JAZZADDICT  Features seem good but it runs so so slow on my G5 running 10.5... the interface is painfully sluggish... :-(  
(Version 3.0.1)

RRBROWNE  Downloaded the trial and was easily able to transfer my old Appleworks databases. Also copied data from several other programs as TSV files - Bento created databases instantly. So am happy with the software.

Not so happy with cost. Downloaded from US site - price $US49(about $A54). But when I purchased it it flicked me to the Australian site and a $A 80 price tag!! Had already spent time on setting up my files, so I went ahead - but not happy with the ripoff pricing.   
(Version 3.0.1)

ICONZ113  If you told someone that didn't know better that this app was part of ilife or iwork, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference, thats how much this appliction looks like an apple made product. I really like that applications integration with OSX, and its slick design. If you need to create databases this is the app to use. Very intuitive and easy to navigate user interface.  
(Version 3.0.1)

ICONZ113  How come devonthink pro is in the "similar apps" category? isnt one a flle manager and the other a data manager database?  
(Version 3.0.1)

RUBAIYAT  Does version 3 do the obvious and fully integrate with iWork? Particularly merging data into Numbers and Pages. Will it produce labels on Avery sheets? Will it address and barcode series of envelopes? IOW will it do what a small business expects of their database?

Like many people I am hanging out to get a replacement for the much missed AppleWorks.

Apple has sliced and diced the brilliant combination of features in AW and charged you not only for every piece but for the very (minimal) upgrades that ignore most of what is wrong in each appliaction.

Unfortunately because Apple owns FileMaker we are left in the unhappy state of having very poor options for databases on the Mac.  
(Version 3.0.1)

DANA SUTTON  . A lot of Bento users, myself included, were very put off by v. 2, an unreasonably expensive upgrade with very little added value, and so were were understandably cynical about v. 3. I’m happy to report that at least two things are considerably better about this new upgrade: a substantial discount for previous users (it’s even free for v. 2 users who purchased it after Aug. 30), and it contains at least two very valuable new features. It now handles photos stored in iPhoto (I’m not quite sure why iPhoto needs a new front end, but others may disagree). The new Grid View is good for previewing thumbnails and I’ve already discovered a couple of other uses for it too, and it comes with a few new prefab record templates (for cataloguing your wine library and so forth) that may or may not suit interest you. But the first real biggie is that (via Preferences) it has the much-requested password-protection. This means that users can now feel better about entrusting to Bento kinds of information they wouldn’t have before, and this considerably increases Bento’s usefulness. But I wish the developers had asked themselves "okay, now that we we’ve added this feature, how are people going to want to use it?" Two things immediately come to mind: storing passwords and serial numbers, and maintaining financial records. The former is taken care of because you can download a couple of good third-party prefab template from Bento’s Database Templates web page. But now Bento’s lack of adequate templates for managing your financial records is more glaring than ever. I should at least be able to use it to manage my checkbook. I’m giving Bento v. 3 four stars. If the developers would beef it up in this department and give it a handful of long-overdue refinements (for ex., I’d like to see a way to set iCal alarms from within the program and an auto-dial feature for phone numbers stored in Address Book, you should be able to do this simply clicking an icon) I’d give it all five. Another new biggie is that you can share data between up to five networked Macs, which many users will find helpful (Mobile Me subscribers have of course been able to share iCal and Address Book data all along from within Bento). Final verdict: this is a solid step forward and is available as an upgrade at a more realistic price. Bento seems to realize that it needs to win back the trust of a very disgruntled user base turned off by the v. 2 disaster, and this is a good step in that direction. But it could still stand plenty of further development, refinement and polish.  
(Version 3.0.1)

ROBBNASHVILLE  This is a fine update to Bento. The integration with iPhoto is very nice and some of the minor tweaks, such as icons that represent different libraries and the ability to sort libraries into folders is a welcome addition. For users who wish to share libraries on a small network, that ability has been added. There's more; but you can learn those from the official site. Those who have previously purchased Bento receive a $20 discount, making this upgrade very affordable.

I just want to say that for those who criticize Bento, I'm not sure why that is. It is a low priced database for the rest of us. Even the $49 full price for version 2 was not that high; and the new discounted price for version 3 certainly can't be argued with. As for features, if you need FileMaker, by all means purchase it. For the rest of us who do not have those needs, Bento is a blessing and has been from Day One.

I love MacUpdate; but it continually surprises me how cheap some folks on here are. I suppose I can understand that if you are a small developer and have been accustomed to spending lots of time on a project and then sharing your hard work for free, you probably admire those who do. However, most people work to make money. There's no need to bash a developer or company who work hard on their software and then expect to be shown the money! No offense ... just my take on what I perceive as a lot of extreme complaints that have no bearing on a program's usefulness. If you don't want to spend money, that is fine. Some of us don't mind paying for what we use.  
(Version 3.0.1)

ANON BUD  WARNING!

Run away. FAST!

Filemaker is a money-grubbing horrible company. Their upgrade policy is nuts and I should have heeded the advice of many who have reported this earlier. If you purchased version 2 within the past 30 days, you can upgrade for free. But if you purchased within the past 60 days,forget it. Shell out more cash.

