MS access alternatives

ford prefect

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Hi folks,

Has anyone come across anything a bit more intuitive to use than MS access, preferably wizard driven?

The reason that I ask is that my partner has been put into the position where she needs to write a database for a list of contacts that will perform some basic functions like create mail shot lists and remind her when she needs to contact clients, with a usable front end.

I can use access, but I am a litte rusty (learned on access 98), and I simply don't have the time to write something. My partner has never used it before, and frankly I wouldn't know where to begin teaching her to use it (one of the least intuitive pieces of software written by MS in my opinion). Preferably the end db would have to be access compatible tho.

Any ideas?
 

Kryten

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Not sure there's anything *easier* in such a way, or certainly no more wizard based than Access already is. Other than the one provided with OpenOffice, there's no other alternatives I can think of. Someone else may well have an ace up their sleeves though :)
 

ford prefect

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In all honesty I would just write something in SQL with a nice web interface and get it done in half the time. Sadly the boys in her IT department are the usual inept lot and feel that it would be too risky secuirty wise ^^
 

Chilly

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There are probably off the shelfers that do exactly that - sadly I know not what they might be called. It's such an obvious function for a small business its bound to have been solved 50 times over.
 

Bob007

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Can only echo what Kryen has said allready. Nothing realy "easier". Have you checked Microsoft templates list see if theres anything there that fits the bill or close to it with some minor editing. Might save some time and effort.

Plenty of others out there to, Hit google. Carefull tho, might take more time spent search then creating ;)
 

ford prefect

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I think I will just have to bite the bullet and try to teach her how to use access, that way as the database requires more functions (mail merge, graphs ect), she can learn to add them. Useful skill to learn I suppose.

I played around with access 2003 for half an hour last night and to be frank the wizard is more or less useless for anything more complicated than a simple contacts databse and the templates really aren't much better.

Thx for the help though guys :)
 

MYstIC G

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The reason that I ask is that my partner has been put into the position where she needs to write a database for a list of contacts that will perform some basic functions like create mail shot lists and remind her when she needs to contact clients, with a usable front end.
I'm sure no doubt you'll tell me that I'm being a bit thick, but why not use outlook?
 

ford prefect

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I'm sure no doubt you'll tell me that I'm being a bit thick, but why not use outlook?

Needs to be a little more functional than that would allow, graphs for reports based on queries, annual report statistics that kind of thing.
 

Gahn

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In all honesty I would just write something in SQL with a nice web interface and get it done in half the time. Sadly the boys in her IT department are the usual inept lot and feel that it would be too risky secuirty wise ^^

Easy as 123, make a Web Service that works as middleware between Sql and the Web site, solved the security problems and they can fuck off ^^
 

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