iPod/iPhone > All Reviews > iPhone & iPod touch Apps > Business and productivity > Bento for iPhone review

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 Bento for iPhone review

The database app ‘for the rest of us’ finds its way from the Mac to the iPhone

Mark Hattersley

Manufacturer: FileMaker
Pros: Stylish interface, syncs nicely with the desktop version, enables quick data entry, makes good use of iPhone camera, excellent price
Cons: Doesn’t utilise location services, lacks iCal integration, no built-in audio recording
Price: £2.99
Star rating:

Bento is FileMaker’s database and organisation application for Mac OS X that has a seemingly infinite number of uses. At heart, Bento enables you to create lists and collections of things – like a database but in a much more friendly manner. And it integrates solidly with Mac applications such as Mail, Address Book, and iCal to bring all your information together in one place. This enables Bento to also act as a project or event manager, or create simple to-do lists.

Bento for iPhone integrates well with the desktop application, and enables you to access and manage all your data as well as create new entries. Once installed on the iPhone you can sync the application with a desktop version of Bento via the File menu.

Bento for iPhone has to be one of the nicest looking iPhone apps ever developed. It has a fantastic Cover Flow implementation of the libraries, and everything from text entry to data sorting is a joy to perform. It also makes good use of the iPhone’s technology. We use it to catalogue equipment, and you can use the iPhone’s camera to take quick snaps of kit to go with each entry.

There is clearly room for it to better utilise the iPhone’s special hardware, though. Although it integrates nicely with the Maps and Safari apps, it doesn’t make any real use of location services. And although we found access to the camera very useful, access to the built-in microphone wouldn’t have gone amiss. The ability to add audio notes to entries would have been a real bonus.

Bento for iPhone currently integrates only with Address Book, not iCal, data. Because of this Bento on the iPhone is better for managing contacts and data lists than it is for project or task management – unlike the desktop version which is invaluable on either front.

We also found the sorting of data limited compared to the desktop application, although this is somewhat forgivable considering the limitations of the iPhone platform. Although you can use Bento for iPhone as a standalone application, we would really recommend it as an accompaniment to the full desktop application.

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User Reviews

Fri, 26 Jun 2009Reviewed by: keybored

Star Rating:

Duration of ownership: 20 days

Strengths: Bento is flexible within its very real limits.

Weaknesses: Bento has history of charging again for each update in its progress towards releasing a truly finished program. You'll pay again within a year.

Overall Evaluation: Very slick for finding data you've entered, but incomplete integration with Address Book (e.g., can't read smart groups from your address book: major bummer.).

Mon, 29 Jun 2009Reviewed by: Jings

Star Rating:

Duration of ownership: 40 days

Strengths: Five stars to counter Aaaashy's stupidest review ever.

Weaknesses: Apple doesn't allow data transfer via USB for security reasons. This is why all iPhone apps transfer over the perfectly usable WiFi connection.

Overall Evaluation: And it's not Bento's fault your WiFi is broken. Dolt!

Fri, 26 Jun 2009Reviewed by: frere

Star Rating:

Duration of ownership: 40 days

Strengths: An excellent way to keep inventories etc at home and on your phone. I have my DVD library so I can check my purchases. Good interface.

Weaknesses: I can't import from Filemaker. This is a real bind.

Overall Evaluation: If they made integration with Filemaker, or at least the ability to import, I would give this product five stars. If you begin with Bento, fine.

Fri, 26 Jun 2009Reviewed by: CJenkins

Star Rating:

Duration of ownership: 30 days

Strengths: Pretty

Weaknesses: Button to finish editing field and button to finish adding fields to DB both labeled "Create." Once tricked into pressing at wrong time, cannot fix mistake: Must delete DB and start over.

Overall Evaluation: Unsuitable as a stand-alone product. (At least until they add the capability to edit DB schema right on the phone.) BTW, why do you folks think 200 characters is enough to describe anything?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009Reviewed by: aaaashy@blueyond

Star Rating:

Duration of ownership: 40 days

Strengths: a great database

Weaknesses: can only communicate with my computer via wi-fi, which i do not have, when i think it should be able to transfer info using a cable ink (like iTunes)

Overall Evaluation: one star for it's unuseability until i buy a new mac with wi-fi

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