Filemaker Go is not meant to create database solutions on its own, but rather to access and update an existing database. You still need to create the database schema and design the layouts on the desktop application Filemaker Pro and then move them to your iPhone or iPad. You can load the databases by transferring them in iTunes, emailing them as an attachment to an account that is set up on your device, or by clicking a web link to download the file directly. If you run the database locally, you can transfer it back to your desktop computer via iTunes. Filemaker Go can also access a database over the network and thus makes a fantastic mobile client to a hosted, multi-user solution.

In the demonstration that I saw last week, Filemaker Go performed like a champ when opening desktop databases. By using pinch and zoom and smart zoom on input fields, it was actually pretty easy to use existing database without any modifications. The controls have been adapted to iOS in a really smart way so that the touch UI works very well on existing layouts.

Scripts run on Filemaker Go without modification. There are a few functions from the desktop application that are not available in Filemaker Go. Some are obvious, like printing script steps that just will not work on an iPhone or iPad. There are a few other features like charts and snapshot links (both introduced in Filemaker 11) that have not made their way into the Filemaker Go app yet. You can find more details in the Filemaker Go Development Guide.

[inline-ad align="right"]I am really excited about the potential of Filemaker Go. The only downside for me is the decision to split the app into an iPhone version and an iPad version. The higher price for the iPad version is tough to accept when there is no difference in functionality. I would have much preferred a universal app that I could buy once and use on both my iPhone and my iPad. That said, even the $40 for the iPad version, while high for an app, seems very reasonable for a great mobile client for Filemaker when you compare it to the cost of a desktop license.

Filemaker Go requires iOS 4.0 or higher on the iPhone. Filemaker Go for iPad requires iOS 3.2 or better. Because the file format has not changed since Filemaker 7, Filemaker Go can run databases created on any version of Filemaker from 7 on up to the current 11. You will need Filemaker 10 or 11 to host a network database that can be used by Filemaker Go. Filemaker Go and Filemaker Go for iPad are available today for $19.99 and $39.99 respectively.

A year after the launch of FileMaker Pro 10, the Apple-owned database company is back to debut the latest version of its franchise product. FileMaker Pro 11 introduces long-awaited features and builds on the interface and engine improvements to create new capabilities. I have been taking the product through its paces for the last few weeks and I am left with the impression that this is what FileMaker Pro 10 should have been because the changes made to the interface and the scripting engine are really evident in 11. The update includes a variety of improvements that will benefit both users and developers.

A New Start

When greeted by the redesigned Start Screen, among the starter solutions offered as a template is a new Invoices solution. This solution allows you to track customers, products, and invoices in a single database. Invoices implements multiple tables and relationships on multiple keys and provides a great introduction to a moderately complex database. I recommend peaking under the hood to get a feel for how things are done if you are new to FileMaker. Beyond the starter solutions, you can also create a new database by starting with data from Bento, XML files, Excel spreadsheets and other sources.

Once you are up and running in a database, there are a few interface changes that will jump out at you immediately. First up is the new Quick Find feature. Quick Find adds a Spotlight-like search field to your toolbar that will search through multiple fields on the current layout.

This feature is handy if you are looking for something like a phone number, but are not sure if the number is in the home, office, mobile, or fax fields. You can set which fields are included in the Quick Find index to limit the search and the size of the indexes. Quick Find works like an “AND” search across multiple fields and matches on the start of strings only. It does not do partial string matching so a search on “maker” will not match “FileMaker” at this time.

Layouts

One small refinement is Text Highlighting. You can mark text with a yellow background in a field to bring attention to the highlighted section. More significant changes have been made to improve the ease of working with layouts. The new layout assistant makes setting up table-based report layouts a breeze. The assistant walks you through choosing fields, setting the sort order and adding sub-summaries. In the table view itself, you can now directly add fields and records with convenient + buttons and change the sort by clicking on column headers. Layouts themselves can now be organized into layout folders to make it simpler for both users and developers to work in a database with a large number of layouts.

