Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!decvax!yale!husc6!amcad!stech!sysop
From: sysop@stech.UUCP (Jan Harrington)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Software for the Mac -- recommendations wanted.
Message-ID: <445@stech.UUCP>
Date: 17 Feb 88 13:54:50 GMT
References: <953@pbhyc.UUCP>
Organization: Scholastech, Inc., Waltham, Mass.
Lines: 50

in article <953@pbhyc.UUCP>, jdf@pbhyc.UUCP (Jack Fine) says:
> 
> 
> 
> I am fairly new to the Mac system.  What I need to do is decide what kinds
> and brands of software our Company should order to run on the Mac.  I am
> particularly interested in everyones opinion on word processors.  How is
> Righnow? Fullwrite? Macwrite? Wordperfect? MSWord and so on.. And
> presentation packages ie Powerpoint.  Spreadsheets and databases ie. Excel
> and Filemaker.  Data comm packages?  Microphone okay?  What else  would you
> suggest?
> 

This is the database lady, up on her soapbox again ...

Filemaker is an excellent piece of software, but it is NOT a database -- it
is a file manager, and the difference can be significant.  Whether or not
you should purchase it depends on what your data management needs are.

If you will be handling data that can be stored in a single table, such as a
mailing list or a customer list, then a file manager can do the trick.
However, if you need to relate more than one table (e.g., a customer list and
a list of orders placed by your customers) then a file manager will not
suffice, since a file manager can only handle one table of data (a "file",
though the term is a bad one) at a time.

Database management systems can handle multiple tables of data.  At the low
end there is an excellent program called Reflex Plus.  It can handle 
multiple tables, but can't be used for stand-alone application development.
If you will need multiple tables and don't want to deal with a complex
program, look closely at Reflex Plus.  It is also reasonably priced.

At the high end are "the big four", which are DBMSs that can be used for
application development -- 4th Dimension, Double Helix II, dBase Mac, and
Omnis 3 Plus.  These are all powerful but complex pieces of software.
They are also relatively expensive.  Look carefully at your needs before
you make a decision, since in this day of rising DBMS prices, a mistake
can certainly be costly.


Jan Harrington, sysop
Scholastech Telecommunications
ihnp4!husc6!amcad!stech!sysop or allegra!stech!sysop

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