mark@intek01.UUCP (Mark McWiggins) (06/28/88)
To summarize, these all got positive comments: MicroFiche Filer: "Wonderful user interface" "INCREDIBLY easy to learn/use" -- microfiche metaphor, requires all data to be in memory, cheap. Superbase Personal: nice interface, simple relational database, cheap. Superbase Professional: more poserful version of the same; "likely to be able to do anything you could ever want." About $250. dbMan: Dbase III clone; does not use the Amiga metaphor. SDB: public domain flat-file system. ===== Detailed comments follow. Databases for the Amiga run the gamut of relational, programmable (ala DBase) to RAM resident, easy to use recordkeepers. Some (definately not all!) are listed below. I've had a chance to play with most of them: Microfiche Filer Pub: Software Visions (also the developer) Non relational, RAM resident INCREDIBLY easy to use and learn Update is coming soon, which will add even more to this program SuperBase Pub: Progressive Peripherals and SW (U.S.A) Personal is non relational, but disk based. Professional is relational. SB Professional is at the top of the Amiga databases, in terms of programmability. Softwood File Pub: Brown-Wagh (Dev. Wood Software) This is not one I've had the chance to play around with, but the developer and Brown-Wagh have solid reputations. It would be worth looking into. DBMan Pub: Versasoft A DBase clone. Non-multitasking, does not take advantage of the Amiga. But, it you're used to Dbase (and like it), this is a product worth considering. Organize! Pub: Brown-Wagh (dev: MicroSystems SW) Non-relational, low-level. It's not a bad product, many people swear by it (this was one of the first Amiga databases). Acquisition Pub: Taurus Impex (avail. through Southern Technologies (?) in the U.S.) Relational, programmable. disk based. This is a high end business oriented database. Taurus came out with an upgrade at the beginning of the year, designed to cure some of the problems with their documentation. OmegaFile Pub: The Other Guys I've not had the opportunity to use this program. Dealers should have at least a demo disk, if not the full program. These are the products which are available now. Becker and Abacus are coming out with their own programs, and, I'm sure, will be joined by many others in the coming months. My personal preference for an easy to use, non-complicated database is MicroFiche Filer. Particularly with the changes they are making to the program (better forms printing, better searches, etc.) =========== I think your friend would be more than happy with Superbase for the Amiga. It allows you to store pictures as well as text in the database, and you can get it mail order for around $50. The only downside to the product is that it uses a dongle for copy protection. If you can live with that, then I think he'll really like it. Ewan Grantham There are probably between 5 and 10 database programs of various power for the Amiga. Personally, I've only used Superbase Professional, written by Precison Software in England and supported in the USA by Progressive Peripherals and Software. It's not a cheap package (though they do sell a watered down version called SuperBase Personal), but it'll do anything you can do in DBase, like write your own custom database program using it's complete database language. However, it'll also handle the simple stuff, though, though the Amiga's Intuition interface using a VCR metaphor, gadets, menus, etc. Superbase can handle textual data as well as images and sounds. Another real interesting database for the Amiga I've only played with is called MicroFiche Filer. This one isn't a fully relational database like Superbase, but it goes for something like $79.95. What's neat about it is that it uses a microfiche metaphor; you can select various records (or a subset after a particular search operation) from an on-screen microfiche card. This one also handles images, and will compress the image into a microfiche square if you prefer, for visual searching of items by image. I understand the latest MicroFiche Filer also has an AREXX port built into it, so with the AREXX language all these filing operations will be available from AREXX and other AREXX-compatible applications. =========== Hi. I'm an Amiga fan(atic) and I can say unequivocally that there are a number of excellent database products available for the Amiga. Here's a quick rundown on some that I have experience with: Organize! - MSS (Micro Systems Software) Very nice user interface, query processor, "project" concept. Can be integrated with Scribble! word processor for mail/merge applications. Only supports 1 sort field. MicroFiche Filer Neat user interface, using the metaphor of a microfiche viewer for record access. I use this for my address list. Easy to use. Requires all data to be memory resident, thus may be limited for very large databases. Support for IFF graphics images. SuperBase Personal Nice relational model DBMS. Has controls similar to VCR for navigating database, as well as forms oriented query capability. Support for incorporating graphics images as data items. SuperBase Professional High powered big brother to SuperBase Personal. Has programming language for forms, reports. More power than your friend is likely to ever need. These just skim the surface. Computer Shopper just ran a 3 issue summary of database products for the Amiga. Tell your friend to try to locate the back issues. Also, Amazing Computing and AmigaWorld are good sources of advertising and reviews for these products. ============== Check out Softwood File IISG. It's not terribly sophisticated, but it's got a very nice, intuitive interface, it does sound and graphics, (hence the name) sounds like it would fill the bill. One caution: I think Softwood has turned it over to someone else to distribute it, (Electronic Arts, Oxxi, Brown-Wagh, something like that) so it may be difficult to get info on it. Also, I don't know if that spells trouble or not. I personally use Superbase Professional. If your friend doesn't want anything complicated, then this is not for him. I needed something programable, with the ability to manage external files and programs. It's pretty big and powerful, and I haven't scratched the surface of it, really, but I like it a lot so far. -- Mark McWiggins UUCP: uunet!intek01!mark DISCLAIMER: I could be wrong. INTERNET: intek01!mark@uunet.uu.net (206) 455-9935