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| February 04 - February 11 |
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 by Alessandro CancianFileMaker has reached its fifth version. With the release of FileMaker Pro 5, the database market is enriched by a superb working tool. Databases nowadays have become indispensable for all kinds of jobs. We use databases every day, from our beloved daytimer which holds telephone numbers and appointments, to simple Web searches. FileMaker Pro 5 represents a giant leap forward from previous versions, starting from its interface, now definitely more similar to Microsoft Office. A definite advantage for those users who are familiar with Bill Gates lawsuit. Perfectly cross-platform, since its earliest versions, FileMaker Pro 5 is available both for Macs and PCs, and its databases can easily be modified on any of the two types of machines. In my opinion, FileMaker represents the simplest and most intuitive database available on the market, and its latest version offers further improvements, including Wizard panels assisting users step-by-step in the database creation process. File customization has become childs play, and you only have to choose the colours, fonts and themes you like best. Opening files created by previous versions of FileMaker is immediate, while the opposite is impossible. As was the case in version 4.1, in version 5 you can also import and often export data to and from other ODCB databases, such as Microsoft Access, which is a most useful feature. What about the Internet? Web Companion takes care of that. Thanks to Web Companion you can publish your databases on the Internet, making them available to people wishing to query or edit them, and dont be too surprised in learning that all this can be done without knowing a word of HTML. The flip side of the coin is that FileMaker Pro 5 is limited to a maximum of 10 users accessing it via the Web, which means that if your needs are for a different use you have to resort to an unlimited license, which unfortunately is much more expensive (US$1,000). In my opinion, the quality/price ratio for FileMaker Pro 5 (US$249) is very good, especially for the SOHO market. For bigger concerns, give a look to the Server version. For further information you can visit the site www.filemaker.com. |
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