Another layout option is Portal filtering. Portal filters allow you to limit related records that are displayed in a portal by either fixed or calculated criteria.

When designing layouts, new Inspector palettes grant immediate access to common formatting functions and settings. The Inspector has three tabs, but you can open up multiple inspectors and have each tab visible. The addition of the Inspector may seem a minor change, but it does bring the database product into better alignment with the iWork applications. Inspectors are packed with detail that might be overwhelming to some users, but they do add a bit of convenience and expose some features to discovery that may have been hidden deep in menu options.

Charting

The biggest visual change to Filemaker Pro 11 is the addition of the new charting feature. You can create pie charts, bar charts (vertical and horizontal), line graphs, and area charts and include those directly in your layouts. The charts provide an opportunity to not only create better reports but also design completely new interfaces for dashboard views and other ideas.

Snapshot Links

Another new user-focused feature that takes a bit of explaining is Snapshot Links. You can take a snapshot of the current records that you are viewing and send those to a co-worker with access to the same database. The snapshot includes the current found set, but also remembers the selected record, the current layout, the focused tab on a layout and other information. Previously, you may have printed a report to PDF or saved a search in FMP 10. The problem with those approaches is that the PDF is completely static and the results of the saved search may change between the time you look at the records and send those to someone else. The snapshot link always shows the current information in the database, and keeps the found set intact even if the underlying data changes. It took me a while to fully grasp the implications, but the more I think about it, the more uses I find to use this feature in a workgroup environment.

Other Improvements

Recurring import will watch an external file like an Excel spreadsheet and update the data in FileMaker as the watched spreadsheet changes. You can set script triggers on this file as well to have it update every 15 minutes or some other interval.

You can copy and paste scripts to make it simpler to bring tricks over from other solutions. External file protection improves the security of Filemaker databases. The server version has new diagnostics to help find out which user has issued the query that is bringing the system to a crawl. Filemaker Pro 11 Server Advanced also removes user limits in this version.

System requirements are substantially the same.

Pricing

All FileMaker 11 products are immediately available. FileMaker Pro 11 is $299/$179 upgrade (U.S. suggested list price) and FileMaker Pro 11 Advanced is $499/$299 upgrade. FileMaker Server 11 is $999/$599 upgrade and FileMaker Server 11 Advanced is $2,999/$1,799 upgrade.

For a limited time, FileMaker extends upgrade pricing to licensed users of FileMaker 8 and 8.5 products. This offer expires September 23, 2010, and details are online.

Recommendation

There is something for everyone in this update to FileMaker Pro. Users will love the convenience of Quick Find, the visual enhancements in charting and layouts, and sharing snapshots. Developers will love the Inspector for quickly making layout changes, the scripting improvements, and the flexibility of using portal filtering and charting to create great layouts and reports without extra plugins.

I see great possibilities to use these new features to create solutions with FileMaker Pro and I am probably more excited about the future of the product now than I have been over the last few years. It feels like the investment in previous versions has paid off and everything is firing on all cylinders to move ahead.

Watching the iPad’s first television spot on the Oscars Sunday night, I got giddy all over again in anticipation of getting my hands on this hot new product. Though it’s still a few weeks away, I’m even more excited for the applications that will be coming to the platform. Here’s my top 10 list of apps that I want to see developed for the iPad.

Coda

As a graphic designer and web developer, Coda is a staple in my workflow. It features a built-in FTP system, which could be problematic to port to a mobile device, considering there isn’t a traditional file structure to store data. However, perhaps the iPad’s new file storage system will provide an adequate solution. Regardless, as someone who codes, it would be awesome to sit next to a client and modify code and push changes to a site all from my iPad while they load and test the revisions on their own desktop.

Photoshop

Before you laugh, remember that Adobe has already released Photoshop Mobile for the iPhone, and all things considered, it’s not such a bad application. A larger iPad version could allow support for opening and manipulating native Photoshop files as well as working between multiple files. CS4 introduced a new tabbed approach to viewing multiple documents at once. A similar setup could easily be implemented on the iPad.

