Desktop databases offer simple,
flexible solutions for data storage and retrieval. They're often quite
sufficient to meet uncomplicated database requirements for both small and large
organizations. If you're not sure if a desktop database is right for you,
try reading the Choosing
a Database series of articles which cover both desktop
and server
databases in depth.
1.) Microsoft Access
Access is the "Old Faithful" of desktop databases. There's also
quite a good chance that you already own a copy -- it's included with Microsoft
Office Professional, Developer and Special Edition. You'll find the
familiar Microsoft interface and an extremely thorough online help system.
The greatest strength of Access is its tight integration with the remainder of
the Office suite. It's a breeze to share and transfer data between Access,
Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Also, Access serves as a great front-end for
any ODBC-compliant server database (like SQL Server or Oracle).
Microsoft's current release is Access 2002, which is included as part of the
Office XP suite. As a stand-alone product, Access sells for around $339
but you can usually find it for $329 when bundled with Office XP Professional.
2.) Filemaker Pro
FileMaker Pro is extremely popular among Macintosh users, but it's
rapidly gaining market share among the PC crowd as well. It
offers an intuitive graphic interface and hides many of the
complexities inherent in database management from the user.
It's also ODBC compliant and offers some integration capability with
Microsoft Office. The most recent version is FileMaker Pro 5.5
which retails for $249 -- a bit cheaper than Access, but without the
added benefit of a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation
solution
3.) Paradox
With a pricetag of $159, Paradox is the least expensive of the
desktop databases on our list. As with most things though, you
get what you pay for. Paradox is a fully functional database
system and offers JDBC/ODBC integration with other databases.
However, it's not as user-friendly as some of the more mainstream
DBMSs. If you're willing to learn and have some computer
savvy, Paradox will help you save a few bucks. If you've got
the money to spend, you're probably better off with Access or
FileMaker Pro.
4.) Lotus Approach
Lotus (now owned by IBM) offers the Approach DBMS as part of their
SmartSuite office productivity package. Designed to compete
with Microsoft Office, SmartSuite contains a word processor,
spreadsheet (the old standby Lotus
1-2-3), presentation package and more. Lotus SmartSuite Millennium
Edition 9.6 retails for $472 but you can knock that down to $375 if
you're willing to download the software from IBM's web site and
forego a box and printed manual.
5.) FoxPro
Microsoft Visual FoxPro
isn't exactly a desktop database, it's a database development environment.
It requires advanced programming skills and a good deal of time to configure,
it's definitely not for beginners or the faint of heart. That said, FoxPro
offers an extremely flexible and economic database solution for those who must
work in a highly customized environment. Visual FoxPro 7 (the current
version) retails for $549 as a standalone product but can also be found as part
of the Microsoft Visual Studio development suite if you're a hardcore
programmer.
Access is the "Old Faithful" of desktop databases. There's also
quite a good chance that you already own a copy -- it's included with Microsoft
Office Professional, Developer and Special Edition. You'll find the
familiar Microsoft interface and an extremely thorough online help system.
The greatest strength of Access is its tight integration with the remainder of
the Office suite. It's a breeze to share and transfer data between Access,
Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Also, Access serves as a great front-end for
any ODBC-compliant server database (like SQL Server or Oracle).
Microsoft's current release is Access 2002, which is included as part of the
Office XP suite. As a stand-alone product, Access sells for around $339
but you can usually find it for $329 when bundled with Office XP Professional.
FileMaker Pro is extremely popular among Macintosh users, but it's
rapidly gaining market share among the PC crowd as well. It
offers an intuitive graphic interface and hides many of the
complexities inherent in database management from the user.
It's also ODBC compliant and offers some integration capability with
Microsoft Office. The most recent version is FileMaker Pro 5.5
which retails for $249 -- a bit cheaper than Access, but without the
added benefit of a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation
solution
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