mark@petsd.UUCP (Mark Bueide) (06/14/89)
My father just upgraded his home computer from a TRS-80 Model 3 to an Amiga 2000. One of the things he always used his trash-80 for was to keep a fairly extensive database of bills, insurance claims, etc. He has been using the Radio Shack database program (Profile+ ?). With the Amiga he got The Works, which supposedly has some kind of database facility. The problem with this is that apparently this software will allow only the most rudimentary kind of report to be generated (you can dump out all of the db records, perhaps sorted by a key). My father would like to be able to generate reports based on different queries. I may be giving The Works a bum rap. I haven't looked at The Works yet and my father hasn't really used it much, but the people at the store where my father bought the computer feel that its database capabilities are pretty limited. The question is this: Is there a good quality database product for the Amiga? Or, should my father get a bridgeboard and buy some IBM PC product?
protcoop@bnr-public.uucp (Joel Avery) (06/15/89)
C WOW! That is quite a jump from a TRaSh 80 to an Amiga 2000! I used TRaSh 80s in high school about 6 years ago ... and they were grossly out of date then! Anyway, to the point of the question ... don't go buying a bridgeboard until you have checked out EVERYTHING! If you do, you might have well just bought a Pee Cee in the first place and never mind the Amiga. There are quite a few databases out there to choose from. One of the biggest names I can recall off hand is SuperBase, but I've never used it. I just purchased micro-fiche filer myself, but have not been able to spend much time with it yet as I don't have a monitor yet. The main point that I am trying to make is that if you buy a BridgeBoard to do the things your father needs a computer for, then you have just wasted $2000 or more on an Amiga that is not needed. If you can't find a program that will suite you, why don't you consider selling the 2000 and getting a clone? A new clone will be slightly more expensive than a bridge card and with selling the Amiga you can pocket over $1000. Mind you ... don't get me wrong, the Amiga is a remarkable computer ... and I am quite sure you will find the program you need. All I am saying is that if you can't find it, then what the heck do you have an Amiga for? --------------------- Alan W. McKay | My opinions are mine, yours are yours. | Eat Food | NEPEAN, Ont. | I in no way pretend to represent the | and | 613-763-8980 | the options of my employer. So there. | LIVE !! |
usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner) (06/17/89)
In article <594@bnr-fos.UUCP> protcoop@bnr-public.UUCP (Joel Avery) writes: >to choose from. One of the biggest names I can recall off hand is >SuperBase, but I've never used it. I just purchased micro-fiche I have used SuperBase Professional. There are two versions, personal and professional. I have never used the personal version, but it is basically a watered down version of the more expensive professional package. THis is the only database I have ever used, so I cannot compare it to other programs. It is fairly solid, more so in the latest release. It even handle low memory pretty well. It lets you enter any number of fileds for a record. It allows indexing on any field, and sorting. You can have some fields be validated (only accept certain inputs, like only positive amounts less than 5000 divisible by 3). You can also set up automatic computations. With the professional version you get a forms editor and a program editor. This allows you to make very fancy screen layouts of your information. The forms editor can also be used to make fancy reports for printing on your favorite printer. With the program editor, you can write programs to print complex reports or do complex data transformations that would be hard to do otherwise. The language is terrible though. It seems as if they tried hard to make it look as much like Microsloth basic as possible, just adding keywords as neccesary to do database stuff. I would think they would make a better language, somewhat more optimized to database work. A demo database that comes with it combines sound and graphics. I have never played with the graphics part of it, but you can integrate IFF (I think, probly) pictures + sound into a database. Oh, it also allows encryption + password protection of data. Overall I'd say it a fairly good program, but then I don't have any experience with other databases on the Amiga or otherwise. You should take a look at it though. This is an example of a short .signature jap@frith.cl.msu.edu
bryan@geo-works.UUCP (Bryan Ford) (06/22/89)
In article <594@bnr-fos.UUCP>, protcoop@bnr-public.uucp (Joel Avery) writes: >...[lots of stuff]... >and I am quite sure you will find the program you need. All I >am saying is that if you can't find it, then what the heck do you >have an Amiga for? Good advice. To put it simply: "First buy the program you want to run, then buy the computer that will run it." -Unknown Bryan