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Random trivia for tech history buffs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forethought,_Inc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forethought,_Inc. under founder Rob Campbell

by chime 10y ago

Random trivia for tech history buffs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forethought,_Inc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forethought,_Inc. under founder Rob Campbell sold PowerPoint to MS and FileMaker to Apple. Of course everyone knows PowerPoint but even most techies today have never touched FileMaker - it was the Django/Rails/WordPress/SquareSpace/RAD application back in the day. At a time when very few could code, FileMaker let anyone create a full-featured database. And even today, if you are running a small business and want basic data-collection features for internal use, it is still relevant and useful: http://www.filemaker.com/solutions/starter-solutions.html http://www.filemaker.com/solutions/starter-solutions.html 90% of "please make me a typical DB app" requests I get, I just point them to FileMaker. I say spend $75/mo for 5 users for a couple of months to work out the process. If the process works and the pain-point is FileMaker, come back to me and I will make a custom solution.

Scarbutt 10y ago
Access seems way more cheaper and more advanced? and with access you get the whole suit(excel and word).
- extra88 10y ago
  Access is Windows only and is way harder to build with. AFAIK, FileMaker also has an easier path for getting your data on the web or on mobile devices.
  - a2tech 10y ago
    Yeah in FileMaker its as simple as opening the database configuration screen and checking 'web enable'. You need a FileMaker server install, but if you do you just drop that file in its serving directory and bam, web enabled.
- giarc 10y ago
  I developed on Filemaker for awhile, being an Apple product I found it much more user friendly than Access. I still get the periodic promo email from FM and they have pushed the web/mobile/app side quite a bit lately.
NDizzle 10y ago
Filemaker is in the same bin as Lotus Notes/Domino and Access. They sure do a lot, and some of it is good, but most of it is not good.
- maxxxxx 10y ago
  I would say Access, FileMaker and Excel are the apps that really opened up computers for small businesses. You may not like them but they are certainly some of the most important pieces of software ever.
meatsock 10y ago
there are six fascinating hours of personal history with taylor pohlman of forethought here https://youtu.be/5i6mR3LHOB4 https://youtu.be/5i6mR3LHOB4
cortesoft 10y ago
Oh man, I played with FileMaker a ton as a kid. I made so many cool random databases for my stuff. I had no idea what a database even was, but it was still fun to play with.
Keyframe 10y ago
90's Apple (the beige phase, hah) users knew about FileMaker. At least in my own little circle. There was even a debate FileMake vs 4D (I was in 4D camp). Weird time to be alive. RAD tools and UML, everything visual basically, seemed to be THE FUTURE. Look at us now.
- cdubzzz 10y ago
  I forgot all about 4D. At my first real job we had a business management package based on 4D. The website was LAMP and eventually we wanted to offer B2B stuff so I had to build systems to keep 4D and MySQL in sync. Later we purchased and merged with a company using a system with an Oracle backend and for some reason we had to keep the systems separate. So I got to add Oracle in to mix syncing to the website. Fun times.
  - Keyframe 10y ago
    LAMP? that must've been the tail-end phase then. When I was around these tools (as a kid, but a working kid heh) everything visual was all the rage. We will click solutions away, they've said. Solaris and other cumbersome CLI only crap would go away, they've said. Linux, what is that? - they've said. Fun times, indeed!
- agumonkey 10y ago
  It's a sad day when one regrets UML.
  - Keyframe 10y ago
    It was a good idea, until it got all enterprisey.
    - agumonkey 10y ago
      I never got to know the early UML. I get its value, large project, intangible potential and actual mess, need to abstract over diabolic languages like c++. I went into it around UML 2.x, just when XML was peaking too. The enterprise era.
gogopuppygogo 10y ago
Heck, there are full commercial products being sold built on Filemaker. I've had the displeasure of managing environments that use software like: http://www.simplyreliable.com/ http://www.simplyreliable.com/ It was based on FileMaker 6 last I worked with them (circa 2 years ago).

by chime 10y ago

Scarbutt 10y ago

Access seems way more cheaper and more advanced? and with access you get the whole suit(excel and word).

extra88 10y ago
Access is Windows only and is way harder to build with. AFAIK, FileMaker also has an easier path for getting your data on the web or on mobile devices.
- a2tech 10y ago
  Yeah in FileMaker its as simple as opening the database configuration screen and checking 'web enable'. You need a FileMaker server install, but if you do you just drop that file in its serving directory and bam, web enabled.
giarc 10y ago
I developed on Filemaker for awhile, being an Apple product I found it much more user friendly than Access. I still get the periodic promo email from FM and they have pushed the web/mobile/app side quite a bit lately.

NDizzle 10y ago

Filemaker is in the same bin as Lotus Notes/Domino and Access. They sure do a lot, and some of it is good, but most of it is not good.

maxxxxx 10y ago
I would say Access, FileMaker and Excel are the apps that really opened up computers for small businesses. You may not like them but they are certainly some of the most important pieces of software ever.

meatsock 10y ago

there are six fascinating hours of personal history with taylor pohlman of forethought here https://youtu.be/5i6mR3LHOB4 https://youtu.be/5i6mR3LHOB4

cortesoft 10y ago

Oh man, I played with FileMaker a ton as a kid. I made so many cool random databases for my stuff. I had no idea what a database even was, but it was still fun to play with.

Keyframe 10y ago

90's Apple (the beige phase, hah) users knew about FileMaker. At least in my own little circle. There was even a debate FileMake vs 4D (I was in 4D camp). Weird time to be alive. RAD tools and UML, everything visual basically, seemed to be THE FUTURE. Look at us now.

cdubzzz 10y ago
I forgot all about 4D. At my first real job we had a business management package based on 4D. The website was LAMP and eventually we wanted to offer B2B stuff so I had to build systems to keep 4D and MySQL in sync. Later we purchased and merged with a company using a system with an Oracle backend and for some reason we had to keep the systems separate. So I got to add Oracle in to mix syncing to the website. Fun times.
- Keyframe 10y ago
  LAMP? that must've been the tail-end phase then. When I was around these tools (as a kid, but a working kid heh) everything visual was all the rage. We will click solutions away, they've said. Solaris and other cumbersome CLI only crap would go away, they've said. Linux, what is that? - they've said. Fun times, indeed!
agumonkey 10y ago
It's a sad day when one regrets UML.
- Keyframe 10y ago
  It was a good idea, until it got all enterprisey.
  - agumonkey 10y ago
    I never got to know the early UML. I get its value, large project, intangible potential and actual mess, need to abstract over diabolic languages like c++. I went into it around UML 2.x, just when XML was peaking too. The enterprise era.

gogopuppygogo 10y ago

Heck, there are full commercial products being sold built on Filemaker. I've had the displeasure of managing environments that use software like: http://www.simplyreliable.com/ http://www.simplyreliable.com/ It was based on FileMaker 6 last I worked with them (circa 2 years ago).