> FMP Go for iPad is $40. I've yet to make the jump. Please let us
> know if any of you are using it.
I use it, and it does what it says. I've been an FMP user for many
years, and like the way that the program has grown. Filemaker Go also
does what it says, but is overpriced at $40. It works flawlessly, but
there is no true "sync" between the iPad and the host machine. You
have to use iTunes to select files to share, which essentially copies
bi-directionally. If you make changes on the iPad, they have to be
copied back to the host, and vice-versa. No wireless sync. For $40,
that would be nice. It may have something to do with Filemaker's own
sharing structure, too. I use FMGo to eliminate printing a full
inventory report before I go on the road - it saves me about 90 sheets
of paper and a notebook, if I remember to copy the latest version of
my data to the iPad.
You can also use FMPAdvanced to host one or many databases via the
internet. If your iPad has connectivity at a show via 3G or wireless,
you wouldn't necessarily need FMGo. Caveat here is that you will have
to open a firewall to access it from outside your local networ, or put
the hosting computer in a DMZ, and you must leave the application open
and running on the host computer. On Macs, it uses the built Apache
webserver. But you can view and write data just as if you were on your
main machine, so sync is not an issue, as you are running the same
dataset. You cannot however, run scripts, which may be a dealbreaker
for some applications. Custom menubars won't be visible on the web
version either. If you've used custom fonts they won't display quite
the same on the web app, which may result in some labels being
truncated.
Same thing goes for the FMGo app -- no scripts, so building reports
using saved search criteria and custom menubars is a no-go. Also no
printing of reports, but that may be fixed with AirPrint, or the use
of third-party apps. The good news is that everything works as it does
on Instant Web Publishing, except that your data is local, not hosted,
so no connectivity is needed. If you can get by the sync issue and the
lack of scripting, FMGo may work for you. It does for me, as I need to
be able to search for individual print records, sales records and the
like. It's cumbersome, but it works when I need it to at a show, which
is sometimes.
Is FMGO ready for use as a full-fledged customer capture and inventory
tool? IMHO, not yet. It also takes some serious time with Filemaker in
order to write an app that will work well for your application. It
also won't work with runtime applications such as Flick!.
Jim Parker
parkerparker :: design | photography
http://www.parkerparker.info
@dakkid / twitter
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
http://artshowphoto.com/support.htm
PLEASE READ....PLEASE TRIM POSTS!!! Keep quoted material short.
Repeat or create accurate subject lines.
If you want to advertise services related to art shows or photography, either in a forum post or on the resource web site, please contact the forum owner for permission.
Resource web site at
http://ArtShowPhoto.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment