MS Access

[GPGeorge]

It's funny how Access has become the application that IT loves to hate. It is over 30 years old and going strong. It has had competitors over the years but none strong enough to unseat it as the premier development environment for small business applications.

As we all know, though, market forces aren't the only factors in deciding outcomes in business, especially when other entities want to achieve a specific outcome.

In this case, I think Access has to compete not only with other applications, but with Microsoft's own "drive to the AI-enabled Cloud".

 

[Pat Hartman]

I wish MS would just sell Access to the MVP's and let us decide what to do with it. The "cloud" sounds like such a perfect solution for small businesses but it forces them to give up control of their data which is very bad for them.

 

[GPGeorge]

I wish MS would just sell Access to the MVP's and let us decide what to do with it. The "cloud" sounds like such a perfect solution for small businesses but it forces them to give up control of their data which is very bad for them.

I don't know about you, but as a former MVP, my net worth might qualify me for a handful of Access 2010 form designers and maybe a few good table schemas.

 

[Cotswold]

I presume that MS will only know the number of users by 365 licenses, sales numbers and those enabling updates. They can only guess at the actual number, as there will be huge numbers using it with Runtime that don't know they are, or maybe care. My understand is that it is the largest database development system in the World. Mainly because there just isn't anything out there with the full feature list of Access. Or anything even close.

But it is always badmouthed, usually by people without a clue. Only earlier this year a bright developer guy, bit of a propeller head said that Access was only of any use to create a preliminary application. After that the actual application would be created in another system. First I told him that was nonsense and then I asked just how many people he knew who had spent weeks creating an Access example to then throw it all away and then rewrite the whole thing. Following a lengthy silence he then became a bit nasty. Basically on pushing him, he hadn't a clue about Access and I doubt if he'd looked at it for longer that an hour, ever. This ridiculous statement was being bandied about 20 years ago and I cannot understand it is still believed. Do MS ever actually promote Access? Or ever attempt to counter ludicrous assertions?

 

[AccessBlaster]

Do MS ever actually promote Access? Or ever attempt to counter ludicrous assertions?

They do promote Access just not as a first tier product. Go to www.Office.com Access isn't listed on the main page anywhere. If you go to the products page it isn't their either, you have to drill down to the second tier. Clipchamp is promoted more than Access.

 

[Cotswold]

From AccessBlaster #25 MS don't endeavour to promote Access with any enthusiasm. Just as Pat said in #1.
I do think that anyone who wanted to promote their software wouldn't adopt MS's best efforts. If you buy a new PC, laptop, or notebook with Windows they all include promotions for O365. It is rammed down your throat at every opportunity but only the Pro versions have Access. It wouldn't cost MS anything to include it in all versions and I cannot see that Powerpoint has a higher user based than Access. They don't hesitate to ensure any of their AI stuff, search/spy features and others are included.

I still think that MS see Access as some sort of fringe application. Without forums like Access World, the use of Access would probably be way less than it is. They are after all the main source of support provided for Access. A search for 365 office has four versions but none mention Access.

Maybe MS intend/believe that AI will replace software developers, so why bother with Access?

 

[DickyP]

When you come down to it there is just nothing to compete with Access for the jobs it does. Last week for instance I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and now have to keep a record of pressure readings 4 times a day. Within two hours I had an Access database up and running to do the job with entry dialogs and default day settings.(I'm not exaggerating as I timed myself). Of course it's been 'enhanced' regularly but that's just fun and not critical.

Try doing that in anything other than Access.