FileMaker discontinuing Bento, will remain available to buy through Sept. 30
Apple subsidiary FileMaker, Inc., announced this week that it will discontinue development of its Bento consumer database application in order to better focus on developing its remaining products.
Customers will still be able to purchase Bento for iPad, iPhone and Mac through Sept. 30, but after that, the organizational application for individuals and small businesses will no longer be available. FileMaker has pledged to provide technical support for Bento products through July 30, 2014.
"We thank you for your support of Bento," the company said in a post to its support site. "We know that many Bento customers will be disappointed."
FileMaker Pro was also pitched as a potential software alternative for "certain users" of Bento for Mac. Bento users are encouraged to read the company's "Is FileMaker Pro right for you?" document.
FileMaker Pro is not as simple as Bento, but offers more control, customization, features, power and performance. However, FileMaker does not offer the following Bento features:
Customers will still be able to purchase Bento for iPad, iPhone and Mac through Sept. 30, but after that, the organizational application for individuals and small businesses will no longer be available. FileMaker has pledged to provide technical support for Bento products through July 30, 2014.
"We thank you for your support of Bento," the company said in a post to its support site. "We know that many Bento customers will be disappointed."
FileMaker Pro was also pitched as a potential software alternative for "certain users" of Bento for Mac. Bento users are encouraged to read the company's "Is FileMaker Pro right for you?" document.
FileMaker Pro is not as simple as Bento, but offers more control, customization, features, power and performance. However, FileMaker does not offer the following Bento features:
- Integration with OS X Contacts, iCal and iPhoto
- Rating, Encrypted, Simple List, File List and Message List field types
- Collections and Smart Collections
- Wi-Fi Sync with Bento for iPad and iPhone
Comments
Disappointed, but not surprised. I've stuck with Bento since version 2 and it's never been anywhere near finished. So many glitches, bugs, and half-assed 'solutions'.
Isn't FileMaker a subsidiary of Apple? One thing a lot of people were clamoring for was for Apple to add a database to their iWork suite. If iWork hadn't been left stagnant since 2009 I'd say maybe this were actually an option, but nowadays I doubt it.
Bah.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rot'nApple
Right, like after investing in Bento and Bento for iPad, users are going to look at FileMaker Pro... Sorry, my fingers are still burning from the last time! Moving on FM!
Not everyone takes it personally. Some users understand that FM discontinued Bento because it didn't sell well enough to continue to maintain it. Would you expect the company to lose money just to keep you happy?
If they want the more advanced features, why wouldn't they look at FileMaker Pro. The upgrade price is really good and FMP has a huge installed base so you know its not going anywhere.
I don't know what you mean by "burning from the last time." When has FileMaker burned you before?
Moving on? To what? There's nothing on the market even remotely similar to FileMaker; there are some mediocre (at best) database apps that have been kicking around the Internet for years, but nothing comes close to FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Go.
FileMaker consistently improves year after year; the developer conference is on the 12th of August, and I suspect we'll see teasers about some exciting new features in the next version of FileMaker.
Quote:
Originally Posted by charlituna
Apparently they will still offer support for another year so in that time I hope to see them add these 'missing' features as well as a simple and/or guided mode. And a price drop wouldn't hurt.
They're offering support, but development has ceased.
FileMaker Go 12 is free; you can move to it and even make use of all the database templates that you get when you download a demo copy of FileMaker Pro 12 from their website.
As to price drop, I wouldn't think so, since it's no longer going to be sold after the end of September.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gustav
I don't know what you mean by "burning from the last time." When has FileMaker burned you before?
Me either.
Quote:
Originally Posted by popnfresh
Apple has decided that this is in keeping with their post-Steve corporate philosophy of innovating as little as possible, while litigating as often as possible. And seeing as no one was suing or being sued over Bento, it was obviously time to kick it to the curb.
Huh?
If you knew anything about FileMaker Inc. you would know that it has been consistently updating FileMaker Pro every year. Version 12 is an incredible system, and the next version is promising to be even more innovative and easy to use.
