Bento 2.0 Review
Filemaker announced Bento 2.0 yesterday. It’s been a while since we’ve seen any updates to Bento (1.0v2 was released in February) but version 2.0 shows some big improvements.
I’ve had a chance to spend a few days with this latest update and it looks like a solid step in the right direction. Bento remains focused as a personal database that does three things: delivers the full OS X Leopard experience, is highly accessible, and looks good. Version 2.0 stays true to this vision but adds some important new functionality to make it even better. Here’s what’s new…
Improved Integration with Mac OS X Leopard
One of the best features of Bento has always been the direct linking with items in Address Book and iCal. Bento 2.0 takes this concept further with linking to Mail. You can associate emails with any type of record in a library by creating a Message List field. To add email messages to this list, you can just drag and drop the messages from Mail directly. For many users, this completes the trifecta of project management: task and event data from iCal, contact info from Address Book, and now email messages from Mail.app.
The Message List
There are lots of other small details where the integration with OS X Leopard features has been improved. You can now see the Address Book photos inside Bento, click on the street address field to view a Google map or get directions, or start an iChat session by clicking on the IM Account List field.
Display phone number as large type
Send email to address
Open map or get directions with Google Maps
Open ichat session
Streamlined Interface
The window layout has been simplified to more closely resemble the two pane layout of iTunes. The Libraries chooser takes up the left bar and the forms appear on the right. Some of the big “+” buttons for adding a new library, record or field have been removed from the bottom bar to reduce the complexity of the main window. Now the big “+” button is reserved for adding a new record.
There are smaller, and more specific, icons for adding libraries, collections and new fields that lay within the pane where they belong. The field list has lost its own pane on the right and has been moved to the left hand bar below the Libraries list, where it can be hidden when not in use.
Field List
Table view now includes a number of spreadsheet features that make it much more usable. You can click, type and tab to enter data right in the list. You can quickly copy information with a fill-down feature, add or change fields right in table view, and still sort tables by clicking on column headings
The brand new feature in the layout is a split view that puts a list on top and a form below, activated with a new split button at the top right corner. I really like this new split view because it lets you quickly jump around different records and see the details below.
A Pretty Face
Bento themes have always felt a little awkward to me. The colors and fonts, while fun and color-coordinated, didn’t always seem like they would make a good choice for extended use. I can’t imagine sitting down to the “Ultra Violet” theme, as an example, for a couple hours each day if I were using Bento to help manage my business.
Still, many of the themes offer readable fonts and color palettes with decent contrast. Bento 2.0 introduces a few new themes to the available choices.
Customizing the layout of Bento forms is even easier. All you have to do to reposition elements on the form is to click on the field name to switch into Customize Mode. Once you are in Customize Mode, you can drag and drop elements on the page and Bento will intelligently flow items around your form. This is a great Bento feature I would really love to see come to Filemaker Pro.
Another change that many will appreciate comes in the printing options. You can print more than one record per page in Form View and the Table View has a Fit to Width checkbox in the print dialog that will resize the columns automatically.
Plays Well With Others
In the original version of Bento, it was possible to import data from a CSV file. In Bento 2.0 it is possible to import an Excel or a Numbers document directly. I was able to select a Numbers file with multiple tables and Bento correctly recognized the tables in the file available to import. Bento 2.0 also adds the option to import and export tab delimited files. This is of particular interest to AppleWorks users who can now use tab-separated files to work with Bento.
Exporting options have been improved as well. Along with the different text files (comma- or tab-separated) you can create a Numbers or Excel document as part of the Export routine. This direct export feature makes it a lot simpler to use Bento as a form-based, data-entry system and still export data for analysis or charting in Numbers or Excel.
Another cool export function is the ability to export your template (just the form layout with no data) to share with other Bento users. Filemaker is planning a Bento Template Exchange to allow users to share their Bento creations online.
Conclusion
Bento 2.0 is a good upgrade that adds some really solid features and interface improvements. Bento still doesn’t rival Filemaker Pro or Access (for those coming from the PC world) because it doesn’t offer scripting and multi-user access. However, for those that only need a simple single-user solution, Bento is really good at letting people organize their information without having to take classes in database administration. I welcome the new Fit to Width option in Table View, but I would really like to see more flexible print options for creating nice reports on paper or in PDF files. The new changes to the interfaces make it less confusing, and split view is extremely useful. I also really like the idea of the Bento Template Exchange so users can share their solutions with each other. Of all the new features, I think the new import/export options will be used by the most people and is particularly good news for those that use iWork or have been waiting for tab-separated file support to bring in their data from AppleWorks databases.
