Re: [WinMac] re: Filemaker vs. Access
mark.maytum@pompy.com
Fri, 30 Jul 1999 07:15:32 -0500
Adding my 2 cents...
We run our 15M company (mostly) with Great Plains Dynamics SQL server. I
say mostly because we have a FMP based order entry and sales & cash
receipts database 340 fields wide with 5 related files that takes about
9-10K new records each month. It been running with nary a problem for
about 12 years now - however I should mention that this main database gets
archived & cloned no records once a year.
Even though the claim on the front of the lasso box ("Quickly tie your
filemaker databases to the web") is a *bit* of an exageration, it's been
*way* easier than trying to wrench GPD's order entry module to suit our
needs -
I'll admit FileMaker does have some limitations and problems (as I'm sure
our resident FMP geek would attest to). IMO the biggest problem is that FM
is single threaded which means you either have to have an array of
FileMaker clients for Lasso to hit (with round robin DNS) or you have to
live with Lasso constantly waiting for it's FM client to process each
*single* request. The former is pretty expensive (Small Dog Electronics
uses this method) the latter is just slow (we use this method :-))
Hopefully, FM 5 will take care of this. I've heard rumours to that effect
but...we'll see.
Anyway, if it has truly been *years* since you've done anything DB related,
you should certainly give FMP/Lasso a look-see - it's pretty powerful
stuff.
Mark Maytum
Pompanoosuc Mills Corporation
>Welp... it sounds like i have a lot of work ahead of me at this new
>job where i'm going to be trying to take a Filemaker database and make
>it into a SQL-based thing with (i suppose) an Access (and probably
>web) front-end. (Ugh, it's been *years* since i've done any DB stuff.
>Should be fun/interesting/a nightmare. :)
Or you might have the database up on the web next week if you
used Blueworld's Lasso with Filemaker.
http://www.blueworld.com/blueworld/default.html
>Is it because Filemaker is such a fine alternative (apparently *not*)
>or because anybody using a Mac is probably using it for something
>graphic, and not data-related, and hence wouldn't need it?
How about Fortune 500 companies and other large organizations that
want to get the work done and products out using databases
that get the work done for you.
http://www.blueworld.com/blueworld/products/lassosuccess.html
Lots of organizations use Macs and not just for graphics/publishing.
A "free" program isn't of much use if it won't do the job.
* Windows-MacOS Cooperation List *
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on Fri Jul 30 1999 - 05:18:40 PDT
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