Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've been a Bento user since 2.0, and I'm reasonably experienced in database. I also use Filemaker Pro 10.
In short, Bento 3 is very useful for personal users, for purposes it is advertised, but I would not expect much more from Bento. Bento 3 is also not much more than Bento2 engine with new cosmetic features. It is no Filemaker. It is very useful when you want to extend or add function to Addressbook, Todo list, calendar, etc., or make your own task manager. In other words, Bento can serve very well as a highly customizable personal information management (PIM) or digital organizer system based on simple databases. Its main weakness are limited relational functions, limited to one table per "library" (databse), and lack of embedded browser interface. Also, "media" field and URL list field of Bento databases are not exportable or importable through CSV files. They are retained within local Bento database files, and they can't be exchanged with other apps in any standard way (unless you are familiar with SQLite database engine, used by Bento. You could access these files directly, if so desired.).
There are many annoying inconveniences in terms of features and user interfaces. I'm actively filing suggestions though their website, so I am strongly hoping that they will release new version soon to fix these problems, but so far I didn't get any luck. I will revise this review and potentially raise the star rating when I see this happening (by the way, I gave 3 stars to Bento 2).
Compared to Filemaker, Bento is a lot easier to use, and much more like Mac software, while Filemaker has more awkward user interface as a Mac application. When creating a simple database, Bento requires a lot less initial work than Filemaker, and the screen layout looks much nicer. Fast, easy, convenient, streamlined are the strengths of Bento over Filemaker.
Bento also has star-rating element, and a few other convenient features that Filemaker lacks. It seems to me that Filemaker avoided these useful features from Filemaker Pro 10 to distance itself from Bento. (I personally want Filemaker Pro 10 to be a superset of Bento, so that I don't have to switch apps to manage personal records, and research data sets, business data and others.)
On the other hand, Filemaker is much more powerful when it comes to relational functions, elements available to user interface. For example, Filemaker can have a web browser (which can also display PDF documents or local files) embedded as an element of user interface within the Filemaker window, which I find very convenient. When the database is large (say more than 10000 records), Filemaker is considerably faster when running search, etc. This is to be expected, since Bento is based on SQLite engine, while Filemaker Pro uses more powerful database engine.
I bought both Bento and Filemaker Pro 10 myself, out of my personal funds. That should tell you that I find both apps are useful for different purposes, and they are different enough. This much is true. What I am not happy is why they did not make Filemaker Pro 10 to have some of the cool features of Bento to make it more useful for quick applications by power users. If you are a Filemaker user, you may find the same bitterness when you decide to shell out for Bento.
I use Bento among my MacPro, Macbook and iMac, synchronized via a pocket hard drive (iMac and Macbook) and/or intranet (MacBook), using MacPro as the base machine. I do this by syncing Bento database folder, Addressbook folder and iCal folder using a free software called unison. It is essential that all three of these databases are synchronized concurrently on all machines, or the references from Bento to the other Mac apps will be broken. If you routinely use multiple computers, Unison is a very worthwhile software to familiarize yourself with, although it is a Unix-originated free software and there is some unfriendliness to it.
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Meet Bento 3 for Mac, the breakthrough new version of the wildly popular personal database from FileMaker that's as easy to use as your Mac.
Organize contacts, track projects, plan events and more--all in one place.
Bento 3 now includes iPhoto integration, security options, multi-user sharing, and much more!
Choose from 35 pre-designed templates included with Bento, download and import templates from others who share your passion, or design your own custom forms using beautiful themes designed by Mac artists.
Bento links directly to the Address Book and iCal information you already have on your Mac to display your contacts and calendars in new and exciting ways.Add places to store important details about each person, event, or task, including related files, photos, and emails.Plus, changes you make in Bento are reflected in Address Book and iCal so your MobileMe account, your iPhone, and your iPod touch will be in sync.
Now you can easily share your contact lists, project plans, event details, and other Bento libraries with up to 5 Bento users on your local area network.Choose which libraries you want to share, and if you want to allow adding, deleting, and updating of information, or limit access to viewing only.Even add a password if you like. Now your family and friends, classmates, and coworkers will always be informed and up to date.
Do all this and more with pre-designed, ready-to-use templates:
Organize contacts, clubs and mailing lists
Track projects, tasks, and deadlines
Plan special events, parties and weddings
Link photos to contacts, projects, and events
Manage students, classes, and lecture notes
Search wine and movie collections
Catalog inventory, assets, and equipment
Record billable hours and payments due
Keep a daily log of diet and exercise
Store recipes and shopping lists
Secure encrypted passwords
See details of products for sale and items sold
Here's what's new in Bento 3:
iPhoto integration Store more info about photos and link them to contacts, projects, events, and other information stored in Bento.
Grid view In addition to Table view, Form view, and Split view, you can now see your images and forms in Grid view for a more visual approach to your information.
Security options Protect your sensitive data using encrypted fields and password protection. Great for web site logins and banking details.