Take my advice. Find some other product. And save your money.  
(Version 3.0.1)

CHRISCHRAM  Once-upon-a-time I used a shareware application that could read and modify the iTunes database file. When Bento can do that, I'll upgrade.  
(Version 3.0.1)

APPLEDOGX  Still no improvement in Bento 3's overly simplistic and under-powered calculation fields. No conditionals either. No label printing either. Until Bento starts acting more like a real database instead of a very pretty list manager, it will be lacking what it really needs to be attractive. I'm really trying to find a solid reason to upgrade aside from the long-overdue security features. What Bento 3 really needs is to make more progress on user requested features instead of dribbles and drabbles of improvements. Yes, the economy is poor, but if you want us to fork over more cash, Filemaker, you need to fork over more features.  
(Version 3.0.1)

MACNEILLY  Blimey! Have FileMaker learnt a lesson from the first upgrade fiasco?

Do my eyes deceive me - are FileMaker offering an upgrade to Bento 3?

I see they're also offering an upgrade path to version 1 users - what a shame that couldn't have done that in the first place! Perhaps they wouldn't have received such negative publicity and a backlash from a loyal and subsequently disgruntled user base!

Have they not realised that early adopters also learnt a lesson - don't bother supporting FileMaker as they don't support or value their customers!

Will I be purchasing Bento 3 (or version 1.3 as it probably should be called) even with the far too belated offer of an upgrade path? No way - their attitude towards early adopters stank!  
(Version 3.0.1)

JUST A USER  Doesn´t seem to be worthwile to update. And the new iPhone version still does not seem to have landscape mode, really very disappointing.  
(Version 3.0.1)

FILEMAKER SUPPORT  Hello, just to clarify the pricing on Bento 3 for new users versus upgraders....Bento 3 will retain its $49 price tag; however, Bento 1 and 2 users are eligible for a $20 rebate via FileMaker’s Web site at www.filemaker.com/rebate. As someone already noted, if you bought Bento 2 between August 30, 2009 and October 14, 2009, you can upgrade to version 3 for free. (If you bought directly from FileMaker, you will have already received an email with a download link for Bento 3.) FileMaker also offers a $99 family pack for Bento 3 that includes five licenses.  
(Version 3.0.1)

JOHN-O  Sorry to be so harsh, but in my opinion, the powers that be at FileMaker can go play in traffic or something (I was going to say much worse, but thought better of it at the last moment).

I'm *another* user who was bitten by the v2 upgrade fiasco, and now to see v3 come out, with the same approach... My god, who are these people, and how can they possibly be so despicable??

Just so it's clear: If you're considering actually PAYING for this piece of *&%# program, PLEASE reconsider. You will get treated like dirt, and nothing you say or do will keep them from doing the same thing to the next poor slob.

Sheesh, unbelievable!  
(Version 3.0.1)

JDUB800  Bought this and found it useless before I'd even finished setting it up. Yes, my bad.

It is a severely limited product that seems nice on the outside, but after hitting wall after wall and reading comments about iList below, think I'll give that a try instead.

Who wants to buy a sealed version of Bento?!?

*cough*  
(Version 2.0v5)

RUBAIYAT  Have a serious look at iList Data instead, it seems to be more what people have been asking for.  
(Version 2.0v5)

DANA SUTTON  Can anybody tell me if this new version is Snow Leopard compatible?  
(Version 2.0v5)

APPLEDOGX  Please add Encryption to Bento, FileMaker. How loud must we scream????  
(Version 2.0v5)

DENNIS_H  Well, I was interested in buying this product for use between my Mac and iPhone. After reading these reviews, I think I will keep my money in my pocket this time. Thanks for the heads up on this one.  
(Version 2.0v5)

COCOANUT  Still no way to password protect my data. Still useless to me.  
(Version 2.0v5)

DONMONTALVO  I'm disappointed. Bento is a watered down, overly hyped and integration with iApps is dicey. There is a huge void between FileMaker Pro and Bento. Bento should be discontinued, and a FileMaker Pro Lite should be rolled in to iWork.

Don Montalvo  
(Version 2.0v4)

ANON BUD  Well, after all the negative reviews--and my personal distaste for Filemaker's business model (i.e. charge as much as the market will bear, even for incremental upgrades)--I decided I really could not go without having a useful, editable database app on my iPod Touch, so I purchased both the Mac and iPhone version of Bento. I must say that I am pleased so far. True, there are some drawbacks with exporting and the lack of html support, but this is a robust app and allows me to create many useful databases for use in my work and personal life.

I do not really have to have true integration with Address Book or iCal, so what Bento does with them is fine for my usage.  
(Version 2.0v4)

ANAPAT   I bought Bento a year ago, because I needed a program to build a very very flexible database for my artwork. Just to know which piece is where and keep track during exhibitions, sort price listings for insurance companies, beautiful interface, no headaches learning the program and so on... I had no complaint about Bento except for its very sluggish behaviour ! Meanwhile I loaded three updates since version 1 and I asked myself if it would happen one day. And it happened with version 2.0v4. The program is much more reactive now ! Even commercial software can get better performance-wise. Thank you Filemaker ! Now it would be nice to have some sort of html-support... Please, please, make it happen ! Don't want to buy Filemaker Pro for this... please, please...  
(Version 2.0v4)

MACSWEEP  Filemaker marketing says Bento integrates with Address Book. It does not.

