Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!bloom-picayune.mit.edu!athena.mit.edu!mlbarrow From: mlbarrow@athena.mit.edu (Michael L Barrow) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps Subject: Re: Database licensing Message-ID: Date: 9 Apr 91 16:05:14 GMT References: <1991Mar27.061157.6239@mcs.drexel.edu> <40709@netnews.upenn.edu> Sender: news@athena.mit.edu (News system) Distribution: usa Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lines: 39 In-Reply-To: porten@eniac.seas.upenn.edu's message of 8 Apr 91 17:45:48 GMT In article <40709@netnews.upenn.edu> porten@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Jeffrey Porten) writes: I am involved with an organization that is in the process of developing a database which we will distribute. The organization is non-profit, and our plans are currently to not make any profits off of the distribution. I need some information about getting licenses for this project. Our current plans are to use one of the following three platforms: Hypercard, Filemaker Pro, or 4th Dimension. My personal suggestion is whatever you do: don't use HyperCard as a database package. Yes, it feels like one, but it just is not equipped to manipulate megs and megs of data. Maybe you could have some database XCMDS, etc that would maintain the data _outside_ of the stack. That way when the stack gets corrupted (I have seen this happen), your data doesn't go adios! I suggest you use FM Pro or 4D, depending on your database needs, especially since this will be a production database. Filemaker is simple and easy to use, but it _is_ simple. 4D is relational and much more powerful that FileMaker. In addition, it is a little more complicated. That's my $0.02!! - MLB -- ======================================================================= | Michael L Barrow | "If any of the above offended you, it was | | | my idea to do it -- not MIT's" | |---------------------------------------------------------------------| | Consultant | MIT Computing Support Services (CSS) | | Member | Student Information Processing Board (SIPB) | | Student | Computer Engineering Major, '93 | =======================================================================