Katamari Damacy

What’s a fun touchscreen device without a fun game? Katamari already exists as an iPhone app so it’ll scale up decently on the iPad. But given the advanced graphics of the iPad and the larger screen, a native iPad version is a must. If you’ve never played Katamari, check out this clip below.

iMovie

Call me crazy (it doesn’t hurt to be wishful) but the feasibility of an iMovie-like app is certainly within the realm of possibility. I would have never expected Apple to introduce video editing on the iPhone. Nevertheless, along with a video camera, the iPhone 3GS allows for simple video edits. Why couldn’t we have a larger implementation of this on the iPad, provided it gains a video camera at some point? With the larger screen, there’s plenty of room to view a larger timeline, add transitions or effects and with one tap, upload your masterpiece to YouTube.

iChat

I’m actually quite surprised this app still hasn’t made it to the iPhone yet, but as a platform that’s designed to be “the best way to experience the web, email, photos and video,” the iPad seems like the perfect device for iChat, especially if a future model gains a video camera.

Screen Sharing or Remote Desktop

There have been a number of third-party developers that have created similar apps for the iPhone, but I’m honestly shocked to see that Apple hasn’t implemented its own solution yet. With a larger screen and almost full-size keyboard, remotely accessing and interacting with other Macs on my network would be a breeze on the iPad.

Preview

While the iBooks application will open books that are in EPUB format, I’d love to see a more robust implementation of Preview available on the iPad (and iPhone). Specifically, an app that is capable of annotating PDF files and provides support for links within PDFs. Since I’m also an academic, some of the journals I read (as PDFs) contain bookmarks to other articles or chapters and currently, none of the built-in applications on the iPhone support interacting with them.

Hulu

I don’t care how it has to happen or if it involves Flash or not. Who doesn’t want Hulu on the iPad? Even if it required a small subscription, I would love to be able to access my Hulu queue on the go. Better yet, since the iPad is a closed system, the app could download and cache content so it wouldn’t necessarily have to be streamed in real time. This could be a great solution to save AT&T’s crowded bandwidth for 3G models and allow WiFi-only models to still play even if a network isn’t around. I’d pay for that; would you?

Bento/Filemaker

Now that we have iWork, how about a real implementation of Bento (or FileMaker if that’s not too much to ask)? The current iPhone version is pretty pathetic and really hard to use to manipulate larger databases. While FileMaker may be a stretch, I’d put serious money on seeing an iPad version of Bento before the year is out.

An Improved iTunes App

It looks as though the new iTunes app represents a step ahead of the current iPhone version, but there are still some missing features that would make this app a rock star on the iPad. Adding support for Internet radio, browsing my other libraries by Home Sharing or support for iTunes Extras and LPs would be amazing. Honestly, why hasn’t Apple announced support of iTunes Extras and LPs? The specs call for a viewing area of 1280×720 (the 720p high definition standard). They also call for building your iTunes Extras with what’s called a bleed graphic, or a graphic that can “fill in the extra space” if you’re viewing it at a size greater than 1280×720. Now given that as a way to compensate for a difference in aspect ratios, if you were to scale down an iTunes Extra for the 1024×768 display, wouldn’t it just make sense? Come on, if the Apple TV can do it (and we all know how excited Apple gets about that product), shouldn’t the iPad as well?

What are your thoughts on apps you’d like to see? Share your thoughts in the comments below. The great thing about Apple’s developer community is that they keep up with what’s discussed in the blogosphere. You never know; a developer might see your suggestions. So, share what you’d like to see on the iPad!

The whirlwind development of FileMaker’s consumer database software continues with the release of Bento 3. Bento 3 adds several new features, including shared libraries, iPhoto integration, security options, and best of all, an upgrade price.

First released in November 2007, Bento was supposed to be the database for the rest of us, touting ease of use over the flexibility of complex relational database applications like FileMaker. Bento 1 was priced at $49, as was Bento 2, released just over a year later. That price caused some consternation among Bento 1 users opining Bento 2 was the “real” first release. Apparently FileMaker has listened, and is now offering current users of Bento a $20 discount. While the price for new users remains $49, Bento 3 has enough “new” that those using or needing a simple database application should at least consider the free trial.