Address Fields in bento cannot access data stored in Apple's Address Book nor vise-versa. The only way to access Address Book data is through the bento side bar and then it can only be accessed manually.

Since I don't use iCal a can't comment on the integration between them, but based on my experience with Address Book, I would guess it is severely limited or non-existent.

•Can't print mailing labels directly.

•No encryption of data.

•All phone number fields and address fields default to "work" - cannot make a "custom" the default.

•Poor value.

•Developers do not respond to feature requests or bug fixes.

Otherwise it is pretty and most other features are easy to use.

I give it two stars because of the false claims Filemaker makes about the integration of Address Book.  
(Version 2.0v3)

IMHO  I started with the first version of Bento. Needed it for a.o. passwords. How strange: a database program without encryption or password protection! Many users asked for any form of security on the Bento forum. There is a new release - without any protection of your valuable data. As far as I see here Bento 2 offers correction of errors in version 1.x. Pay again the price of the complete package for that? Nowhere. I changed to Data Guardian, that offers more for less, only about US$ 20,00.  
(Version 2.0v3)

NESSUNO  The only language these guys understand is $$$$$$$$.

Do not buy it, you will be ripped off with the next "upgrade" that does not deserve this name.  
(Version 2.0v3)

D9  Good heavens, Bento @ $50 is not in the same league as iLife or iWork for $80!!!

iWork = Best presentation software available for Macs, a good layout program that doubles as a word processor, and an average spreadsheet program that's an excellent solution for novice or limited requirement users.

iLife = Some of the best, if not the best, software out there for creating home movies, DVDs, music as well as managing personal photos. Include at least an easy web creation program and this is a great bargain of software for $80.

Bento = easy, simple database that offers limited features & customization, no security, no integrated syncing for Family Pack, and slow launches.

This is by far the most disappointing offering that FileMaker has provided. As earlier posts mentioned, it has become harder and harder to justify FileMaker Pro's upgrade costs; in fact, I'm still at version 7. Bento2, however, is barely worth the $50 it asks and an insult for those considering to upgrade from v1.

/   
(Version 2.0v3)

RADDLE  Yes, dream on, FileMaker. I don't mind paying each year for an iLife upgrade, because it's a mature and (for the most part) rock solid group of very useful applications that gets significant new features each time. But I'm *not* shelling out again to help FileMaker shove a ropey product towards something barely meriting a 1.0 release.

To echo what someone else below said, all this 'new version' has inspired me to do is stop trying to work with Bento and throw it off my hard disk altogether.   
(Version 2.0v2)

COCOANUT  There are many reasons to like this product. It has a great concept, it's easy to use and it fills a great void on the mac for entry-level database software. Unfortunately, the negatives far outweigh the positives. It's expensive when you consider there are no upgrades offered and the single upgrade in the past year offered few meaningful features.

The company is arrogant and seemingly driven entirely by it's marketing department not customer requests. Check their boards and you will find dozens of requests for basic password protection....but that feature didn't make it into this "major" yearly upgrade. Nor did many other user requested features such as label printing, template customization and many others.

I WAS going to use Bento and have now decided to dust off my old copy of Filemaker and use that instead, at least it will protect my data.

This company (yes, I know it a subsidiary of Apple) is known for useless (and expensive) upgrades and I'm frankly tired of sending them my money.  
(Version 2.0v2)

BRETT JOLLY  I purchased Bento 2 (family pack 5 licences) as an afterthought whilst on holiday in the Uk, I work on a very international basis and therefore have many contacts in my address book; so I loaded the app. on my powerbook pro and spent 2 day tidying up my contacts after importing them from address book to Bento. Upon getting back home put into my new iMac 24" (using another licence key). Then my world fell apart. I had paid £58.00 for an application that came with another 4 days of trying to get Address book and iCal to sync over Mobileme. My iPhone, my iMac and my Powerbook all THOUGHT they were syncing and went through the motions as they normally do, BUT empty address books everywhere, and nothing on the cloud. BUT I did solve it, here's what you do....

Export your address book as a group vcard onto your desktop, delete all contacts in your address book, Delete Bento completely, go to spotlight and remove every file that uses the word Bento, then delete:

library/application support/address book/ addressbook-v22.abcddb

library/preferences/com.apple.addressbook.plist

then re-import the group vcard into address book.

the take the Bento CD a tin of lighter fuel and a match..... well you get the idea.  
(Version 2.0v2)

ERCROSS  Bento is a great concept - poorly implemented. I bought v.1 for it's integration with Address Book because it extend it's functionality as a database while still allowed the core AB data to be shared amongst other Mac apps. However, integration has some bugs. Some of these are fixed with v.2, but Filemaker wants owners of their defective product to re-purchase another buggy second edition at full price. V.1 users have been unable to get Filemaker to commit to at least fixing the bugs in v.1.