Multi-user sharing Share your Bento libraries with up to 5 other Bento users on your wired or wireless local area network.Ideal for sharing contact lists, project plans, and event details with family, friends, classmates and coworkers.
Related data field with thumbnails Displays thumbnail images of related data instead of just text. For example, link a list of guests to an event--and see a picture of each person invited in the related data field.
File list with thumbnails Displays thumbnail images of related file instead of just text. For example, link a list of files to any record and see the first page of PDF file or a mini version of jpg images in the File list.
Simple list field type Add a freeform table to your forms. Great for creating a quick to do list or shopping list--and for tracking gifts received at parties and weddings.
Library folders Save space in your Libraries pane by grouping like libraries in a single folder. Libraries contained in the folder can also be exported as a group.
Group emailing Send one email to multiple recipients through Apple Mail with a few clicks.
Ten new templates Thanks to the addition of ten ready-to-use templates, there are now a total of 35 templates to choose from.
See and interact with your information in stunning new ways
New--iPhoto integration
See all your albums listed in the Bento Libraries pane automatically--no importing required.
View your iPhoto information inside Bento in the new Grid view, Table view, Form view or Split view.
Add additional fields and forms to store more information about your photos beyond what iPhoto stores.
Link photos to contacts, projects, events or other data stored in Bento.
Note: Photos and associated data from iPhoto can only be viewed from within Bento and cannot be edited. However, you can add new fields to your Bento forms to store more data about your photos, but it will not appear in iPhoto.
New--Grid view
View any library in the new Grid view to show a grid of pictures and forms for a more visual approach to your information.
Customize the Grid view to display additional information under each thumbnail that is most relevant to you, like phone numbers or email addresses for all your contacts.
Create and view your own customized thumbnail forms. For example, say you have 40 products that you're selling. You could create a form where you have an image of the product next to the part number and price to see multiple product "cards" together on one screen.
Improved--Related data field--now with image thumbnails
See thumbnail images of media in your Related data fields (formerly called the Related records lists).
For example, you can link a list of guests to an event--and see a picture of each person invited on the event record.
Improved--File list--now with image thumbnails
See a thumbnail image of each document in the File List instead of seeing a list of text containing names of files.
For example, you can see the first page of PDF file or a mini version of jpg images.
Improved--Table view with media cell
See mini versions of pictures, movies or PDFs stored in a media field when you're in Table view.
Use Quick Look to view the media cell contents while in Table view.
New--Simple list field type
Add a freeform table to your forms for quick list tracking.
Create a quick to-do list, shopping list, or keep track of gifts received at birthdays and weddings.
New--Library folders
Save space in your Libraries pane by grouping like libraries in a single folder.
Export the entire folder as a group of templates for easy sharing and uploading to the Bento Template Exchange.
Export data from all of the libraries at once into separate CSV, Tab delimited, Excel, or Numbers files.
Improved--Library icons
Change the icon for any library, choosing from the list of available icons.
Resize your library icons to display either large size or a more compact size to save space in your Libraries pane.
New--Image box
Add a static image, such as a team logo, to any of your forms.
The image appears on all records in the library automatically.
Protect your valuable data with new security options.
New--Security options
Use the new field type called "Encrypted" to store sensitive data, like web site logins and banking details.
Unlock encrypted fields to display contents by entering the database password.
Assign a database password to your entire Bento database. You will be prompted for the password upon launching Bento. Once the correct password is entered, Bento will open your database giving you full access to all your libraries.
Assign a sharing password to allow others access to your shared libraries. This password is different from the database password and only allows access to specific libraries that you have chosen to share over a local area network.
Keep your team informed and up-to-date.
New--Multi-user sharing
Share your Bento libraries with up to 5 other Bento users on your wired or wireless local area network.
Choose to share your entire Bento database or selected libraries.
Add a sharing password that prevents access to shared libraries by unauthorized users.
Allow adding, deleting, and updating information or choose to limit access to viewing only so no changes can be made.
Uses Apple Bonjour to automatically find shared Bento libraries on the same network.
*Sharing requires each user to have their own copy of Bento, and a local area network using a wired or Wi-Fi wireless connection. *iCal events cannot be edited by others when sharing libraries.
Get even more new features that you'll wonder how you ever did without.
New--Group emailing
Send one email to multiple recipients through Apple Mail with a few clicks.
Select the email addresses that you'd like to send to in Table view, then choose 'Email Selected Addresses' from the Edit menu.Apple Mail opens, creates a new message, puts the selected email addresses in the 'To:" field and leaves the cursor in the Subject field so you can complete the group email.
Improved--Theme Chooser
Browse, try, and apply themes more easily than in previous versions.
New--Print blank form
Print a blank version of any form, great for surveys and sign up lists.
New--Copy forms
Now you can copy forms within a library and between collections--a huge time saver and great way to keep things consistent throughout your libraries.
New--10 additional templates Thanks to ten new, pre-designed templates, there are now a total of 35 to choose from. New templates include:
vacation planner
health records
job search
house search
wine collection
home maintenance
party planner
TV & movie catalog
user names and passwords
meeting notes
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