Q: We use the database in Appleworks for our business what happens when we upgrade to lion

AppleWorks will not run in Lion. For business use, your best option would probably be FileMaker.

Filemaker is the best option. I would suggest that you don't  upgrade to Lion but start learning using Filemaker. When that works for your business the next operating system will be out. I don't have have a business but I am am waiting for the next Os. I hope it will be more lenient to those not liking the new features in Lion.

This page looks at transferring AppleWorks databases to Filemaker Pro:

http://www.wilmut.webspace.virginmedia.com/notes/aw/page6.html

But but but...  Filemaker Pro is $300!  There HAS to be a low cost solution for simple a data base. I'm not happy about having to buy EZ Draw either, even though it is a lot more powerful than Draw in Appleworks.  But Appleworks with all of it's file types, Draw, Paint, Database, Word Processing, Spreadsheet, and Presentation only ran about $100 and did six different things.

So to replace Appleworks I have to buy iWork, EZ Draw, and Filemaker (or at least Bento) and that still leaves a few small holes.

I miss HyperCard too.

Darrell

1. If you're not upgrading to a new Mac that will only run Lion, put Snow Leopard on an external drive & boot into that as needed.
2. Keep a Mac that can run Snow Leopard (or earlier) to run AppleWorks on.
3. Find a copy of AppleWorks 6 for Windows & run that in Parallels or VMWare.

DarrellPayne wrote:

 

But but but...  Filemaker Pro is $300!  There HAS to be a low cost solution for simple a data base.

I do sympathize, but Bento, though cheap, is only any good if your databases are extremely simple - it offers nothing like AW's database layouts and reports. FileMaker works in many ways very like the AW database and is even more powerful. There are other database solutions, but the ones I've looked at are all horrible - very user unfrendly.

You should also be aware, if you aren't already, that you cannot open your AW database with anything other than AppleWorks: you have to export it as an ASCII file from within AppleWorks. If you upgrade to Lion without doing that first you will never be able to open the database again.

I'm thinking the lowest cost solution will be to get a large external drive, set up a Snow Leopard partition on it along with my "orphaned" apps. If I get a HUGE one, I could use the other partition for Time Machine too. And even at several hundred it's STILL cheaper in the long run. PS Elements is $99, Filemaker PRO is $299, EZ Draw is $95, iWork Family is $99. Now we're up to $600! And I can get a 3Tb drive for a lot less. In the meantime I'll stick with Snow Leopard since I can't afford either solution at the moment.

I just hate it when Apple gives us these GREAT low cost solutions for those of us with more limited resources, like Appleworks, HyperCard, iWeb, and others, all of which I found useful, versatile, and could get really creative with. Then they orphan them. And the funny thing is, the SYSTEM software updates are getting cheaper all the time. They even took away my web space and replaced it with a stupid empty cloud. Wispy thing is sure to evaporate as soon as the weather warms up.

Darrell

Peggy,

True all three of those would work, but the cheapest one still costs a bit if we get a decent external, plus we have the hassle of having to reboot just to use the program. Windows isn't cheap and besides I hate it (use it at work), and having to have an extra machine just for one program isn't very efficient either. Even though we have two macs in the house, there are many advantages to having them at the same OS level. We found that out last time we upgraded one to SnowLeopard and delayed upgrading the other one.

Darrell

I agree with all you say, but those are the options as I see them to be able to continue to use AppleWorks. Well, there is #4 - don't update/upgrade at all.

For myself, I have both #s 3 & 4, but most people don't have the collection of Macs that I do. Right now, here in my "mom cave," I have six Macs (only three are on) & that's because a couple are still at our old house & haven't been moved yet.