Customer Reviews

Bento 3 [Old Version]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

First, let's give credit to the things Apple got right -- they correctly identified that Filemaker had grown too complex for the needs of many people, and they set about creating an elegant, flat database with tight integration to other Apple software packages. I suspect most people will be able to use Bento productively on their first exposure to it, and it effectively turns iPhoto into "iPhoto+," Address Book into "Address Book+", and iCal to "iCal+" by allowing the user to wrap a Bento interface and fields around the data from these applications. This means that you can use Bento to add an "assigned to" field or "location" field to the iCal To-Do list, for example. Plus, for another $5, you can get an iPhone client that gives you access to your Bento data on the fly, and allows editing of both the database form and content on the road.

What's not to like? Excepting the integration to other Apple software packages, this is essentially a 1985-level flat database. Want to enter a variable number of items (say, items in a shopping basket or a diet list), associate a second field with the first (the price associated with each item, or the number of calories), and then perform rudimentary math on that second column (total price, total calories)? No chance. Want free-form design, or to control the tab order, or even to suppress field labels on a form? No chance. Bento has no report-generating ability, rudimentary import/export, and it doesn't support any sort of scripting or macros. Even the iPhone client, which has such great promise, is riddled with seemingly odd limitations. It does not sync with your computer automatically, but only when told to do so manually. It syncs only if Bento is running at the same time. It syncs only over WiFi, not the cellular network or your USB cable. And it does not display anything like the forms you've created in Bento, instead it shows each record as a list of fields, in which calculations are frozen (if on the computer, field 3 = field 2 + field 1, the iPhone client will let you change fields 2 and 1, but it won't update field 3 as a result).

If you are considering buying Bento 3, spend time on Apple's website looking at the demos and understanding the limitations.

I had great hopes for Bento V3, but it still misses the mark. It is easy to use, but that is because there is VERY LITTLE to it. Bento's big brother, FileMaker, has more functionality and price, but too much of both for me. Can't they get it just right?

Bento offers you very little functionality. This means you can set up a very simple database in a few minutes, but you cannot do much analysis of your data. It is also very limiting in how you can represent your data. You cannot create reports or summaries beyond the most simplistic views. Bento is just what the name implies - a snack not a meal. And it leaves you wanting more. FileMaker's more sophisticated offering has more functionality, takes longer to set up, and costs a LOT more, and I do not need most of what it can do.

Bento is inexpensive, but it's still not money well spent. FileMaker is expensive, and for most people it is NOT money well spent since it contains way more than an average user needs. I was hoping V3 would be a lot better than V2. Put simply, it is not.

In Bento, it is not easy to set up relations between data base fields, you cannot create repeating reports, the automatic formatting prevents you from being creative with images if you want to use pictures in your forms, you cannot sort drop down list items, and you are restricted to Bento's field definitions.

Bento is priced very reasonably, which is the one thing in its favor, but I won't be buying it. It should sell for $19.99 tops. I need something that is in between Bento's simplistic restrictive capability and FileMakers bloated capability.

Come on FileMaker, stop giving us short shrift.

Database applications were once gloomy storage facilities where lots of data could be shelved until required. The information was entered manually or imported from spreadsheets like Excel and offered a bit more flexibility in data retrieval or manipulation than a spreadsheet could accomplish.

Mac users don't like dreary storage facilities, but want at the same time the power of a true database application. Bento and Bento2 were steps in that direction. Bento3 is almost there.

The first thing Bento3 does is organize data already on your Mac-your address book, your iPhoto library, your iCal calendar, It allows you to import Numbers and Excel files to create snazzy DBs instead of boring columns. Files, photos, videos even music can be dropped into the database form. As a lawyer this enables me to drag depositions, exhibits, and outlines into witness folders for easy access and retrieval.

The program comes with lots of templates for personal, financial and even specialized uses like Project Management. Bento even facilitates connection to a website devoted to user created templates, giving it great flexibility. Bento3 is a sure winner for Mac users in need of all but the most powerful database applications.

I tried the original Bento when it was first released and decided it wasn't for me. When Bento 3 was released I bought the hype and the software directly from Filemaker. I couldn't have been more disappointed. While it does manage data and imports data from other software, it is very limited in terms of features and versatility. I know it's not supposed to be a substitute for Filemaker Pro (which may be one of if not the best relational database management applications available for consumers, professionals, and businesses), I expected it to have at least the usefulness of the old Appleworks database app. If you're satisfied with the themes and templates supplied with Bento and not doing much more than searching and sorting, you might like Bento. But if you want to create customized forms (purchase orders, for example) that might include your logo, the typeface you use on your business correspondence, and carefully placed fields, you will be quickly frustrated. If Bento still offers a 30 day trial, try it first. If you like it, come back to Amazon and buy it.

