At 05:44 AM 6/21/2004 -0700, Jim Morgan wrote:
>I can't emphasize enough the dangers of using a brand of software that may
>not be around a few years from now.
I agree, to a point. For a new user and a new db, yes, go for Access.
It has the widest distribution, lots of support groups, and so on. It is also
available for pennies if you are a non-profit organization - in my case this is
very important and is the prime reason I will be moving my old DOS db to
Access.
No, it's not as powerful as some others but for cataloging a sound
library with modern home computer hardware, the performance difference between
Access and the Big Boys like Oracle is meaningless.
That said, there is no reason to move *from* a db you use now until it
no longer functions. Any db can export its data to a new db program. If you're
leery of using an obsolete or unsupported db learn how to do that data export
*now* and when the time comes that you *must* change over, you'll be ready.
Given today's cheap mass storage you might even do your backups in this mode
from now on.
In the meantime, why go through the pain of learning a new program and
programming language when you could spend those hours out in the swamp instead?
-- Chuck
PS: the above applies to Windoze users only. If you need cross-platform
dbs, look at MySQL and its relatives. Many of them are free and all are very
powerful. Also, I think FileMaker goes to Macs, but I'm not sure about Linux.
========
Chuck Bragg, Pacific Palisades, CA
Membership Chair
Newsletter Editor
Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society:
www.smbas.org
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