Sadly because of their poor implementation Filemaker has left the market wide open for a software developer to offer a true database with Address Book integration. They have a user base who are hungering for such who would abandon Bento in a heartbeat. Bento lacks the basic database functionality that any one who has ever used a database looks for such as the ability to create reports with calculations and subtotals, to be able to customize form fonts and backgrounds, etc. One would have thought that the makers of Filemaker would have known what people expect in a database.

Can some people find it useful, yes just like some still use a pencil and paper. If you are willing to implement a bunch of work-arounds, which really should have been the products name, (iWork-Around) and can be the eternal optimist waiting that some day you'll get the functionality you were expecting after paying for numerous upgrades as there are no guarantees of bug fixes, then this may be the product for you.   
(Version 2.0v2)

DELICIOUSAPPLE  Found a new bug, the screen formatting is terrible, there is now a ton of space between data fields.   
(Version 2.0v2)

DELICIOUSAPPLE  The integration with address book is terribly slow.

This product is extremely buggy, it takes about 15 seconds to open, and moving through the libraries, inspires my Macbook Pro to throw up the beach ball.

There have been hundreds of negative posts on Filemaker's website, but Filemaker is now in the process of moving or deleting those posts.  
(Version 2.0v2)

SCOTTYG  I use Bento a lot. It's a useful program. But get this, remember it, and unite. Full Price for an existing customer to pay for this upgrade is totally unacceptable. The best statements in the reviews say "I will never buy Filemaker products again."

Send a message to Filemaker. No way, take it back or we all boycott.  
(Version 2.0v2)

BETTONARTS  I just want to ad my comments to the disappointed users of Bento with regard to upgrades. All has indeed been said. It's just foolish to not to encourage pleased users some incentive to continue using the latest version of the product. Is your marketing strategy that the software is cheap anyway and one can just continue buying it anew? Is your upgrade policy born of any considered marketing strategy at all? I agree with a previous writer that this just seems like missed opportunity.  
(Version 2.0v2)

DIVEMATERZA  Filemaker PR in full action ....

Below is the reply I've got from the support concerning upgrade policy.

I am quite unhappy, but I imagine the people who bought early September are fuming

" Thank you for contacting Customer Service. There is one low price (£29) for all users of Bento, rather than different prices for new and upgrade. Also, there is one price for Family Packs (£59).

When determining pricing for Bento we first considered a traditional approach with a higher initial price and a lower upgrade price. But since Bento is similar to other single-price Mac products such as iWork and iLife, we decided on a simple arrangement with one low price for everyone.

If you purchased Bento 1 or Bento 1 Family Pack between 14 September 2008 and 28 October 2008 you may qualify for a free copy of Bento 2. For details, please visit the FileMaker promotions page at: http://www.filemaker.co.uk/purchase/store/promos.html .

"

  
(Version 2.0v2)

GRYPHONENT  I purchased Bento 1 and I'm shocked to see the 'no upgrade policy' from FileMaker. Apple's iWork package also does not allow for upgrades, but at least Apple provides plenty of new features at a new price with each iteration of their office suite. FileMaker on the other hand has refused to fix bugs in Bento 1, carried them over into Bento 2, and only added some more templates to the application? Does this warrant another $50? I don't think so. Shame on you FileMaker. This is the LAST piece of software I ever purchased from you.  
(Version 2.0v2)

JOHN-O  Unfortunately, you just can't trust FileMaker anymore. This update should more rightly have been a 1.1, or even a 1.5 release. Even then, I would have paid a reasonable fee to upgrade. But to expect me to pay the full $50, SIX WEEKS after buying v. 1.x, is absolutely absurd.

Sorry, FM, I won't be sending any more money your way, ever.  
(Version 2.0v2)

MAKAI  It's already all said, but just so that FM marketing gets an idea how many are rejecting their

approach, I'll add my comment that I won't move on to version 2 at full price. I'll simply await if version 3 will be worth the price they will ask for it, or not (again ;-).  
(Version 2.0v2)

BOXERS  What a missed opportunity! Bento could have been the PIM that is sadly lacking on the Mac... but instead of making the two great new features that would have boosted it's real functionality - ie, live linking to data in Mail and spreadsheets - it opted for a manual drag n drop or import/export system. Why not do it properly? MacWorld quotes Bento product manager Beth Nagengast as saying "Mail integration was meant to give users access to only the messages they needed in Bento, so adding e-mail manually was the best way to implement the feature." What infuriating arrogance! Let the customer decide!!  
(Version 2.0v2)

MACZILLLLLA  I just bought Bento a few months ago. Not a very good program at all. Now v. 2 is available and they want the full price of $49. I don't think so. I'll never buy a Filemaker product again.  
(Version 2.0v2)

GLUJI  I purchased Bento on the day it was released and have seen little development with just minor updates.

Less than a year later and I'm advised that there is a new version and I'm expected to pay full price again!

