Filemaker Bento 2.0

There has never been much in the way of database software for the Mac. With no Mac version of Microsoft Access available, Mac users have been limited to Filemaker Pro, which is a powerful program but, with prices starting at more than £250, is really only suitable for corporate users.

So Filemaker’s launch last year of Bento, a low-cost alternative to Filemaker Pro, was welcomed by many Mac-based small businesses and home users who needed a simple database for tasks such as organising client lists, catalogues or club membership records.

Bento 1.0 was praised for its ease of use, but it did have some significant limitations, such as its inability to share data with spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel or Apple’s Numbers. Files imported into – or exported from – Bento 1.0 had to first be converted into .csv format, so one of the most important changes in Bento 2.0 is the simple ability to directly import and export files in Excel and Numbers formats.

When working with spreadsheet data, there’s a new Split View option that provides two views of your data at the same time. The upper-half of the screen displays data as a spreadsheet table, while the lower-half displays a form layout for each record. Working with form layouts has been simplified, too.

The original Customise mode that was used to design and edit form layouts has been removed, so you can simply click on any field in a form to resize it, or move it around on the page. We also like the ability to link records to emails from Apple’s Mail program, which is useful for keeping track of email exchanges with individual clients (though it’s a shame this option doesn’t also work with Microsoft’s Entourage mail program).

Admittedly, there’s nothing particularly eye-catching in Bento 2.0, but its new features make it a worthwhile upgrade for existing users. And, at just £29, it’s good value for Mac users who don’t need the professional-level features of Filemaker Pro.