If there are Bento users out there, you might find this interesting. Version 3.0 just came out and it is accompanied by a new upgrade pricing policy. I had bought version 1.0 last year and was very disappointed that FileMaker didn’t offer an upgrade price for version 2.0 when it came out. However, they have changed that policy now with version 3.0. You can upgrade from either versions 1.0 or 2.0 for $29, which seems like a bargain.
I find Bento useful for my structured data. It is easy to use, if not overly flexible. The new version integrates nicely with iPhoto and offers a thumbnail/grid view of your data (whether or not this will prove useful, I have yet to determine).
The grid view was first available in 2.0, and it’s the only view I use. It’s not the best easy DB software; I’d give that nod to the Bruji Pedia apps for book, music, and film collections. But Bento is very flexible. I’ve used it to organize my Address Book and iPhoto records, to help a friend migrate addresses from AOL to Gmail; to record business diaries for tax reports, and to track writing projects.
The online Bento Template Exchange has several templates that are easy to use; I converted one for CDs into a listing of cassette tapes. The $29 upgrade fee was welcome, and the download and registration went smoothly; once I learned that the link was on a word, not a prominent blue arrow icon. So I would recommend the upgrade, especially since it’s available to version 1 and 2 users alike.