As to what’s new in Bento 3, the first thing you see is a redesigned Template Screen. Bento 3 adds 10 new templates, bringing the total to 35, as well as a direct link to the Bento Template Exchange. The online exchange has nearly 300 database templates created by users and developers at FileMaker.

The biggest change to the interface of Bento 3 is Grid View. While database users will be familiar with the spreadsheet-like Table View, and Form View for individual database objects, Grid View is reminiscent of iPhoto Events. If there is a single image in a record, you see a thumbnail, with multiple images being cycled through via mouseover. This is actually pretty useful, be it with home inventory or recipes. If there are no images, you can look at a thumbnail of the Form View, which is not so useful. Something else that is useful is iPhoto integration.

As a serious iCal user, the seamless integration Bento affords is invaluable. As an example, Bento allows me to create Smart Collections of events, like auto maintenance or trips to the vet. Not only can I add fields in Bento, like cost, but I can edit fields that iCal uses. Now, Bento has added iPhoto to the list of integrated OS X apps: Address Book, iCal, and Mail. Unfortunately, what happens in Bento, stays in Bento with iPhoto integration. While I can associate new record fields with photos in Bento, I can’t edit iPhoto fields. Anyone who struggles with iPhoto’s awkward keyword editing understands how big a letdown this is. To balance that letdown for me, we finally have sharing in Bento 3.

To those who bemoan the lack of shared, editable calendars with iCal and MobileMe, Bento 3 appears to offer a workaround. Bento 3 sharing is a lot like iTunes sharing over a local network. It’s as easy to set up as the preference pane above, but even more useful. Up to five people, each needing their own copy of Bento, can edit shared databases. While I have not tested this yet, I’m assuming that editing iCal and Address Book data will be reflected for respective users.

The last big addition to Bento 3 is the option of database security, but there are numerous other small enhancements that can be experienced in free trial. Bento 3 requires OS X 10.5.7 or 10.6.1, costs $49 (or $29 for qualifying Bento 1 and Bento 2 users). There will also shortly be a new release of Bento for iPhone, free to current users and $5 for new users.

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Bento, the personal database from FileMaker, has launched a service that allows users to share templates they have created. The Template Exchange currently has around 100 ready-made templates covering a number of topics, with more being added daily.

Less well-known than the professional and cross-platform FileMaker, the personal database Bento is more integrated into OS X, capable of accessing Address Book, Mail, and iCal, but also requiring Leopard. Despite having a more narrow focus, Bento has seen continued development since being introduced in January 2008, the most recent example being Bento for iPhone. However, it was Bento 2 for OS X that added the ability to import and export templates.

World of Warcraft Character Template

The Template Exchange is the logical extension of that feature. Besides user-created templates, FileMaker has added a number of more polished and possibly useful templates, like wine cellar, DVD collection, and vehicle logbook. User-created templates run the gamut from the expected, shopping lists and CD collections, to the obscure, a pencil collection database template.

Of course, the point isn’t the utilitarian nature of a given template, but that users can now upload their creations and download those of others. This saves the effort of having to create database templates for common uses oneself. While the Template Exchange requires Bento 2, including the trial version, the service itself is free. Now you have no excuse not to organize your pencils.

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Today, FileMaker announced the release of Bento for the iPhone and iPod touch, a companion to their popular personal database software. Priced at $4.99, the mobile application can synchronize directly with Bento 2 running on your Mac to keep information up-to-date.

If you’re unfamiliar with Bento, our review is a good place to start. Essentially the application helps you to stay organized through creating a personal database. It offers a great deal of flexibility and is suitable for anything from managing a list of recipes to tracking home inventory.

Bento is renowned for three characteristics: simplicity, elegance, and ease of use. All of these are present in the Mac software with virtually no learning curve required in order to start organizing your information. The same experience has been ported across to the mobile application with great effect.

