Indigestible
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 11:29PM Digestive, the replacement for my original Bento database manager, has been languishing in a state of limbo for, well years. I've tried to kick-start the project several times and I'm sorry to say that I'm now admitting defeat and abandoning the project.
Before I explain the reasons I will say that Bento users are not left high and dry. Bento itself incorporates an alternative startup system which allows you to select alternative databases. Simply hold down the Alt key when you launch Bento and you'll see it.
As to why I'm abandoning Digestive, well there are three main reasons. The first is that it wouldn't add much more to the built-in, albeit hidden, launch preferences mentioned above. The second is that OS X Lion's sandboxing and the App Store approval process probably wouldn't look kindly upon an application that tinkers with another application's preferences. The final reason is simply that I don't use Bento any more and developing an application you have no interest in is incredibly difficult.
I'd like to apologise to everyone who had been waiting for Digestive but officially pulling the plug is better than leaving it all in limbo any longer.
Reader Comments (2)
I'm curious to hear about why you quit Bento and what you use now. I have much frustration with Bento as it is very inflexible and limited. The only good thing over Filemaker is refined user interface. I'd be much happier if they quit Bento as a separate product but integrate the user interface with Filmaker!
I don't really. Some of the functionality was replaced by Numbers, especially the iPad version where it has a forms view. However I realised that my initial enthusiasm for Bento 1 actually caused me to create databases almost for the sake of it and many of them either weren't needed or were better handled in other applications. For example, I moved my Christmas card list back into Numbers and bug tracking in software I work on is handled by a web-based dedicated bug tracking system. I guess I just drifted away from it and my perceived needs lessened.
Sorry that I can't point you to a specific alternative.