I think the bane of any Access Designer is the dreaded question, “Can I do that on my iPad?” The answer is of course “No!” Macs have many software programs that are compatible with standard PC programs, like Word and Excel but in the Database realm it’s far more complicated. Mac’s use a program called Filemaker Pro for Database Design, but sadly Access and Filemaker shall never see eye to eye. Don’t get me wrong you can resort to buying a program called Parallels, and then buy a Microsoft Operating System plus the Access Program to get it to work on a Mac, but after all that effort wouldn’t it just be easier to get a PC? It’s not worth the effort, trust me.
Fear not though intrepid problem solver for I have a solution! This applies for anyone really, not just database designers. There is a way to create simple, easy to use online forms that can be used by both Mac & PC users and can even be filled out using Smart Phones. It is a fantastic way for any small business to collect data even if it’s not being put into a database. It’s called Google Drive!!!
To sign up for a Google Account is FREE and easy to do. Once you have an account you have access to all kinds of apps, one of which is called Google Drive. It is meant to be an online file sharing method, which of course you can certainly use it for, however I prefer Drop Box for that. What I love about Google Drive is the Online Forms you can create that collect responses from recipients and puts them into a handy dandy spreadsheet that I can export to excel if I need to.
The forms come in a variety of professional looking design templates to choose from. You are able to customize any type of question within the form using formats like Multiple Choice, Text, Paragraphs, Dates/Times and more. Once the form is complete you can then either e-mail it to select recipients, share via Facebook, or imbed a Link to the form on a Website. You can even set the option for the respondents to be able to edit their responses after they’ve been sent. All this info collected in a spreadsheet that time stamps their responses and can notify you through e-mail that they’ve been sent. Oh did I mention that it was FREE?!!!
So if you’re stuck for a way to do an Online Survey, collect Timesheets, or get RSVP’s for an Event I would highly suggest looking into Google Drive. There are tons of great online tutorials available on You Tube that show you how to create them and once you start I guarantee you’ll be addicted.
Fear not though intrepid problem solver for I have a solution! This applies for anyone really, not just database designers. There is a way to create simple, easy to use online forms that can be used by both Mac & PC users and can even be filled out using Smart Phones. It is a fantastic way for any small business to collect data even if it’s not being put into a database. It’s called Google Drive!!!
To sign up for a Google Account is FREE and easy to do. Once you have an account you have access to all kinds of apps, one of which is called Google Drive. It is meant to be an online file sharing method, which of course you can certainly use it for, however I prefer Drop Box for that. What I love about Google Drive is the Online Forms you can create that collect responses from recipients and puts them into a handy dandy spreadsheet that I can export to excel if I need to.
The forms come in a variety of professional looking design templates to choose from. You are able to customize any type of question within the form using formats like Multiple Choice, Text, Paragraphs, Dates/Times and more. Once the form is complete you can then either e-mail it to select recipients, share via Facebook, or imbed a Link to the form on a Website. You can even set the option for the respondents to be able to edit their responses after they’ve been sent. All this info collected in a spreadsheet that time stamps their responses and can notify you through e-mail that they’ve been sent. Oh did I mention that it was FREE?!!!
So if you’re stuck for a way to do an Online Survey, collect Timesheets, or get RSVP’s for an Event I would highly suggest looking into Google Drive. There are tons of great online tutorials available on You Tube that show you how to create them and once you start I guarantee you’ll be addicted.
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