[Mac OS X] Bento for Mac

Bento for Mac

Bento has been on the Mac since 2007. It is the much younger brother to FileMaker Pro, offering a consumer-friendly way for users to manage databases of information. Bento gets its name from the Japanese bento box, a takeout tray with all the portions neatly organized into compartments.

Bento organizes all of your information into libraries, placing them in sub-categories like an address book, contacts, projects and inventory. Many of these areas integrate deeply with Apple’s native software. Content from iCal, iPhoto and the Address Book can all be imported with ease. Often the syncing is automatic: create a to-do item in iCal and it shows up in Bento instantly.

The latest version is Bento 4, which was just released last month. Enhancements include label printing, exporting data more readily and other speed and stability improvements. While label printing may not sound very sexy, FileMaker reported it as one of the most requested features. A user can now print labels with just a few clicks from the Bento database, which is very handy for sending invites for anything from wedding invitations to a corporate mixer.

The deep integration with Apple’s software makes it very easy to import data and know that everything is all in one place. However, it forces you to tie all relevant information into the Apple ecosystem. For some users who dabble with Google, Microsoft or other companies for their data, it will be worth thinking about if you want to keep flexibility or a consistent interface.

Much of Bento works with, rather than independently of, native software to the Mac. For example, you can easily flow in pictures by syncing Bento up with iPhoto. However, editing the photo names or other data must be done through iPhoto.

In a world of cheap software and free Google apps Bento is pricey – $50 for the Mac version alone. However, managing large amounts of data is certainly with a consistent experience is arguably worth the cost.

Description

Bento® is the leading personal database. Now you can organize contacts, track projects, plan events and manage lists – the fast and easy way! Use it standalone or synchronize with Bento for iPhone or NEW Bento 4 for iPad, sold separately.

What's New in Version 4.1.2

IMPORTANT: The minimum System Requirement for Bento 4.1 (Mac) is OS X Snow Leopard (10.6.6).

What’s New:
• Provides bug fixes and updates related to Mountain Lion and Retina displays.
• Migrates data stored in the Bento iPhoto library to a new Bento Photos library and disconnects from iPhoto. You will still be able to add images from iPhoto to Bento media fields.

• $49.99

• Category: Productivity
• Updated: Oct 01, 2012
• Version: 4.1.2
• Size: 200 MB
• Languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish
• Seller: FileMaker, Inc.
• © 2012 FileMaker, Inc. All rights reserved. Bento is a trademarks of FileMaker, Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. The Bento logo is a trademark of FileMaker, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Rated 4+

Requirements: OS X 10.6.6 or later