Released back at Macworld 2008, Bento aims to be the home user’s database management application. It assumes no knowledge of using databases. That’s good for me, since I have no idea what goes on when I see someone using MS Access. I am a database newbie, and didn’t even think I needed one.

Of course, a software addict that I am, I need to find a way to make use of this app. I thought long and hard, and made a list of all things that need to be organised. First, I needed to keep track of all my developer contacts, since I was getting a little lost searching through emails. Next, I need to keep track of giveaways, the winners, and licenses. I also thought I’d maintain some personal finances, and try managing a few projects with it. 

Bento of course ships with preset templates that give you a good idea of its uses. You can use it to manage your travels, car maintenance, keep track of your workout routines, and a lot more. For maintaining dev contacts, I chose the Contacts template. The basic premise is easy. You place different elements on ‘forms’, and fill in details. Creating this is extremely easy and straightforward, the drag and drop approach allows even a newbie to customise a form. 

Customising it your way

So I customised a form, entering fields for twitter details, adding checkboxes, drop down lists, and meticulously filled it all out. All this can be done in a few minutes of starting to use the application, as there’s absolutely no learning curve. Bento also features integration with Excel and Numbers spreadsheets, but that was beyond what I can understand. At the end of the day, if I need to find the contact info of the Eventbox app, I just enter that in the search field to narrow it down. I can then directly email the contact, go to their homepage, or add in extra details if I want.

One big flaw is that none of the records show up in Spotlight. You can only access information from within Bento. Also, there’s no security measures implemented, so if someone has access to your desktop, all your records are accessible. 

Addressbook and iCal

I personally don’t use iCal, but Address Book integration is a welcome addition. You can customise your Address Book forms the same way you would a regular form. Editing entries using Bento is much faster than using the Address Book. iCal on the other hand is a little too ugly to be usable. The best part is Bento uses the same Address Book and iCal store as their native apps, so there’s no syncing involved. Any change is instantly reflected across the apps. 

Mail integration

New with Bento 2, is the mail list feature. Adding that form element, I can link to email messages from Apple Mail. Just drag then in for easy reference to past correspondences. Bento leverages the Quick Look technology, so you can see all your messages right from Bento without opening Mail. I would have much preferred it if this were a smart list, which automatically displayed email messages on set criteria, but I sense that’s coming in the next release. 

A pretty picture

Overall, I find Bento a pleasure to use, as it’s easy, fast, and very efficient. As I write this I still have no knowledge of databases, and what they are capable of. For me, this is perfect. The app costs a very decent $49 for a single user license ($45 from our aStore). You can of course take it for a 30 day spin before you do that. 

Video Screencast

I’ve also done a video screencast to show you how to customise Bento, and the many features it is capable of. You can watch it right here, or download a better quality video from our podcast link. If you have any feedback, suggestions, or doubts, sound em off in the comments.