Creating a New Library

Bento for iPhone is separated into four main sections, which remain consistently present at the bottom of the screen: Home, Search, New Library and Sync. Upon opening the app for the first time, you’ll be asked to create a new library.

Adding a New Library

Two options are available for creating a new library. You can either select from one of the 25 pre-designed templates, or design your own set of fields from scratch.

Flicking through the default templates is done through a cover flow-style animation, though it seems to behave in a slightly different manner. While the functionality is fine, flicking through the various options is slightly sluggish and template icons take a short while to load.

The pre-designed templates available cover a wide range of options — everything from expenses and time billing, to an exercise or charity donation log. Each template has a wonderfully designed icon, and there’s a good chance you can find a library that meets your requirement.

If you’re in need of a custom solution, selecting ‘Blank’ will allow you to design a new library from scratch, right on your iPhone or iPod touch. A simple interface guides you through adding and editing fields, some of which are able to interact with iPhone features (taking a picture, for example).

Home Screen

Two views are available for the home screen allowing you to either flick through libraries in cover-flow mode or view a detailed list of libraries and collections. When browsing in cover flow, tapping the “i” icon will flip the current icon around and display further information about the records/collections within.

This provides a clear and simple way to quickly browse or edit the desired library. I appreciate the inclusion of a list view, as performance is notably quicker than loading the high-res icons for cover flow.

Browsing & Searching Libraries

After opening a library, a list of the collections (groups) and individual records contained is displayed. Various sorting and display options are available to adjust how the list appears. You can either add a new record, or drill down further to edit each item:

Viewing an Item

Searching is powerful, and is performed across all available libraries. Results update in real time as you type, and are broken down by library:

Searching Your Library

It will be interesting to see whether Bento information could be tied into the Spotlight search planned for iPhone 3.0 — this could offer a very useful addition to iPhone-wide search.

Syncing with Bento for Mac

Synchronizing your information with Bento for Mac is a simple process provided both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. After instructing both the iPhone and Mac version to search for other devices, connecting involves authorization through a four-digit security code:

Syncing with Bento for Mac

After connecting, the iPhone should display as a ‘Device’ in the left pane of Bento. You can then select which libraries you would like to sync (in a very similar fashion to managing your device via iTunes).

Connecting to Bento for the Mac

Performance & Limitations

There are a few areas of Bento for iPhone that don’t synchronize with the desktop version. These include any media over 10MB, iCal events and tasks, file list fields, automatic counter fields, and smart collections. In addition, it isn’t possible to modify calculation fields from the mobile app. I would also like to see a table view which displays records side-by-side, making use of the iPhone’s landscape display. That said, these limitations are certainly acceptable, and don’t stop the iPhone application being incredibly useful.

Unfortunately, the stability and performance of the app was, for me, a major sticking point. Bento was prone to crashing every few minutes and there was a noticeable delay when opening the app and browsing in cover-flow mode. I’m fairly confident that these issues will be rectified through an update shortly.

Performance aside, Bento for iPhone represents a powerful and worthy mobile companion. I’m pleased to see that FileMaker has offered an application fully capable of creating a database, not confined to act as a viewer for existing desktop libraries. At the price of $4.99, Bento for iPhone represents one of the most powerful and affordable database tools available. As soon as stability is perfected, I’m confident I shall be a regular user.

More information can be found at the FileMaker site, or via the App Store.

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Wednesday at Macworld Expo marked a distinct change from the hectic activity around the keynote and the open of the show floor. The big news today was the announcement of the Best of Show awards from Macworld. The products recognized this year are…

Best of Macworld 2009

• iPhoto ’09
• Cisco WebEx Meeting Center
• Things
• Ecamm Network BT-1 Bluetooth Web Cam
• Filemaker Pro 10
• HP MediaSmart Server
• Livescribe Pulse Smartpen
• Daylite Touch
• Sling Media SlingPlayer for iPhone

