chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Chuq Von Rospach) (09/30/85)
I've been looking at picking up a database for my Mac for a while, and a
friend of mine in LA found a copy of Ensemble (hayden software) for $99,
marked down from the list $299. This is a fully integrated application
similar to Jazz or Excel, but with a twist. Instead of basing the system on
a spreadsheet, Ensemble uses a database as the central application. Hung
off of this is a charting facility, a limited WP setup, mailing list/label
facility, report writer, and limited spreadsheet facilities.
The program comes with two books and three disks. The books are a manual
and a booklet describing in detail some of the more complicated examples
shipped with the system. The three disks are the master disk (copy
protected, but most disk copy programs will make usable master copies for
you), an examples disk and a guided tour disk. Hayden will send a backup
master for $10, will replace a blown master free for 90 days, and for $10
after that. You're better off spending $25 for Copy-Mac and making copies
of everything.
I found that I rarely needed the capabilities of a spreadsheet, but I
always had pieces of data I wanted to pull together and play with. If you
don't use numbers a lot, Ensemble is a good alternative to things like Jazz
that expect to see a lot of spreadsheet work.
The manual is well written and does a good job of explaining a very
technical subject. Everything works well together, and while I haven't put
a lot of time into it yet, it has more than enough power and flexibility to
do very complex jobs (examples on the disk include purchase orders,
invoices, and budgeting all linked together, for instance). If you're in
the market for a strong database (it isn't relational, unfortunately, but
that is the only thing it doesn't seem to be) then Ensemble deserves a good
look.
--
:From under the bar at Callahan's: Chuq Von Rospach
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