John
Like you I sometimes have to use Access, and then I do make use of its relational properties. Interested to note that your migration route from Squeezebox requires a relational DB.
In the past I used the database component of Claris/Appleworks, and I think Filemaker was similar, though has now gone more relational. Another erstwhile DB product was/is FoxPro. There is yet another DB in OpenOffice (or LibreOffice - free), and I believe that Ability Office (cheapish) has a decent DB.
Flat file databases do have one advantage over spreadsheets - which is that it's usually much harder to erase or modify data without at least being aware of it. Also, as you point out, it's often possible to exchange data between a spreadsheet and a database, and it's frequently easier to enter data into a spreadsheet. Mostly I didn't find having a flat file database very useful, but for situations where one wants to focus in on just one or two records (CDs? :) )they can be helpful. Another thing which can be done more easily with a DB is to write longer notes, which could really fill up screen space on a spreadsheet.
Apple now seem to have similar flat file systems for the iPad and the Mac OS - called Bento. I've not tried these, but some people might like them - and there's also a version for iPhones I think, which might help some people if they're about to make an impulse buy in a CD shop but can't remember which was the last version of Mahler 9 they bought, and need to check whether they've got three more copies back at home, two of them unwrapped!
Like you I sometimes have to use Access, and then I do make use of its relational properties. Interested to note that your migration route from Squeezebox requires a relational DB.
In the past I used the database component of Claris/Appleworks, and I think Filemaker was similar, though has now gone more relational. Another erstwhile DB product was/is FoxPro. There is yet another DB in OpenOffice (or LibreOffice - free), and I believe that Ability Office (cheapish) has a decent DB.
Flat file databases do have one advantage over spreadsheets - which is that it's usually much harder to erase or modify data without at least being aware of it. Also, as you point out, it's often possible to exchange data between a spreadsheet and a database, and it's frequently easier to enter data into a spreadsheet. Mostly I didn't find having a flat file database very useful, but for situations where one wants to focus in on just one or two records (CDs? :) )they can be helpful. Another thing which can be done more easily with a DB is to write longer notes, which could really fill up screen space on a spreadsheet.
Apple now seem to have similar flat file systems for the iPad and the Mac OS - called Bento. I've not tried these, but some people might like them - and there's also a version for iPhones I think, which might help some people if they're about to make an impulse buy in a CD shop but can't remember which was the last version of Mahler 9 they bought, and need to check whether they've got three more copies back at home, two of them unwrapped!
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