Our Impressions

iPhoto ’09 is a great upgrade and worthy of the attention, despite the appearance of Google’s Picassa for Mac as a possible competitor. We love Things around here, and quite a few of us actually use it to try and stay on top of, well, things. We introduced you to the Ecamm Bluetooth Web Cam on Monday. Filemaker Pro 10 is a nice update. I talked to a few developers today that are looking forward to the new scripting features, but the UI overhaul is just something that’s long overdue. Daylite Touch really redefines what an iPhone app is capable of doing. We had a chance to talk with Marketcircle yesterday and will share our impressions of using the app soon. One thing I can let slip now, this is definitely not going to be a $.99 app store purchase. Daylite Touch is a full-featured app that rivals what you can do with a desktop app and you should expect it to be priced accordingly.

The Rest of the Best

The HP MediaSmart Server is a really interesting solution for home users that want to store and share media. SlingPlayer is very cool and something to keep an eye on as soon as it gets released to the app store this quarter. We’ll bring you more info on that announcement soon, along with some details on the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen, and Cisco WebEx Meeting Center.

Other Announcements

If you’ve been wondering what happened to the Xserve RAID team after that product was discontinued, several of them have resurfaced at startup Active Storage. I had a chance to talk with Alex Grossman on Wednesday and I am very impressed with the attention to detail, and the particular attention to the needs of Mac users, that Active Storage has put into their products. If you are looking for high-density storage solutions that you can easily manage from the Mac, you may not need to look any further than Active Storage.

Intelliscanner has a new update to their SoHo and Mini scanners. If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to get organized and catalog stuff around your house, you’ll love this little scanners and the accompanying software.

Axiotron recruited Steve Wozniak to demo their new Modbook Pro this week. The Modbook Pro, as the name suggest, is based on the MacBook Pro system just as the Modbook is based on the Apple MacBook.

Ambrosia, one of my favorite developers, is announcing iToner 2 and WireTap Studio 1.0.7 this week. iToner 2 adds three new features: ClearTone to help get the audio levels right so your ringtones always sound great on the iPhone, cropping tools to edit snippets right in iToner, and 40+ professionally mastered ringtones that you can use right out of the box. WireTap Studio has been updated to improve performance and add some new control schemes .

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The venerable Mac database solution, Filemaker Pro, has received a whole new look for 2009. I have had a chance to kick the tires a little prior to release and this is certainly the biggest visible change to Filemaker in years.

Filemaker Gets a Facelift

The first thing that you’ll notice with the update is that the familiar left-hand sidebar is completely gone. Now there is a whole new Status Toolbar that runs across the top of your database window. Because this is a standard Mac interface toolbar, buttons can be customized and rearranged as you like by command-clicking and dragging them around. Toolbar sets are configured for each mode, so that the appropriate buttons show up as you move into Find, Layout, or Preview mode. You have to give up some vertical real estate on the screen for the new horizontal toolbar, so layouts may need to be redone. You can hide the toolbar completely if you like, but I bet most users will welcome the changes once they get used to the new buttons.

The net result is an interface that feels a lot more current and more representative of what a Mac application is supposed to look like. From an interface perspective, Filemaker has finally entered the 21st century.

Bringing New Users Into the Fold

According to Rick Kalman, the Filemaker Pro product manager, one of the key goals was to bring the power of Filemaker Pro to more people. The new interface makes Filemaker Pro more accessible to new users and some new features make it easier to get started working with your data. New for version 10 is the ability to import Bento 2 files and a prompt to create a database from an existing Excel file (which was somewhat hidden before). The Bento 2 support is a boon for users that started in Bento and now want to move up to Filemaker Pro. This also provides a sort of backdoor that can be used to bring Address Book and iCal info into Filemaker Pro. I had been hoping that this functionality would be incorporated into Filemaker Pro itself, but the cross-platform issues put this feature on the chopping block.

The Starter Solutions have also been updated with a completely new look that is just a night and day contrast to the old look. They have been updated with advanced Filemaker Pro features like integrated Web Viewer for Google Maps and label printing. These updates make the Starter Solutions a much more useful resource for learning how to use these features in your own databases.

