Need: easy to use, cheap (free) database for home
So I am getting married... thank you, thank you...
While my fiance is dealing with the big picture of where, when, what its going to look like, she has left the organization duties to me. I naturally turned to my computer to try and keep track of all this stuff, but have found my current inventory of apps not up to the task. Here is what I need (hopefully out of one app):
1. Guest list management:
The relevant app list on my iBook G4:
PS: My fiance is a WIndows user (for now). Cross compatibility would be a plus.
While my fiance is dealing with the big picture of where, when, what its going to look like, she has left the organization duties to me. I naturally turned to my computer to try and keep track of all this stuff, but have found my current inventory of apps not up to the task. Here is what I need (hopefully out of one app):
1. Guest list management:
- Names
- Addresses
- Phone number
- Have they RSVP'd? To the wedding, reception or both?
- How many people are coming in their party?
- What gift did they give?
- All this with the ability to do a mail merge for labels and/or envelopes
- Who is our caterer, decorater, etc?
- Contact info for each
- Task lists for each
- Save the date
- invites
- Thank you notes
- etc.
The relevant app list on my iBook G4:
- Word
- Excel
- Pages
- Address Book and iCal
PS: My fiance is a WIndows user (for now). Cross compatibility would be a plus.
Comments
Probably a bit overkill, but in my experience the best (and easiest to use) database program that is cross-platform compatible. Lots of example files are included that you can easily change to fit your needs. 30-day trial version is available, too.
Cons: not free (actually, quite expensive...)
http://www.filemaker.com
Probably a bit overkill, but in my experience the best (and easiest to use) database program that is cross-platform compatible. Lots of example files are included that you can easily change to fit your needs. 30-day trial version is available, too.
Cons: not free (actually, quite expensive...)
Well, in the grand scheme of things, the money for filemaker is incidental in the overall cost of the wedding. Filemaker was one option I was looking at, just wanted to see if there were other choices. Filemaker seems to be a "pro" level app. For a guy like me, without any database experience, how steep is the learning curve in setting up a database?
Thanks, by the way. I am downloading the free trial now.
The best thing, though, is that it's free! You might have a look at the specs for "Base":
http://www.openoffice.org/product/base.html
FileMaker is an incredible program, (I use it all the time), but it will take you much longer to set up than it would be to do the whole thing by hand, or in Excel.
www.rubyonrails.org
cross compatible too, you could install locally on both windows and os x or host it on the web and edit stuff there.
Since it is a hosted app it is cross platform as well. They have a free 30 day trial and if you need a little more time they'll probably give it to you. I wish I could buy stock in their company before google buys them. Watch their video tutorials and you'll get an idea of what you can do.
Why not get something built precisely for the task?
i use the appleworks DB for some stuff, too