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GCN Home > 06/09/03 issue

FileMaker Mobile 2

By Carlos A. Soto, GCN Staff

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Quick look: Database software for Palm OS

Palm Inc. handhelds are getting smaller but the amount of data executives need to keep is getting bigger.

At least with FileMaker Mobile 2 from FileMaker Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif., you won’t have to carry a Rolodex in your pocket. The mobile database for Palm OS synchronizes a Palm handheld to a FileMaker Pro 5.5 database, letting you take mission-critical data out of the office and on the road.

More important, synchronizing your database from the office PC to your Palm helps you organize your data, such as contact information, especially when new entries are made on lengthy business trips. Before, you’d have to re-enter those entries. Now, with one button, your PC will have all the new information.

I tested FileMaker Mobile 2 on a business trip using the new Palm Tungsten T, and synched it to my FileMaker database at work on a PC operating Microsoft Windows XP Pro. FileMaker Mobile is also Mac-compatible and only takes up 2M of memory on your Palm. But it does require 64M of RAM on your PC or Mac.

I synched my business contacts database, which included 15 new contacts, smoothly and quickly with the touch of a button. Otherwise, entering that much information would have taken 45 minutes.

Although Palm offers its own address book software, the FileMaker Mobile and Pro 5.5 offer a more robust and versatile contact manager that lets users fully customize the fields.

Price: $50

Phone: 408-987-7000

More news on related topics: Mobile & Wireless, New Products / Technology