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CONS
Access needs more careful planning and setup time. It is really a database
management system where the last step is data entry. With Excel, data entry
begins immediately and most calculations and formatting can be done on the
fly; not so with Access, where every field and table must be designed with the
end product in mind. Although Access databases can evolve and grow, the
process must be carefully managed so as not to spoil what has already been
designed.
In Access, mathematical calculations are done through queries and ad hoc table
and reports design. Both methods can be cumbersome, and each requires
detailed (and at times, arcane) database programming knowledge. Excel
calculations, on the other hand, are far more straightforward and transparent.
Also, Excel does a much better job at producing charts and graphs than Access.
Finite Microsoft Access is useful for individual departments or small-tomedium business sectors. Any sector whose usage goes beyond 2 GB will
hit a wall and discover limitations.
One file All the information from your database is saved into one file.
This limits options and how you choose utilize data; slowing down reports,
queries, and forms. Its performance becomes slow as the user scales data
size. Multimedia data can use up MS Access limited space quickly.
Multi-user limited Technical limit is 255 concurrent users, but real world
limit is 10 to 80 (depending on type of application).
PROS
With careful planning and thoughtful setup, Access gives the user a
consistent container for data that can be reliably retrieved, manipulated
and reported. By embedding "rules" that must be followed at the time of
entry, a consistent and reliable end product is guaranteed. (For example,
one rule might be that a field must always be a number.) Although the
learning curve for Access queries, forms and reports design can be steep,
it is worth the effort. Forms and reports that calculate totals, tax and
discounts, for example, are the bread and butter of MS Access business
applications.
Easy to install and use Access gives data managers a fully functional,
relational database management system in minutes. Like many other
Microsoft applications, Access contains Wizards that walk you through
each step of the way. The user interface is intuitive; accelerating data
information retrieval.
CONCLUSIONS
MS Access is a database management system that:
but
- can do useful calculations in a form or a report that you cannot get from a
spreadsheet.
but
- gives the user a tremendously powerful data editing capability that can be
preserved for future use.