I’m glad to see that Filemaker is continuing to work on improving Bento, and I’m relieved that Bento 2.0 is not a radical departure from the first version. The release of version 2.0 clearly shows that Filemaker has a strong vision for what they want the product to provide and they are taking steps to improve Bento and still keep it focused on where it belongs.
Bento is available now for download from Filemaker.com and should appear in stores soon. Pricing remains the same — $49 for a single user license and $99 for the family pack.
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Nice review. I was excited to get the latest version and assumed it would be an “upgrade” with some sort of discount attached (esp. In light of v1 really seeming like a v .5 or “beta” if you will) but alas FM has only seen fit to provide an upgrade path to those who have purchased within the last 30 days. Hardly generous. A coupon or some such for 15-25% off would have been a nice way to acknowledge v1 users loyalty.
Their forums are pretty heated at this point with drys from the faithful.
Not the best buzz for a launch but maybe they’re not worried?
R
Its almost like you worked at Apple….
is this a press release or a review? I haven’t used Bento 2.0 (and i’m probably not going to, given their borderline dishonest pricing scheme regarding the 1.0 current users) but i find it hard to believe there’s not a single thing the Reviewer didn’t like about this App (other than wishing for a few more print options).
This program begs to have an option for iPhone sync. I guess since Bento is a Mac OS X only solution, that presents problems having an iPhone app that only works for one OS.
Lord knows, we Mac users don’t want to start that precedent!
/
Shame on Filemaker! The Bento 1 user must pay FULL price to have Bento 2!!!
@Rich & @Simon – I guess Filemaker is following Apple’s lead of not providing upgrade pricing on consumer products. I understand how people expect upgrade pricing, but for $49 I can’t complain too much.
@AlexLand – I’m pretty enthusiastic about the changes and I think everything is a step in the right direction. If I had had pricing information at the time I wrote the review, I might have spent more time on that issue for existing users. What do you like or not like about Bento?
@D9 – I think Bento for iPhone would be great. We already have some iPhone apps that only work / sync with Mac applications (Things is the first example that comes to mind).
No upgrade price for 1.0 users is pretty poor. The 1.0 release was pretty limited and the early adopters really help drive the development of 2.0 which appears to be much more functional – in essence what the 1.0 should of been. Now it $100 for a dB application with a solid level of functionality. Like I said pretty poor support for your 1.0 adopters.
To be honest the 2.0 should be FREE to anyone that purchased the 1.0 product. They are the early adopters. They are the ones that helped improve the product. They are the ones that evangelized the product. You have screwed them. Now they will screw you. Yes new features have been added in 2.0 but if you believe that 1.0 was a mature product then your kidding yourself.
Check out this review from the Apple Store where Bento is apparently “Exclusive to Apple Store 14th to 28th October 2008″
“This new version of Bento is amazing. Now that i use this program i would never be able to turn back to the original version of Bento. The new version is worth the 50 dollars with out question! I rate this program 5 out of 5 stars!”
What a load of BS. This review was given the day after release and is the only review they are showing.
Much shame upon Filemaker and Apple. Their lack of response to any forum discussion anywhere of Bento is appalling. I never expected to be treated this way by a mac app developer? Especially a subsidiary of Apple.
What were/are they thinking?
@Weldon – I agree with #3, why don’t you ditch the press release and give us a real review. A second chance. Or won’t Apple give you your soul back.
I understand all the anger about the pricing, but what would you all want to see? $10 off?
@Christian Bailey – What would you like to see in a follow-up review?
@Waldon, in a follow up review? Perhaps;
some of your understanding of all the anger about the pricing.
how version 1.0v2 will be left somewhat incomplete. The last update was in Feb. Anyone still have issues with this version?
that a lot of these new features are what you would expect within the 1.0 releases. Like decent printing?
that exisitng users were not even notified of the release.
you could discuss some of the many issues users have voiced at their forums and to which no response, to my knowledge, from FM has been recieved.
that your first review was generally writen by somebody who works at FM?
Also your review contained the following “Bento 2.0 is a good upgrade…”. As there was no upgrade offered to most if any registered owners I think that this statement is false. Please an explanation or retraction.
Also $10 off is still a joke. I think that users paid $50 for a beta, developed their own user communities, put forward development contributions to FM, stuck with at times a frustrating app, and have know been asked to join the queue with the newbies for round two of funding. In my opinion an apology and free upgrade would by the only face saving outcome..