Bento 3 is great! I love it! Sometimes I wonder how I lived without it! This is definitely one of my best purchases!!!

I suppose I'm glad that I waited until Bento 3 came out. I'd seriously contemplated buying this for about a month, and by luck, Bento 3 came out just days before I made the final decision!

*HISTORY*

I've really, really wanted a database program for my Mac. My experience with MS Access on the PC was that it was not so user-friendly, but I was even willing to go to something like that on a Mac. [...] Database wouldn't work properly for me, but that may be related to having a G4 (not Intel), though I've max'ed out my RAM. I had to use spreadsheets (in MS Office 2004 for Mac) to do most things that a database is needed for. In other words, I already had tables of data (i.e., records) to copy into Bento.

The reason that I hesitated so long on buying a database product is that I knew I needed something that would let me create more than just a simple database, for most of my projects.

*EXPERIENCE WITH BENTO*

Getting my data into Bento was super-easy and involved copying/pasting. Using this product is quite easy, and I had Libraries within hours. But it took a short while to figure out how to do more complicated things, as well as understand the terminology (e.g., each database project is a Library, and Collections are groups within a Library). Once I learned how to use multiple libraries for a project, 'Related Data' and 'Calculated Fields' of that Related Data, the true power of Bento was unlocked for my purposes! I'm happy to report that I can do everything I'd hoped with this program (and more)! There is a great forum, where you can get help and/or make suggestions.

Bento integrates with the Address Book, iPhoto and iCal. This seems quite nice, but I turned this feature off, just for the time being. This is so that my List of Libraries wouldn't be cluttered while I finish implementing the databases for which I bought the program. (Most of my spreadsheets have been turned into Bento Libraries, but there are still a couple that I am about to start working on.)

Bento has a weekly reminder option that asks if you'd like to backup the Bento database file. Of course, if you're using Time Machine, it should be getting backed up anyway. (I'm a stickler for backups, so I do this too, just in case.) If you are using Bento to manage the Address Book, iPhoto and iCal Libraries, this data has to be backed up separately.

Templates are available from the Bento Template Exchange. I strongly suggest checking these out, for ideas. It's great to start with a template and modify it for your own purposes, rather than "reinvent the wheel" completely. I've used a few templates for simple databases, like medication, bills and shopping lists. The program is beautiful and inspires me to do be more organized!

Themes give you the option of quickly changing the "look" of a form. There are quite a few, and they just released a couple new ones for Christmas. Check out their website at [...]

I can see some minor areas where the developers should make improvements, but nothing that I think warrants a complaint in a review. Right in the program, there is an option to 'Provide Bento Feedback...' Also, when posting in the forum, the tech support moderators often forward comments/suggestions to the development team.

A 30-day trial is available for download. If you're considering purchasing the program, try it out. Had I gone this route, I would have known within a week that I wanted to buy the software. Actually, the trial can be converted into a full product, once you purchase and get a registration code. (So you wouldn't have to worry about losing the Bento data.)

*(RELATED) BENTO APP FOR IPHONE*

After I was so pleased with the desktop version (Bento 3), I purchased the Bento App on my iPod Touch -- just hours after the desktop version arrived! I imagine it would probably be the other way around for most people. The desktop version is so much more powerful than the mobile app, but it's awesome to have access to my data on the go!I do wish that you could do more than view the related data. (I'd like to add it from the iPod Touch App, but c'est la vie...) I'm very pleased with the synchronization over WiFi.

I have been working in IT for over 15 years. I am very familiar with all types of database applications - client server to desktop.

A couple of years ago I switched to an all Mac platform for my personal computer. Since that time I have found replacements for most of my Windows productivity applications, but until now haven't really found anything to adequately replace my need to manage simple lists of data: Easy data entry, sort, filter, search, basic calculated fields, subtotals...etc. This had formerly been filled by Access and Excel under Windows.

I did try Filemaker, and most of the various on-line alternatives. None of these completely satisfied me but I got by.

I really didn't have high expectations for Bento - "a consumer database?"

On chance, I downloaded the 30 day trial and immediately recognized that it perfectly filled the niche for a basic desktop tool to manage lists and small databases.

