Hi,

I'm brand new here - first post.

First question: There are some ads on this forum that offer FileMaker 6 for as low as $70 (such as from Hard Core Mac and eDirect). They claim to be perfectly legal, fully functioning copies. Are these legitimate? Any downside to purchasing from these places? Sounds a LOT better than $200+ for retail.

Also, I was fairly proficient in FM Pro 4 in its heydey, but really don't use it much in my current job. However, I've been charged with helping some other users upgrade from 4.1. Is it a bad idea to just upgrade to version 6? Or would they be better off going to 7? If it matters, these aren't particularly sophisticated users.

Thanks for any advice.

Karen

1. --

2. Version 7 is vastly more powerful than 6 or 5 or 4. Using Let in functions to define variables is extremely handy. Comments can be placed in calculation fields. Version 7 Developer allows custom functions with recursion to be constructed. A file can have multiple tables. Non-equijoin relationships can be made. The Relationships Graph visually displays all the table relationships. Etc.

Having said all of that, If they aren't developing and are just using FM as a flat file database with no scripts, etc. , FM6 is much easier for the casual user to understand. If they are using pre OS X Macs, FM7 won't run on operating systems prior to OS X. This could require an upgrad of computers, as OS X isn't practical on pre G3 Blue & White Macs. Bigger, faster, stronger isn't always right for every user. It really depends upon their use and platform.

-bd