There has been a lot of hype surrounding this product but I get the feeling that I paid to be a beta tester and that version 2 is the 'proper' version we were expecting in the first place!

What about an upgrade path for us early adopters and advocates?

I will not be purchasing version 2 unless I see an agreeable upgrade path and will not be advising friends and clients to purchase this product any more!

Sometimes you just need to vote with your feet!  
(Version 2.0v2)

COCOANUT  No upgrade, no security, no deal.

This is the greediest company going. For years I upgraded Filemaker Pro and paid hundreds of dollars for marginal features, now with Bento the company sticks us with no upgrade for software that doesn't even allow me to password protect my data. No thanks!

There are many other alternatives; Soho Notes and Yojimbo to name a couple.  
(Version 2.0v2)

NESSUNO  This upgrade policy is outrageous, and it's gonna be a PR desaster for Filemaker.com.

See all these comments:

http://forums.filemaker.com/fmbnto/board/message?board.id=contsugother&message.id=746&jump=true  
(Version 2.0v2)

HILLD  Having bought this app when it first came out earlier this year, I agree with others here that the lack of an upgrade to us early buyers is an absolute insult. Am I going to shell out again after such a short period? No way. Bye bye Bento!  
(Version 2.0v2)

LEV  Quick followup after using this upgrade (flatgrade? up-pay?) today"

-- Reports: no substantive improvement.

-- Speed: like treacle. Slower on my G5 iMac and MacBook than v1

-- Printing: no substantive improvement

-- New "themes": uninteresting

-- New split view: useful.

-- Search/select: hopeless. Still either "all" or "any"; no searches like "Find everything with (A and B) and (C or D) let alone anything more complex.

-- No ability to base new smart folders on existing ones; in other words, impossible to search subsets of data.

-- Drag data as Export to Numbers: Numbers crashes

This is lamentable.  
(Version 2.0v2)

KOMTOM  I too bought Version 1 here in Germany and do not yet use it due to missing options. So what should I do now as an early adapter? Buy a new version for the full price? If that’s the way they treat costumers, all I can do is join others saying: bye bye!!!!  
(Version 2.0v2)

DANA SUTTON  I agree that the lack of an upgrade policy is a slap in the face for v.1 purchasers (and doesn't bode well for anybody who purchases v.2 and hopes that FileMaker will adopt such a policy next time around). This has some new features I don't especially want and lacks features for which early adopters have been screaming ever since the first release, of which some kind of encryption feature stands at the top of the list. If you read the Bento BB, you'll quickly get the idea that the developers simply aren't listening to their customers. Sure, I'd pay ten or fifteen bucks for this upgrade, and probably figure out some way to put some of these features to good use, but that's about as far as I'd be willing to go and I can manage to live without these "improvements."  
(Version 2.0v2)

DZITAO  It will be interesting to see how not offering an update price works out for FileMaker/Apple. I guess it is understandable for iWork and iLife because they were mature products, but Bento definitely does not fall into that category.

I purchased the "Family License" of v1.x with the expectation that I would be using it on multiple Macs. I have tried to use it and to like it, but because the feature set is SO limited, I've not been able to do what I hoped with Bento and have never put it on any of my other Macs. Many features that I would consider very basic are missing so I expected a new version quickly.

I'm really pretty stunned that they are not offering any kind of upgrade price at all! I mean, if they even knocked $5 off, it wouldn't feel quite so bad.

I think that because there is no upgrade incentive at all, Bento has earned a place of being DELETED off of my system instead of being updated. I have tried so hard to like and use this product, but it seems it is not to be.

Sorry Bento, bye bye!   
(Version 2.0v2)

IULIA IMPERATRIX  Like a lot of people, I did buy the application in its 1.0 version back in Feb 08, and I'm not going to pay fully again for some small improvements. Mind you, I do use it quite often, but it wouldn't justify the double expense in less than a year.  
(Version 2.0v2)

DAVIDWB  I held off on version 1 though I played with it quite a long time and gave some thoughts to buying it. But I did recommend it to quite a few people whose needs were modest. Now version 2 is out and I lots of features have been added. Kudos for listening to those of us who commented and complained on the Bento forum. But lots of those features should never have been left out of a released product to begin with! The biggest reason I held off buying was because it felt too much like a beta.

So now Bento 1.5, um I mean Bento 2 is out and there's no upgrade price for the early adopters. That sure fits in with the entire Apple philosophy of low cost software with no upgrades. But it doesn't make good business sense. Reward the early adopters with another $50 charge before even a year has passed? Don't think so.

And now that the update - I mean upgrade - has been released I have to again decide whether to purchase it. Many of the features I wanted have been added. But the report generator is still non-existent from what I can see. I can now open and even write Numbers or Excel files but I cannot merge with Pages - okay that's a somewhat unfair complaint. But all in all, do I want to reward FileMaker for what I think is poor customer service?  
(Version 2.0v2)

THIRSTYROBOT  Expecting existing licensees to pay full price for a 2.0 product that was only launched as 1.0 less than 18 months ago is ridiculous.