"Litigating as often as possible?" Really? So you think that they enjoy having to defend against lawsuits?
FileMaker's annual Developer Conference starts on August 12th; they'll show some teasers about the next version of FileMaker, and from what I've already seen, it'll be an incredible application update. As to Bento's being end-of-lifed, it makes total sense to focus on FileMaker, which does everything one could ask for and more, rather than continue to support a compromise application that has a very small user base.
Bento was a decent interim product that addressed a need for a tier of users.
But with FileMaker Go v12 (iOS clients) free, you can see database apps being delivered for this client now, instead of the Bento client. It will be great to standardize on one set of features and thus open up mobile users features. iOS clients can access server data, Bento was stand alone data sets.
This makes me even more interested to learn what FileMaker has to announce at the Developers conference in August. Could the next version of FileMaker make Bento less relevant? :-) Let's see.
Quote:
Originally Posted by popnfresh
Apple has decided that this is in keeping with their post-Steve corporate philosophy of innovating as little as possible, while litigating as often as possible. And seeing as no one was suing or being sued over Bento, it was obviously time to kick it to the curb.
Funny since most of the lawsuits started before Jobs died. Yes, even the Apple v. Samsung case. Lazy trolling. 2/10. Would not buy again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by popnfresh
Apple has decided that this is in keeping with their post-Steve corporate philosophy of innovating as little as possible, while litigating as often as possible. And seeing as no one was suing or being sued over Bento, it was obviously time to kick it to the curb.
Please don't feed the troll.
I've had Bento on my iPad since it first came out, and frankly found little use for it.
It tends to support my feeling that the meme that 'the iPad isn't for real work' is based on the idea that only spreadsheets and databases represent 'real' work.
The fact is that you use spreadsheets and databases to write applications... point solutions. And the applications you write with such tools tend to be REALLY crappy compared to point solutions in the form of real apps.
You could never write a calorie/exercise tracking app a tenth as good as LoseIt using a spreadsheet or database.
I truly believe that for the vast majority of users, spreadsheets and database have passed into horse and buggy land faster then we ever could have expected.
To the degree that they're useful, its (like traditional computers) as 'trucks'.
Quote:
Originally Posted by longterm
FileMaker Go 12 is free; you can move to it and even make use of all the database templates that you get when you download a demo copy of FileMaker Pro 12 from their website.
Does FileMaker Go 12 have Bento's integration with OSX Contacts?
Quote:
Originally Posted by GQB
I've had Bento on my iPad since it first came out, and frankly found little use for it.
It tends to support my feeling that the meme that 'the iPad isn't for real work' is based on the idea that only spreadsheets and databases represent 'real' work.
The fact is that you use spreadsheets and databases to write applications... point solutions. And the applications you write with such tools tend to be REALLY crappy compared to point solutions in the form of real apps.
You could never write a calorie/exercise tracking app a tenth as good as LoseIt using a spreadsheet or database.
I truly believe that for the vast majority of users, spreadsheets and database have passed into horse and buggy land faster then we ever could have expected.
To the degree that they're useful, its (like traditional computers) as 'trucks'.
With all due respect, you are clearly not speaking with any knowledge of the database community, particularly FileMaker Pro.
How can you say that databases are dead? That's an absurd notion: every shopping site you use on the web uses a backend database; every financial institution, store, restaurant, auto repair outlet (that's more than a greasy one-bay garage), applicance supplier--they all operate using databases and spreadsheets.
This app that you mentioned, "LoseIt," uses a database as the backend to store the data that is input, as do tons of apps on iPhones, iPads, Androids, Blackberrys, and every desktop computer in the world. Did you think this data was just piled somewhere?
IN FACT: This message board is powered by a database that stores these message threads. If you knew anything about databases you'd know that.
I wrote a FileMaker solution that manages 2 tourist venues--purchase orders, supplies, ticketing, reservations, web booking, scheduling, accounting, and on and on; huge corporations, universities and scientific institutions use FileMaker Pro every day for different projects.
