Ray Kim <raymondkim (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote:

Hmm...I just saw an ad for this yesterday..flip...flip...yep!

www.productivecomputing.com

http://www.filebookslink.com/index.shtml

I saw a demo by the programmer about 3 weeks ago. An awesome product!
PC only at this time, due to limitations in Quickbooks.

www.filemaker.com
also, Filemaker Advisor magazine, a wonderful source for ads for new
products, etc.
http://filemakeradvisor.com/
Properly set up, properly designed, Filemaker using FM Server is as
stable as any other software out there. A robust backup routine is
always recommended, of course.

Scaleability in the matter of user access is excellent. With one copy of
FM Server and one dedicated server machine, you can add as many as 250
Filemaker guests (purchasing licenses for each seat, of course) with no
more difficulty than adding 10. For most "small" businesses, this is way
overkill, of course.

Now, data scaleability is a different matter. Depending on your data
input/output needs and the total expected data load, you'll need to
evaluate carefully if FM is for you. Record counts in the range of
500,000 to millions are possible, but can become unwieldy to maintain.
Performance may suffer. Stability will still be fine, but because in FM
data and structure are not separate, upgrades and routine maintenance
can become prohibitive.

The good news here is that FM as a front end for SQL is becoming a
better option all the time. If you have huge data sets, this might be
the way to go.

Adding features, well, currently there are about 150 FM plugins that I
know about. Pick and choose to add the features you want. Most plugin
manufacturers work very closely with FMI to ensure the stability of
their products. Only a few that I've encountered have caused problems,
most are marvelous in helping you do things that FM alone cannot do.
--
Lynn Allen Allen & Allen Semiotics
FSA Associate Filemaker Consulting & Training
lynn (AT) semiotics (DOT) com http://www.semiotics.com

Ray Kim <raymondkim (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote:

Also, I forgot to add, development time and cost is much less than any
other tool you can name, when you compare equivalently elegant
interfaces and robust data structures.

We bid a job against Great Plains. They were going to deliver a
pre-built, barely customized product. We have delivered, so far, a
completely customized system that runs rings around the capabilities
they bid on. Their bid: $500,000+ US. Our cost: <$175,000 US. Our
client gets their business rules embodied in the software, instead of
having to warp their procedures to fit the mold.

You can build most general business projects faster, easier and better
in FM, generally for a lot less money. Where FM fits the bill as the
correct tool, nothing can beat it for price.
--
Lynn Allen Allen & Allen Semiotics
FSA Associate Filemaker Consulting & Training
lynn (AT) semiotics (DOT) com http://www.semiotics.com