Microsoft Access on Mac OS

[estcrh]

hello,I'm Rachel, my professor installed a mac office tools in my macbook but still the other applications didnt work.. only the excel thing is working.. i need access we are using database in our computer engineering subject..anybody would kindly help me please?

thank u..

 

[nadyne]

There is no Access for Mac.

If you have a great Mac-head around, you can ask them if they'll help you install VMWare, Windows XP or Vista, and Office for Windows. You could also ask at your local Apple Store if they'll help you get all of that installed.

Regards,
Nadyne.

 

[wagner182]

Dual Core Processor?

If you have a dual core, you can install windows on your Mac... would that help?

 

[bebopkid]

So I guess it's confirmed that MS Access does not exist for Mac(?).

Although, I'll be using vmware (Fusion) to run Windows I hear that vmware can be a nightmare. Any reasons for that?

Keepin this four year old thread alive,

bebopkid

 

[Jensen G]

Has anyone used OpenOffice as a replacement for Access, and is it a realistic solution? If not, are there any free or low-cost solutions that are? Thanks!

 

[strack]

Good question.

I have used the OpenOffice database to teach database in a class I teach. It has many of the features of Access. (it is a pretty close clone.) I believe it uses MySQL or something as the backend.

I have another question as well. A comment was made about using MySQL as a backend to and Access front end. I assume that means you could write just about any front end to access it for those without access to Access? Hehe.

 

[bmcgonag]

I have used the OpenOffice database to teach database in a class I teach. It has many of the features of Access. (it is a pretty close clone.) I believe it uses MySQL or something as the backend.

I have another question as well. A comment was made about using MySQL as a backend to and Access front end. I assume that means you could write just about any front end to access it for those without access to Access? Hehe.

Yep. MySQL is a good back-end, and you can use multiple front-ends to access it (including Access).

This is a pretty old topic though.

 

[macmikey]

Yes, this is an old topic, but apparently an important one

I, like many others who come here, am still in search of a truly user-friendly and robust database development system. Navicat, MySQL Workbench, and all these glorified SQL editors are inadequate--people are looking for something that will help them build strong, custom database apps quickly and easily.

Most think OpenOffice.org is the solution, and it certainly fits the bill better than most. (I know a lot of people really dig FileMaker Pro; in my experience it is obtuse, old-fashioned, and difficult to customize, but that is more my inexperience with the product talking than any objective analysis.)

One thing OpenOffice.org does NOT have that it really needs to replace Access for Mac users is a proper macro designer for Base. I'm not really sure what's so hard about implementing that... for a programmer. (I am not a programmer, or I would quit whining and roll one myself! But alas...) MS Access' macro designer looks just like a table designer, where the "fields" are procedural DOCMDs (I'm using the Access term here) and the properties pane at the bottom would be for customize parameters for the command you're trying to clone.

Every time I (futilely) scan the internet for an update on this "ghostware," I am still stunned when I read such remarks from OpenOffice (or others who might be in the "know" as to software development) that this is just to hard to do and not very important, as though they don't have much demand for it. I suppose they've not considered that the reason for a lack of demand is because people who need to roll their own databases won't use their tool if they have to program in it.

I'd really prefer to stick with my Mac in in Mac OS X for a database, as I hate having to go into Windows (and non WINE implementation currently works with Access). But it seems Star/OpenOffice isn't ready to fully go there with us...

 

[Malona]

Without reading through this entire thread and it being very late here (need to get some sleep), have any of you tried RazorSQL? It says it can open Microsoft Access files. I just came across it and will be checking it out soon to see how well it works. I'm hoping it can also open *.xlsx files (new Excel format), but that might be asking for too much.

 

[ic1]

I'm hoping it can also open *.xlsx files (new Excel format), but that might be asking for too much.

Apparently not: http://www.razorsql.com/docs/how_to_import.html

(Second line under Import Types - Excel Spreadsheets)

 

[ssmed]

Options

The most sensible actions for you are:

1. Run Access in Parallels or another windows emulator
2. Use Remote desktop client to connect to a PC running MS Windows and MS Access (this is the cheapest option is not all the installed versions are being used at the same time)

Converting a whole office to Filemaker or another Mac database is likely be a huge job (depending on the complexity of the code). If you need a Macintosh database with considerable power and flexibility consider 4D (www.4d.com) which is far more flexible that Filemaker, albeit not as basic/easy to use. I have been developing in 4D for about 15 years and it leaves FM standing.

HTH

 

[ZipZap]

People,
Microsoft Access is a hugely powerful, flexible development environment.
It is not a toy and it is certainly NOT an end user tool.
This is Microsoft's big error - telling people it is a database system for end users to create their own relational databases. Nor are Filemaker, Approach, INGRES, Oracle... etc. end user tools. They are all database management systems and application development environments for use by professionals. If you let a user loose with Filemaker they are just as likely to mess it up - just ask your average user to describe Normalisation...
My company supports over 500 organisations using our systems developed using MSAccess in front of SQL Server or SQL Express. We have not had a single days downtime in more than 12 years.
There are sites with many milliosn of records on the systems and scores or even hundreds of concurrent users. In parallel we also have remote users accessing the same backends through asp or .net based online applications.
It all works extremely well.
Please stop talking about Access unless you too have developed enterprise scale applications using it.
Regards
Jim Moores

I agree, Access is a different animal when fronting SQL Server. The versitility you speak of is only realized in that environment. ASP and .Net have nothing to do with MS Access and are not features of the product per se. For the average user Access can be difficult to use at first but can be sufficiently leaned in a short period of time.

BTW..I have developed hundreds of access applications and front ends, and written thousands of lines of code over the last 15 years. I have made access do things folks thought impossible, and fixed many average joe applications.

----------

Yep. MySQL is a good back-end, and you can use multiple front-ends to access it (including Access).

This is a pretty old topic though.

Open Office & MySQL are great options for opening the files and getting to the raw data. Access functionality will be lost.

 

[pblanton56]

Access

The best solution for this problem is to install parallel and window7, and then Microsoft office. I have found over the last four years, that Microsoft products should be left in their own environment and not crossing over to the Mac. I know that it is an extra expense, which I myself have experienced, but well worth it cutting down compatibility problems and errors. Hope this helps.

 

[kdum8]

I have found over the last four years, that Microsoft products should be left in their own environment and not crossing over to the Mac. I know that it is an extra expense, which I myself have experienced, but well worth it cutting down compatibility problems and errors. Hope this helps.

Generally I would regrettably have to agree with this. Although saying that, have you tried Office 2011 for mac? It has some significant improvements, and the new ribbon is great. It also seems that sharing Office files with Windows users running Office 2010 is now more friendly, although still not perfect.

One thing I have never understood though, is that on windows office programs load up virtually instantly after you click to open them but they take ages on the mac. Almost makes you wonder if MS did this deliberately..?

Anyway loving the new Excel '11