FileMaker Pro 8.5 Universal Released

[MacRumors]

Filemaker announced that they will be shipping FileMaker Pro 8.5 today. The major upgrade brings Universal Binary support as well as new features including live Web data.

As easy as it is to bookmark a web page, a live web page can now be added to a record in a database using the new Web Viewer Control in FileMaker Pro 8.5. Data in specified record fields, such as customer's address or product name, will drive the URL in the Web Viewer.

FileMaker Pro 8.5 is available immediately for $299 and existing users of FileMaker 8.0 can upgrade for $99.

 

[Grimace]

This is such a great piece of software - I use it for way more than I ever planned. Now to get an Intel Mac!

I hope that the live web feature is really worth $99...

 

[bigandy]

Ooooh goody 🙂

 

[CommodityFetish]

Looks like a few other new features:

- Filemaker Learning Center
- Object Functions & Scripts

In Addition to the web viewer features...

http://www.filemaker.com/products/fmp/

 

[CommodityFetish]

The Web Viewer looks like a really cool feature... (Bet you can't do that with access!? 😎 )

Is it just me, or is this a bit like Webstractor? Moving in on its territory ever so slightly?
http://www.softchaos.com/products/webstractor/overview/

Not the same surely, but could be used for some of the same kinda things? Wonder if we'll see more in this direction in vsn 9?

 

[irmongoose]

So what kind of things do you guys use it for?




irmongoose

 

[riversky]

Check out the speed!

Under the universal new feature link on the product site they give a 2GHZ iMac G5 vs. 2GHZ iMac Intel Duo and on add it is almost twice as fast. 91%...All the other things are much faster as well.

Can't wait for quad core MacPro's. These things will make CS3 fly. One adobe exec said photoshop tests in CS3 show astonishing speed improvements under Mac OS on Intel.

 

[MacRonin]

I certainly hope this means that Orange Loft will update the ArchiOffice server component…

 

[jsalzer]

Sweeeeet

I'm not entirely sure how I'm gonna use them yet, but I just have a feeling object functions are going to give me the ability to add some cool features to my programs.

I'll have to see the live web view in action before I start planning to fit it in, but it may lead to some interesting things.

Can't wait to get my hands on it!

 

[phasornc]

$99 just to use FM again?

So I have to pay another $99 just so I can use FM on my MacBookPro. ODBC import wouldn't work in Rossetta, so FM 8 was useless to me on the MacBook (unless I used the windows version under Parrallels, but that kept crashing during large imports that I must do regularly, so I had to get the G4 back out of the closet). And you know FM9 is probably just around the corner . . . greedy bastards. Even the universal binary update to Logic Pro was only like $30.

I can only think there are 2 things reasons behind this pricing 1) FM is just full of bad programmers and managers who are punishing loyal Mac users or 2) Apple has cut Filemaker funding forcing them to operate on a shoestring with a small staff and making them fight for every dollar they can get. I think #2 is more realistic, maybe if FM could figure out a way to run on an iPod Apple would make it a priority again. But come on who needs a database on your computer when you have iLife?