No one likes to be fleeced...and that's exactly what this feels like.  
(Version 2.0v2)

D9  Yeah, this whole Bento upgrade thing just makes you consider getting a copy from BitTorrent. The product hasn't been out a year and now you need to pay full price for a full upgrade that more than likely will feel like .x update.

I can already see how this will work out. Enough people will complain or ignore the 2.0 release that FileMaker will say its "sorry" and offer an upgrade price of $29.99 which in essence was their original plan. Get from those willing to pay no matter what out the gate, then go after those who demand a discount to upgrade later when the sales curve flattens. All the while, the product update deserves no compensation whatsoever because not enough has been added to justify it.

/  
(Version 2.0v2)

JIMW  I must agree with with Divematerza, and Lev. But given that there is little choice of decent DB's for Mac's, from a business perspective, why shouldn't they gorge their customers and provide a minimal return since they essentially own and control the consumer market for relatively easy to use general purpose Mac DB's. From what I have found unless you are a programmer, want to become one, or pay big bucks to hire someone to do it for you, Filemaker/Bento are the only 'games in town.' So far, other than Filemaker products the only other choices for the Mac seem to be 4D, Oracle (or spinoffs), or other SQL databases. Lets talk about the real costs of Filemaker Corp products:

-Initial costs for FM (Filemaker) is expensive - Minimally $300 - can range to nearly $1000 for all the features.

- Upgrades are costly and frequent - ~$200 min for an update to Filemaker around every 18 months or a repurchase of Bento for $50 -$100 every two years.

- If you file to purchase more than 2 Filemaker updates in succession you have to buy it all over again.

- Support is mostly fee based - minimally included with the product and not with Applecare even though it is an Apple product. Filemaker is wholly owned by Apple.

- If you need advanced support you are referred to an expensive consultant or to compiled solutions that mostly are not end-user modifiable.

- If you use a compiled solution you more often than not need to make 2 purchases - FM and the 3rd party database and then regularly shell out money on a regular basis via upgrades for both.

- FM is not very 'friendly' to developers - While they do get good tools and support, they have to pay 'through the nose' to get it - both in time and money. FileMaker dings them for license fees , certification fees, support fees, etc.

- Moreover since FM Consultants are independent from FileMaker Corp, many create an end user product or develop a custom DB for a user, that the user pays big bucks for. Then in a year or two, 'disappear' or go out of business, leaving the end user stuck with an unsupported solution that is not upgradeable.

So if you want a decent DB designed for the Mac that might be understandable or maintainable by average users; Welcome to Filemaker hell.

I am still looking for an easy to use, user friendly, affordable, general purpose relational database, that does not require a degree in computer science to setup. Hopefully someone will design one and give Filemaker the competition it needs have in order to make its business model end user friendly as it was when it was Claris.   
(Version 2.0v2)

DIVEMATERZA  I always considered Version 1 and then 1v2 to be a preview of a better product coming soon. I was happy to pay and still be a Guinea pig for their experiment. I am not discontented with version 1v2, but imagine my astonishment when no upgrade is available - full price.

Will I upgrade .... to pay again for the same soft with features they admit were missing on previous release, I don't think so !  
(Version 2.0v2)

LEV  I spoke too soon. Bento 2 is here. Full price, it would appear. No upgrade, it would appear. The fiduciary morality of carnival barkers, it would appear.

Less than a year in, and FileMaker are trying to gouge us for another $50 for what's in effect a point release of stuff that should have been in there from the start. Yay! It can store emails. Yay! It can import Numbers files! Yay! there are TEN MORE THEMES! Yay! Th-- no, actually, I don't mean "yay". I mean "feh". Printing is still rudimentary, the reporting functions are pretty well Pleistocene, etc etc. Demanding full price again is just insulting.

Oh, yaaaawn. I'll see about getting my stuff out of Bento and back into Excel, and then FileMaker can go twist in the wind. They've had my money for a substandard product. They're not getting it again for something that's still not up to the mark.  
(Version 2.0v2)

LEV  Bento users get regular self-promoting and rather excitable mailings but, as others have pointed out, nothing has been done to address the many, very serious failings of the application. I don't mean things that would put it into the "relational database" league or interfere with its positioning as a low-end filing system, but crucial things like only one list view, no shortcut between list and detail views, no possibility of customizing the "themes", export limited to CSV (comma-separated value) files, and, worst of all, no attempt at implementing any sort of reports. Getting stuff in is okay. Manipulating stuff within Bento is... well, reasonable, if rudimentary. But getting stuff *out* is just a joke.

Given that the point of any filing system is not storage, but *retrieval*, this seems a conceptual gaffe on a fairly large scale. I was a bit mystified at first, but assumed it was about shipping now and sorting things out later. Well... it's later now, and no sign of any substantive improvement. It's rather depressing, as Bento had (has?) plenty of unrealized potential.  
(Version 1.0v2)

DANA SUTTON  This last comment is hard-hitting and true. Bento's been out for quite a little while now. Bento's developers have been accumulating a rich harvest of user feedback from their Forums, and their boilerplate reply to any suggested change or improvement posted on that site is "we'll forward this to our development team," and one would think that by now all this would have resulted in a good solid upgrade that addresses a lot of user concerns. Bento is already an extremely good program, but it could be made a lot better and the developers ought to be eager to make this happen. I keep waiting for some sign that they are.  
(Version 1.0v2)

ENRICOFRA  I loved this program. I bought it before release and I used it for many different applications, for work and private, but the lacking features are too many and the developer is not doing any upgrade!!!