Not Just a Pretty Face

This update is not just cosmetic, though. There are a number of new features and scripting functions that make Filemaker more powerful. Script Triggers are a fantastic new addition. This feature will fire a script to run when a user performs one of 12 different actions (click in or out of a field, save a record, enter a mode, etc.). This provides new flexibility in programming Filemaker that wasn’t there before. For example, you could run spell check when a user tabs out of a text field. I can already think of several uses for triggers that will provide a much cleaner way to do what could only be accomplished with tricks or hacks before.

Find is also improved in Filemaker Pro 10. You can now pull up recent searches and save regularly used finds. This will be a great boon for Filemaker power-users that don’t want to write a script to perform a particular search as part of their daily workflow. The Find “pie” shows the percentage of records that you have found and clicking on it toggles between the found set and the excluded records.

The other major new feature is Dynamic Reports. All views, including sub-summary groupings, are “live” and editable. If you change the value in a grouped field, the record will move to the appropriate group. Along with Dynamic Reporting, table view allows you to add and remove fields from the table without having to drop into Layout mode first.

While developers will appreciate the power of the new scripting functions and script triggers, users are going to really appreciate the changes to finds, reports and table views because it will be much simpler to keep working in browse mode and do more simple ad-hoc reporting without going into layout mode or writing scripts.

What Else is New?

• Direct SMTP support for sending email
• Direct import of Bento 2 files
• New Resource Center with video tutorials
• Excel 2007 support (.xslx files)
• More SQL Database support
• File Recovery Enhancements
• Set Field by Name script function
• IPv6 support

First Reaction

I think anyone’s immediate reaction to the new Filemaker Pro is going to be a strong “wow!” for the new look. Other Filemaker Pro developers I know are cautiously optimistic about the new scripting features, and power-users are going to love recent and saved searches, Dynamic Reporting, and the flexible table view. After that excitement has worn off, I think most will say this is a decent update, but maybe not earth-shattering in the way that Filemaker 7 was. Frankly, I was really looking for more features from Bento to work into Filemaker Pro (particularly the layout tools and Address Book linking), but I understand that supporting cross-platform compatability with Windows users limits some of what can be done.

The user interface changes are a big deal, but this is going to create some tension in the Filemaker community. The new Status Toolbar makes Filemaker Pro look like a current Mac app, but it’s also going to cause a lot of relearning for existing users. At the end of the day, the UI updates are necessary but don’t advance the state of art beyond what’s expected of any current release.

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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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FileMaker’s new personal database, Bento is big on style and ease. Watch the tutorial movie and in less than five minutes you will be comfortable using Bento’s main features.

Bento comes with a set of libraries (databases) that relate directly to OS X’s Address Book and iCal. Whatever changes you make in these Bento libraries — called, not surprisingly, Address Book, iCal Events and iCal Tasks — appear in OS X’s Address Book or iCal and vice versa.

When you install Bento, it imports your Address Book and iCal data, recognizes what Address groups you’ve created and calls them Collections that have their own icon in the Source List.

And by creating additional libraries of your own and using Bento’s relational fields, you can extend OS X’s functionality: the organizational world you create in Bento will interrelate with and stretch the features of Address Book, iCal, Numbers and Keynote. And you can view it all with one swift glance at the Source List (Bento’s left-hand panel).

The price is easy too, $49 for a single-user license, $99 for a family license — five license keys for use on different computers in the same household.

You can test it free for 30 days. (Note: Bento only works with Leopard.)

Drag And Drop Relating

The power of Bento is in its Relational Fields. To create a relational field, you can use the menu command for creating a new field or you can drag a library icon from the Source List onto the form in a new Library.

An Example: A New Library With A Relational Field

In the example below, I created a new library and called it Short Story Submissions. I exported a Numbers spreadsheet as a CSV file and used Bento’s Import command to populate the library.