I have found it very intuitive, easy to use and surprisingly flexible. Knowing that I can synch it with the counterpart application for "i" devices (iphone / touch) only further validates my decision.

Again, if you are looking to build "applications" this may not be robust enough (but I haven't dug into it enough to say that with certainty). However, if you just want to manage lists of data: Sort, filter, search - and synch it with your iDevice this is really a GREAT app for the Mac!

Bento is insanely easy to use and to create your own custom Libraries. Even to cross Libraries with each other to create an automatic cross-relational feed. Here's an example.

At some point I realised that I need a quick and easy way to feed info from my Recipes Library to the Shopping List Library (without having to Copy->jump to the other library->Paste->go back to the previous library). Here's how you do it:

1. Create your own Shopping and Recipe Libraries (ridiculously easy to do, especially if you are familiar with databases) OR click on a template that comes with the software package OR download a template, designed by other Bento users, from the Filemaker website: [...]. All of the templates are very easy to adjust to your own needs.

2. In Recipe Library: click Form, then click+drag+drop the Shopping Library onto the Recipe Form.

3. In Shopping Library: click Form, then click+drag+drop the Recipe Library onto the Shopping Form.

Adjust the tables to suit your needs. You're done!

To narrow down the Shopping List Library to a list that I need for a forthcoming trip to the store, I created (with a single click) a Collection within the Shopping Library (kind of like a subfolder). Then, using Delete Field or Hide Field, I adapted the just created Buy Now shopping sublist which I print out as I'm ready to hit the store(s) for items needed to replenish the pantry or to prepare the recipe for the party or family dinner. All that is required is a click on a Buy Now checklist box in one Collection and all the connected Libraries/Collections are updated. It helps to remember to unclick the Buy Now box in the Shopping List Library to automatically update the related and/or cross-feeding database(s).

It's a terrific amount of work to prepare such databases: whether a comprehensive library of shopping list items or a list of household items, etc., but once done it'll last you the rest of your life. Best of all, no more writing on pieces of paper that have a habit of disappearing as and when you need them for the trip to the store.

Another reason to get Bento: warranties and/or insurance.
You have just bought a new fridge, a memory stick and a chainsaw.

1. Add the info to the appropriate library (e.g., fridge into Household Library, chainsaw into Garden Equipment Library, memory stick into Computer Library).

2. Create a cross-feed of each of #1 with iCal and/or Receipts Manager by dragging and dropping these Libraries onto Equipment, Household and/or Computer Form(s).

3. Drag and drop Equipment/Household/Computer Library(ies) onto iCal and/or Receipts Form(s).

Ditto with the just renewed/extended car/home insurance.

Adjust and adapt the newly created tables as needed. Voila! When the warranty or insurance is about to expire iCal (thru Reminders in your MacMail app) will let you know in time, especially if you create separate fields for Alarm dates in addition to Expiration dates.

Create a "tax deductible" checkbox in any applicable Library and a good chunk of your tax preparation is a matter of auto cross-connecting your Tax Prep Library with other relevant Libraries.

Not least important of all: Bento's customer support is fabulously quick and their advice is easy to follow, as is the User's Guide. There is also a pretty good Forum where Bento Users and a Moderator will answer your questions.

Furthermore, if you have a database-challenged Mac friend and/or (elderly) relative who does not share your household, but would like to participate in some of your Libraries, all you need to do is to Export your Libraries' spreadsheet(s) into Numbers or Excel (4 clicks), then email it as an attachment to your friend and/or relative, who upon receipt of your email will have to import it to his/her very own Bento database (a few clicks). I use such Exports to create an extra form of backup in addition to the external hard drive. I only needed one crash to get the importance of regular backup.

Is that radically cool, or WHAT!!

I use Bento to manage our two rent houses, to keep track of my login info for various websites, to track vehicle maintenance and for various odds and ends. I created my own template to keep a database of insurance policies. That was an easy click and select job.

It is odd that I can't print address labels from Bento. I still have to do that with Address Book.

I have owned Bento 1 and 2 and recently upgraded to Bento 3.

It is made by FileMaker which is owned by Apple so you can be assured that it is a quality product.

It works well with Bento on the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.

It is easy to learn and use and works very well to keep track of many types of things.

If you have advanced, complex, database needs then you will want to buy FileMaker. If you are an average home, non-profit, or small business user than you will find Bento is a useful tool to keep track of stuff.

I love it !