I'm really tired to wait and I'm now looking for products much more sensible to the requests of users and able to grow with them.

For features lacking, Bento could be considered a stable beta. But a beta should receive many frequent updates. When it doesn't happen, I usually think that the application has been abandoned. Is it so even for Bento? Maybe Filemaker didn't sold enough Bentos? Who knows...

Well, anyway, let me say a word about the customer care: TSGal, the Bento forum administrator, is wonderful, kind and responsive. One of the best aspect of being a Bento user!  
(Version 1.0v2)

DANA SUTTON  Now I've bought Bento and started using it, I'm realizing what a sweet program it is, at least potentially. But (in addition to the interface issues I mentioned after first trying it out) it has one drawback that seriously cripples its usefulness. Bento is promoted a "personal database," and the problem lies in the word "personal." I have a lot of information for which Bento is useless because I'm unwilling to entrust it to a program without any encryption feature. Every time you create a new Library a dialogue box should appear, and if you check the Encrypt box it should ask you to assign it a password (or apply a pre-stored master password to that Library).   
(Version 1.0v2)

APPLEDOGX  Excellent, easy to use interface. Extends address book and iCal in wonderful ways. Great way to track simple information in a clean and uncluttered manner. Results look professional.

Very useful, but lacking in some key areas:

- Multiline addresses oddly not supported.

- No support for mailing labels.

- Calculation fields are much to basic, lacking in conditionals, and even rudimentary text and mathematical functions.

- Duration should include year as well.

- Needs reporting capabilities.

- Document fields should be extended to permit email messages.  
(Version 1.0v2)

JOHNODD  Really enjoyed bento v2 but i had some issues first i would rather purchase iwork 08 versus bento because at least iwork 08 backups work where bento's doesn't

also the price tag of bento is way to high for a application that has so many issues.  
(Version 1.0v2)

SHOCKERSPAZ  The backup does not backup customized templates and field placement and therefor is completely useless! I spent hours customizing the software to my use and then backed it up. When I restored I found to my utter dismay that the only things it seemed to backup were the custom fields in the optional field list (not the templates) so had I relied on this software for anything I would have had to spend hours on recreating the templates again!!!!! completely useless. how in the world can you create a database software that has no way of backing data up?!!  
(Version 1.0v2)

LEV  I know this can't be true... I mean, it really can't, can it?... but it looks as if data in Bento isn't visible to Spotlight.

Obviously I'm missing something because for Bento to be non-Spotlight-friendly would be beyond crass. Beyond stupid. Beyond anything we'd expect from Filemaker--

Oops. Hang on. Did I just say "Filemaker"?

Hmm.  
(Version 1.0v2)

MACBLISS  No that you have address book and ical integration -- how about adding direct linking support for safari bookmarks, itunes, iphoto, and Mail. Now your talking ...  
(Version 1.0v2)

DANA SUTTON  I realize that Bento is a database. Nevertheless, it is also a front end for Calendar and Address Book. My point is this: if you've bought Bento, you should never have to open either of those apps. again, Bento should be at least as functional as those apps. themselves, and might even add some refinements of its own (such as phone dialing). So, with the issue of setting alarms in Calendar, it's very disappointing that it omits such an important feature. So it seems as if the designers were more interested in eye candy than function.  
(Version 1.0v2)

D9  Strider72 is right. Bento is meant to serve as a low end database program for organizing and storing information.

I personally bought Bento because I was tired of paying so much for FileMaker Pro upgrades. 80% of what FileMaker offered I was never going to use. Bento fills that niche perfectly. I use it to store software information/serial numbers, personal identification, recipes, home inventory and movie/music lists.

That it integrates w/ iCal and Address Book I believe is meant to only extend those programs into integrating with other solutions in Bento, as Strider72 illustrated. To that end, it's much simpler to operate than FileMaker.

Currently using version >>  
(Version 1.0v2)

STRIDER72  To the people who think it's just a front-end for iCal and Address Book:

I think you're looking at a relatively minor feature and thinking it's the entire point of the app.

(Full disclosure -- I don't actually use Bento -- I would _love_ to, but my old Mac won't run 10.5. Thus, statements of how it works are based primarily on video demos and articles.)

I believe this is meant to be more of an easy-to-use database app, that happens to have Address and Calendar links as a feature. You can track lots of things, such as a household inventory, or your books and DVDs.

I'll give you an example of how you might use the address book and iCal links:

I'm going to throw a party, so I make a Party item in Bento. It links to my calendar for the date of the party, and I can also link related preparation events to the same Party record. Separately, I pull names from Address Book into Bento for a guest list.

To that guest list I add additional fields to each person: Invitation Sent, RSVP yes/no, and a note field to mark down if, for example, they're bringing anything. These fields make a lot of sense linked to the person _only in the context of this particular party_ -- it would be messy at best to put all this in Address Book.