By the way, you can quickly change Bento’s view on your screen, showing or hiding one or both side panels by using the view button in the lower right-hand corner or by using keyboard shortcuts:

• Command +1 shows all three panels — Source List, Records, Field List
• Command + 2 shows Source + Records
• Command + 3 shows Records + Fields
• Command + 4 shows Records only

After importing my data, I created another form and called it Detail. Once I had chosen a theme and layout, I dragged the iCal Tasks icon from the Source List onto the form to create my relational field.

Then I customized it by choosing a few fields for the new field (see right-hand column). Now when I thumb through the detail of each record, I can add a task if I wish and the task shows up in Bento’s iCal Tasks as well as in OS X’s iCal.

Alternatively, I can add Tasks directly from iCal Tasks, my relational source, by clicking on the Add Related Records button in the lower left-hand corner of the field.

Here are the tasks as they appear in OS X’s iCal:

If you are looking an easy way to interrelate projects or your personal or business life with each other, I recommend Bento.

What I Like

• The Price. It does a lot for the money.
• Ease of use. It’s intuitive and the online tutorial consists of quick and colorful movies, each one taking less than five minutes. After watching them you’ll be ready to start using the program.
• Themes. With Bento, layout is a snap. It comes with an attractive set of themes. One click on a Theme (preset background colors and fonts) and you change the overall look of a Collection. The theme carries over into all forms. The ability to create and change database layout is a hallmark of FileMaker, going back to the 1980s and the early days of FileMaker by Claris Works — at that time part of Apple — when it was the only database that allowed users to add and arrange fields in a form.
• Seamless flow of data to and from OS X’s Address Book and iCal. And with the “Related Records List” field you can flow the data from any of the other Libraries in Bento to iCal and Address Book. (See How To Use Relational Fields, above.)
• Source List Panel. Ability to view icons of all my databases at once in the Source List — hence the name, a reference to the Japanese Bento box with food arranged in compartments.

What I’d Like To See In Future Versions

• Smart Quotes.
• Themes that carry over from Collections into the Library.
• More font, leading and kerning choices. A link to Apple’s text formatting box would be ideal. Or an Inspector.
• An option to make completed events invisible in (Bento’s) iCal Events without deleting them in iCal.

System Requirements

• Mac OS X Leopard
• Intel Mac or Power PC G4 or G5 processor running at 867 MHz or faster 512MB RAM. 1GB recommended

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Back in November, FileMaker released a preview of their soon-to-be-released personal database app, Bento.

Yesterday they officially released the gold version of Bento.

The design in functionality of Bento is such that you’d think it was just another iWork application. It meshes extremely well with Apple’s design standards set in its iWork apps and has an almost limitless number of uses.

It’s available in a single-license and family-license at $49 and $99, respectively.

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The makers of FileMaker have released a preview of a new application called Bento. It’s labeled as “personal database software” for managing all aspects of your life from contacts and events to inventory and expenses.

It’s currently a pre-release trial version, meaning your trial will eventually expire, forcing you to purchase Bento if you intend to keep your data. The trial looks to last around 90 days at this point which I assume will coincide with an official launch of the product.

I have to say that Bento looks quite promising thus far. FileMaker is specifically targeting the “personal use” users, as opposed to businesses, with dozens of pre-made templates and simplistic interface. It seems they’ve taken their wildly popular FileMaker software and cut the fluff down so that the average user can get up and running quickly…which I have to say is quite appealing.

Bento divides data into “Libraries”. You can choose from a set of 23 different pre-built libraries that cover just about ever category imaginable of data that could be put in a database. Everything from an Exercise Log to Vehicle Maintenance to Home Inventory is available to jump right in to.

All of the libraries can be customized to fit your needs. My only complaint with this is that there doesn’t seem to be a way to change the default visual design of the templates though I assume this may be available in a future release.

Bento is definitely geared toward personal use but given its ability to be heavily customize, I would imagine that a slew of small businesses will be able to make use of this software. It can import any CSV-formated text file, which is great for those people who have been using something like an Excel spreadsheet for this type of data.

No word yet on pricing or an official launch date, but with a 3 month trial period, I highly suggest giving it a try.

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