Filemaker Releases 'Bento' for iPhone

[CTYankee]

I would have gotten this if they fixed v1 of the desktop app and not as a paid fix (aka v2). They know it was flawed, readily admit some advertised features just don't work, yet decided not to fix it. Essentially v1 was a paid beta.

 

[sum1]

Absolutely right

I would have gotten this if they fixed v1 of the desktop app and not as a paid fix (aka v2). They know it was flawed, readily admit some advertised features just don't work, yet decided not to fix it. Essentially v1 was a paid beta.

I agree. And I think those of us who bought v1 should've waited until v2. There was only one major and paid update to v2 at the time. We don't even get a break to v2 but pay the full price for few additional features which should've been a free upgrade.

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

No. Tapping into Apple's coverflow software on the iPhone and just telling your program to use that is against the rules.

But if you program your own code that looks and works the same then it's ok.

There was an app a few months ago (forget which) that was rejected from the app store for using coverflow against the rules. Turns out, they had programed their own version in and Apple had to admit their mistake and accept the app. Apple just assumed it was their own without checking!

After all that, I'm sure the Bento folks know this and made their own coverflow code.

That's absolutely not true. If they make a product that presents itself in the same way, meaning it is exactly the same as Apple's coverflow that is a violation of Apple's IP. That's why people are getting up in arms about Palm's Pre having pinch and zoom, sure the code is different but the IP in the same. Now if the two coverflows differed somehow, either in presentation or effect then they may have a case for allowing it in the store.

and thank you aristotle I was unaware of that.

 

[kironin]

iTunes backs up your entire iPhone for free.

That is, unless you're not actually talking about "back[ing] up" and mean that you want to get the data off your iPhone to import it into something else and mess around with it some more, which is completely not the same thing at all and a misuse of the word. I don't see why FileMaker has any obligation to provide that sort of functionality with anything other than their own products; which this already does. I mean, would Pocket Access for Windows Mobile be expected to sync with anything other than Access for Windows? Surely not, so why apply a different standard here? And what product are you proposing to do that in, if any?

Bento for iPhone is an extension of Bento for Mac, not the other way around.

And it also works on its own.

Has anyone else noticed that backing up through iTunes seems rather inconsistent. Also it's not exactly transparent. I don't need to access the files on my Mac but it would be nice if I could verify what it has backed up and when. I see a possible need for myself to have something like Bento on my phone on the go if I could just be sure it's backed up.

I think Filemaker has some obligation to make sure that you can verify the app's databases are backed up if they claim it can be used as a standalone app.

 

[adamcal]

I would have gotten this if they fixed v1 of the desktop app and not as a paid fix (aka v2). They know it was flawed, readily admit some advertised features just don't work, yet decided not to fix it. Essentially v1 was a paid beta.

I agree, do they hope we will fall for it again, buy the 4.99 app now, pay another 4.99 when they get it to work, then 4.99 again to get it to work with the new bento 3 when they want another $69 for that.


buyer beware

 

[Kwill]

Crasho

Bento reviews suggest first version is crash prone. Here's hoping for a better 1.1.

What opens cool possibilities for other apps is the wireless sync.