I've also written solutions for lots of large universities, successful companies, as well as non-profits, financial concerns, and mom-and-pops.
What FileMaker solutions have you seen, that were written by competent FileMaker developers and not users who don't really know how to use it properly? To say that they're all crappy is to also say that anything written with ANY programming language is crap, based on bad programming by mediocre programmers.
FileMaker's strength is that it's easy for beginners to use and modify for simple needs; this also enables novices to write some really awful solutions as well--but if you take the time to learn how to properly write FileMaker relational solutions (as I have for many years), you'd know that it's incredibly powerful and can tackle any task--elegantly, efficiently and for less expense than some other development environments.
Maybe they can just sell it to Apple for $1, get Apple to clean it up a bit and add it to iWork.
Quote:
Originally Posted by longterm
With all due respect, you are clearly not speaking with any knowledge of the database community, particularly FileMaker Pro.
How can you say that databases are dead? That's an absurd notion: every shopping site you use on the web uses a backend database; every financial institution, store, restaurant, auto repair outlet (that's more than a greasy one-bay garage), applicance supplier--they all operate using databases and spreadsheets.
This app that you mentioned, "LoseIt," uses a database as the backend to store the data that is input, as do tons of apps on iPhones, iPads, Androids, Blackberrys, and every desktop computer in the world. Did you think this data was just piled somewhere?
IN FACT: This message board is powered by a database that stores these message threads. If you knew anything about databases you'd know that.
I wrote a FileMaker solution that manages 2 tourist venues--purchase orders, supplies, ticketing, reservations, web booking, scheduling, accounting, and on and on; huge corporations, universities and scientific institutions use FileMaker Pro every day for different projects.
I've also written solutions for lots of large universities, successful companies, as well as non-profits, financial concerns, and mom-and-pops.
What FileMaker solutions have you seen, that were written by competent FileMaker developers and not users who don't really know how to use it properly? To say that they're all crappy is to also say that anything written with ANY programming language is crap, based on bad programming by mediocre programmers.
FileMaker's strength is that it's easy for beginners to use and modify for simple needs; this also enables novices to write some really awful solutions as well--but if you take the time to learn how to properly write FileMaker relational solutions (as I have for many years), you'd know that it's incredibly powerful and can tackle any task--elegantly, efficiently and for less expense than some other development environments.
Well first of all, you have no idea of my background. 20 years in IT, so stuff it.
Every example you give are essentially enterprise, and usually cloud-based, solutions. Databases on desktops are what I was refering to. Please read, and you'll see that you made my point for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kenaustus
Maybe they can just sell it to Apple for $1, get Apple to clean it up a bit and add it to iWork.
Considering the fact that Apple owns FileMaker, I'm not sure why they would do that.
No, Bento is history.
Bring back the fantastic Claris Organizer (aka, Palm Desktop later on)!
Quote:
Originally Posted by GQB
Well first of all, you have no idea of my background. 20 years in IT, so stuff it.
Every example you give are essentially enterprise, and usually cloud-based, solutions. Databases on desktops are what I was refering to. Please read, and you'll see that you made my point for me.
Huh?
You're totally wrong.
I did NOT say that they're all cloud solutions. In fact, about 90% of the solutions that I write are NOT cloud solutions, but FileMaker's ability to use a desktop solution as ALSO a cloud solution is just another of its many superior qualities.
I've written literally dozens of solutions for companies of every size--single-owner, small-business, corporations, tourist attractions, large universities all over the U.S., financial institutions, non-profit groups, clubs, stores, web concerns. I've written configuration solutions for companies that make backup generators, water pumps, musical equipment road cases, and on and on.
If you knew anything at all about FileMaker, you would know that its chief use is on desktops, laptops, and now iOS devices.
If you knew anything about how databases are used, you would know that virtually every business concern in the world uses either spreadsheets or databases, and in most cases these days, databases; inventory solutions everywhere use databases to keep track of things. For that matter, financial apps like Quicken are nothing more than frontends for databases.
Saying that you're in IT, and then saying that spreadsheets and databases are dead, is simply idiotic.