In a separate section of the Party item, I put a shopping list for myself.

All this information is collected in one place in Bento, but it pulls live data from the other apps, so if somebody's phone number changes, Bento knows about it.

There's a video on teh Bento web site showing a person building a business database -- it's a lot more than just a front end for iCal and Address Book.  
(Version 1.0v2)

AKROBAT  The app is well made and the eye candy is attractive.

I tested it out but could'nt find a place for it. I use 2 PIMs to organise calendars, tasks, contacts and projects accross my small home network. While testing this app I found it superfluous.

It seems to be made for people who use iCal and AddressBook. If you use any other of the PIM out there then this app is pretty much useless. I agree with Dana on the post below. It's a pretty front end to 2 existing apps... however it's not enough to make it usefull.

I'm not quite sure who this software is targeted to...

Still, judging by all the 5 stars those who find it useful seem to like it.   
(Version 1.0v2)

DUOTONE  I agree with Dana, the GUI is sweet, but then again this IS an apple app as filemaker is a division of Apple.

I agree with Dana regarding the lack of being a full fledged front end app. If I'm going to buy an app like this I don't want to go into anything else to do anything regarding addresses or calendar stuff, this needs to be stand alone.

But that's my opinion.  
(Version 1.0v2)

DANA SUTTON  Out of curiosity I downloaded the demo a while back. I was blown away by the graphics, and was especially interested by the fact this seems to be the first piece of commercial software that takes advantage of Core Animation. That being said, I wasn't quite sure what it was actually for or why I was supposed to need it. No doubt I'm missing something. But, for example, while the idea of bringing Address Book and Calendar together and giving them a neat-looking front end is a good one, I kept looking around for features that weren't there. It is possible to use it, for example, to set up a Calendar appointment. But if you want to set up a reminder for that appointment you still have to go to Calendar itself. Using this as a front end, you just shouldn't have to do that. And while it may be neat to use it as Address Book's front end, wouldn't it be a lot neater if it added the feature that's been glaringly absent in Address Book all along, a phone dialer? I'm sure people will jump all over me and say I'm missing the whole point, and you'll probably be right, but save for the pretty face I don't see any compelling reason to shell out the money they're asking.  
(Version 1.0v2)

FEMIGH  Another feature in my wish list for Bento: The ability to import/export tab-separated text files. Makes it much easier to import from other databases, as well as text files sent me to convert to databases. Being limited to .csv files is a multi-step pain, since most exports from other apps are in .txt form.  
(Version 1.0v2r1)

FEMIGH  In addition to my requirements for Bento to meet the capabilities of AppleWorks DB, I add that Bento should be able to hide selected or unselected records. This is related to the need for showing forms in a list view, rather than a form-by-form view.  
(Version 1.0v2r1)

FEMIGH  Good first try and, in a few respects, better than AppleWorks 6 DB. What it needs to be as useable as AW6DB:

1) in layout mode, the ability to designate default text font and style for individual fields and field labels;

2) in data entry mode, the ability to override designated text font, style or size;

3) ability to edit theme backgrounds, especially to all white;

4) ability to view forms as a list, especially for printing;

5) ability to zoom form or table window;

6) more flexible field label placement ((instead of just top or side), including the option of not having field labels at all;

7) ability to sort on secondary and tertiary fields in addition to primary field sort;

8) file (library) password protection.  
(Version 1.0v2r1)

SWO  I haven't used Microsoft Access in awhile, but this program is much easier to use and customize. I have been looking for an app to categorize my comic collection for awhile, and this looks like the application that I will use.

A great app, and if it retails around $49, definitely one I will purchase.  
(Version 1.0v2r1)

STROB  Documentation states that it requires OS 10.5. Unbelievably inconsiderate!!! Filemaker (Apple) should make it backward compatible to at least Panther. Pass.  
(Version 1.0v2r1)

SPACEMANSPIFF  So far this has been exceptional - no crashes, predictable behavior, great features.

My plan is to use it to track contacts - last time I spoke with someone, what we talked about, actions I took, etc. For me this is just plain great. Bento integrates well with iCal and Address Book, and best of all I can create custom fields to add the features that I need.

The built-in search and saved/advanced searches feature has also been solid to use. A saved search tells me who I haven't called in 3 weeks, etc. Mail.app integration would be helpful but for my needs it's not essential. I'd also like to see a better manual.

Apple/FileMaker pretty much made precisely the product I needed and just when I need it. Looking forward to the release version. $50 is a bargain.  
(Version pb1)

TAKA^2  This is interesting. The competition between Numbers and Bento. Why does Apple's subsidiary (FileMaker) duplicate the effort?  
(Version pb1)

ANDREW SCOTT  This looks very promising but it really needs a better manual and some more extensive examples. I just can't seem to get the hang of it at the moment. Perhaps my past experience with FileMaker is getting in the way.  
(Version pb1)

CHAS_M  Wow, SOMEBODY'S been looking at Numbers ...  
(Version pb1)