Comparison of tried & true Acess 97 vs later versions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sam Stark
  • Start date Start date
S

Sam Stark

I last used Access 97 about 3 years ago and created a very complex 35
multi-user networked application. It was reliable, cheap (I used Access
for both the front and back-ends) and relatively easy to develop. It grew
to about 150-200 megabytes with data. It was very very successful and I
need to do it again now and just started with Access 97 on XP Pro.

But now I ask do the later Access versions measure up to 97 in reliability?
I remember the Access 2000 horror stories back then- it had just come out.

Also other application like Access, better and cheaper, out there?

I very repectfully ask the Access guru's to use their wisdom and advise me.
Thanks.
 
A2K works fine now if you apply all Service Packs / Service Releases.

I found A2K2 is very stable.
 
Sam Stark said:
Also other application like Access, better and cheaper, out there?
Click to expand...

Better? Depends on your definition of better. <smile>

FileMaker Pro is one alternative. I've been told it's easier to use
than Access for beginners. But it doesn't have the power for the
more complex markets and the flexibility of VBA.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
 
Better? Not sure of your comment.

I know what Access97 can do, I used it to build a finance company's
paper-less back-office and call center and it handled the complexity with no
problem. I used a dedicated network 2 - 24 node switches. It was
extremely fast and reliable. I remember there were issues with its
successor versions of Access 97 back then. For example, If I remember the
jet engine was replaced with a SQL lite optimized, I read limited, to 5
users.

I'm looking for an assessment of 97 vs. the later versions or some other
software with some details.
 
The Jet Engine wasn't replaced by MSDE (the Microsoft Database Engine, or
"SQL Lite"): the newer versions of Access are shipped with both data
engines.

But why upgrade unless there's a reason to?
 
IMNSHO, the only compelling reason to upgrade from Access 97 to later
versions for "normal multiuser environments" is that Access 97 is now out of
support -- that is, Microsoft's official support period of 5 years has
passed.

There are some enhancements in newer versions, e.g., the Split and Replace
functions, and some connectivity and collaboration improvements, Pivot
Tables and Charts, and OpenArgs on Reports, but no improvement on the number
of users you can support in multiuser environment.

The MSDE that is available in later versions (it isn't installed by default)
is limited to 5 "concurrent batch processes" internally, after which
deliberate delays are introduced. But that does not equate to "5 users" -- I
have seen reliable reports of up to 25 concurrent users. Depending on the
database application, it might support more or fewer.

In some cases, there are advantages to implemeting small-group applications
with MSDE, but the Access-Jet split database environment still works very
nicely.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP
 
Thank you. Very astute comments. Just what I was looking for. I'm
already well into the development using 97 and its like meeting an old
friend.
 
Back
Top