases are not my area of expertise, so could you briefly explain why Bento is so bad? My need is for a reference to museum artifacts, with descriptions, facts, photos, and videos attached to each artifact. Also the ability to create "collections" from the library, so I can have a set of artifacts grouped together for giving tours. Bento seems good enough to do that. Are my needs just really simplistic, or would I find more capabilities of other software useful? Thanks, sorry for the n00b question

Bento must have some useful applications I just haven't figured out anything for my needs yet. If you're coming from a highly flexible database environment like FMP, you're going to bash up against the limits of Bento pretty quickly. I should probably try downloading the trial someday but from what I've seen it gives you precious little in the way of customizable layouts, and doesn't provide you a way to import data from another source. Those are two show-stoppers for me.

EDIT: I may have spoken too quickly. I checked out the manual and it seems Bento 2.0 includes many of the functions I thought were missing. They might have been in v1.0. Now it up to v 4.0?

 

[TMay]

If you purchased FileMaker legally, then you may be able to upgrade to FM12 without a penalty.

I purchased thru the FM online store, but I may have mis-remembered how long ago it actually was anyway. At any rate, I'll look it up and give them a call.

thanks!

 

[iAshley]

I generally dislike themes in creative applications like iMovie and Pages/Word because then everybody's supposedly creative movies and documents all end up looking exactly the same. In a database application, however, I think themes are great. Who cares if the databases across multiple organizations look the same if they're allowing for easier use for accessing the data you're trying to organize.

You don't have to use a theme just because it's there, you creative types can still be creative. For me using themes makes my work look more professional. I have no need to be creative, when I've got the tools.

So basically if you don't like themes don't use them but if you do it's great they're there.

 

[blacktape242]

No app store version for $ 4.99?

that was FM11.... the FM12 IS free....i have got it today.

 

[Macist]

I've been a Filemaker fan for years and years. It's well thought out, powerful software that can cater to any number of needs. it's interesting that Apple allow the company to operate as a subsidury that simply gets on with giving users what they want and ask for.

Perhaps Apple should create a quasi independent business/professional division to assauge professionals' anxieties that Apple is now solely focused on the consumer.

 

[kalsta]

It would have been nice for iWork to include a database module from the get-go. I have databases set up from my AppleWorks that cannot be used in anything else.

Yeah, I'm stuck with an old AppleWorks database that I absolutely rely on. It don't look pretty, but it works a treat. I do have an older version of FileMaker too, but I just haven't made the time to recreate the database (quite a bit of work). But OS X marches on, and we're going to have to do something if we don't want to be using Snow Leopard forever.

 

[Nostromo]

1. Looks like Filemaker can now be used for image management as well.

It sounds a bit like Adobe Lightroom for data - beautiful interface, easy drag and drop.

2. Hopefully, text fields can be controlled better through formatting. That's the only thing I don't like about Filemaker right now, that you can't format the text fields in regards to borders (padding/margins).

The upgrade price is steep, 60 % of the new price. Considered that I just bought a copy of Filemaker a month ago on Amazon...

I'm glad I didn't go for Bento. I downloaded the trial version, but dumped it. You can't customize this thing, and the designs are ugly.

Filemaker is rock solid and future proof. While it's a pity that FM 12 didn't come out a month ago, I'm still glad I bought it - and the "Missing Manual" book.

It's painful, but FM 12 seems to offer a lot over version 10 or 11, so I'll probably pull the additional $150 out of my pocket for the upgrade (that's what the upgrade pricing will be on Amazon).

 

[JAT]

that was FM11.... the FM12 IS free....i have got it today.

I think he meant Mac app store.

 

[jmay]

I agree. In this case, familiarity begets usability.

Unfortunately, I need to develop web-based database apps that run on 'nix. I can't see FM Server being rolled out on our host.

Note that we offer FileMaker Pro hosting:

http://www.pointinspace.com/

and are in our 14th year of doing so.

- John

 

[Boxcar Edit]

*Still* no ESS Support for PostgreSQL

Argh!

So, so bummed that Filemaker continues to miss an opportunity to connect ESS to Postgres. People often run PostgreSQL on webservers because of its speed and reliability but FM makes a good front end to it; it would be so much more useful with ESS showing live data.

Particularly with MySQL now being owned by Oracle, it'd be great to see FM invest in an open source ESS connection. Just a bit of work by the ESS devs would save us so much time in our workday and make FM more useful.

Still waiting....

 

[fredo22]

FM Missing the iOS boat

I'm a long time FM user but have more or less abandoned it cause I need to develop robust DB apps for iOS using custome UIs. One of the things I enjoyed most about FM are the superior layout tools that allowed me to make KILLER vertical market DB solutions that looked as slick as any packaged app.

It is ASTOUNDING to me that FM hasn't added the ability to create custom iPhone/iPad layouts that take advantage of iPhone gestures and transitions. To me that would be a SLAM DUNK way to exponentially increase the number of specialized vertical market DB apps on iOS... Because people wouldn't need to be iOS programmers... They could create it all in FM and "run" the app on iOS using iCloud for data sync.

Am I the only person in the world who thinks this would be a good idea? Anybody on this forum have any insider info from FM as to future plans in this regard? Or any suggestions as to why they haven't done this???