How to upgrade from v 4.1 for Mac -Help?

[mikeshep]

Hi, I have been on Filemaker 4.1 for over a decade which has been fine for my sole-proprietor needs but must move forward from Mac OS 8.6 to a version that will run on OSX - at minimum, Panther, but will ultimately need compatibility for 10.4/Tiger.

I have minimal needs beyond what 4.1 does - only need a version that runs on OSX. What is the most cost-efficient solution for an upgrade. Can I get an intermediate upgrade rather than latest version? If so, what would be the version to upgrade to in order to have OSX, Panther compatibility (with stability of course).

Of course the other question is how easily I would be able to convert my existing FM4.1 dbase to a newer version and what compatibility issues if any I might need to be aware of.

Sorry if this is elementary but I have been out of touch with the marketplace for FM, perhaps quite obviously - and am kind of picking up where I left off with a business's dated database and just need some help getting acclimated to what I need and the simplest, least expensive route. I have a single-user, one-person-office scenario.

Many thanks for your help,

Mike

Edited January 22, 2008 by Guest

[Fitch]

FileMaker 6 runs on OS X and should convert your 4.1 files no problem. However, it's not Intel-native -- FileMaker 8.5 was the first Intel-native version.

That's not necessarily a problem, since you can run earlier versions in compatibility mode (aka Rosetta). Or you can just use an older, non-Intel Mac.

You do need to know that FileMaker 6 running in Rosetta had a bug: the Mod function returns incorrect results. This function is sometimes used for things like encryption or calculating credit card checksums.

[FM Tid]

I did exactly this : I used FM4 happily for many years but when I finally switched to OS X (Tiger) two years ago I wanted a version that didn't have to depend on Classic.

Having been advised by an independent Apple dealer that the last version compatible with FM4 was FM6, I then had to actually find it, but FileMaker won't sell earlier versions. Luckily the dealer in question, once I supplied him with my FM4 licence number, sold me an office version (unofficially) of FM6 complete with licence number. This satisfied my needs absolutely.

I do hope that you have the same luck I had. FM6 will convert your FM4 files with the minimum of fuss, later versions not so. The advice about running FM6 under Rosetta is sound but ...

... just as a case study : I once did a side by side comparison of a newly converted FM6 database, with its FM4 parent running in Classic on my G5 iMac. I did various tests but the most telling was this one: doing a 3-click scroll (i.e. to advance 3 screens' worth of data in List view) on the FM4 database in Classic was MUCH faster.

Edited March 4, 2008 by Guest
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