Does anyone use Bento for a model railroad inventory?

I have been using Bento form quite a while now. It is very simple and layer out very nice. What is also nice is that there is a companion app for the iPhone and iPad that lets you take your collection info with you for sharing or making sure you don't buy a duplicate by accident.

I will try to get a screenshot and post it.

Paul

I use it for my York shopping list. Where did you find the model train template?

Chris,

If you Google "Bento Model Railroad Template" you should find it.
If I have time tonight, I will send you the link.
Then you simply download and use.
I changed some of the fields.

Hope to see you at April York.

Eliot

I use Bento for my inventory and have been very pleased with it. I didn't know about a template, so I adapted one.
I've included photos of all the motive power, mostly just catalog photos from manufacturers' web sites. The photos don't really add any utility, but they look good and sometimes help with a geezer's failing memory.


Have fun!

Always interested in more useful ways to keep track of trains. What are the advantages of using this software over, say, something like Excel?

- Mike

This is what the template looks like.
I was wondering how it might be improved, if at all.

Eliot:

Here are a couple screen shots from my Bento database:






As you probably know, there are Bento apps for the iPhone and iPad which easily sync with the full Mac app. My entire inventory is always with me on my phone - very useful for shows and train store visits - especially for us geezers with failing memories.

Have fun!

quote:

As you probably know, there are Bento apps for the iPhone and iPad which easily sync with the full Mac app. My entire inventory is always with me on my phone - very useful for shows and train store visits - especially for us geezers with failing memories.

What inventory, Pat?

Is this also made for a PC or is there a different type of program? I found this. Are any of these free programs ok? http://www.filebuzz.com/findso...ain_Inventory/1.html

I currently use FileMaker, my database is good but the userinterface needs more work. FileMaker is a full relational database. I could use FileMaker-Go if I had an iPhone/iPad.

Bento, their website leaves out all of the technical details. It only shows the pretty visual stuff. Question, is Bento a relational database or is it strictly flat like a spread sheet. Every example appeared to be a flat file.

I am slowly building a manufactures database (needs much more work) from 2000 on. Would like to go back to at least 1990. I also use bar codes. I wish all manufactures used a bar code and either a seperate one for model number or published them (I have a lot of the MTH ones). Bar Code scanners can plug into a USB port and be used for data entry like a keyboard. Very easy to search my data to see if I have already entered that one. If anyone has access to a complete list of Lionel data, like the shipping schedule on their website since about 2000, I would like a copy.

The big difference in useing Bento over a spread sheet is the user interface. It is real easy to import a spread sheet into a database. The number one application of Excel is for flat file database management, not really what it should be used for. Bento also has a sync function so data can be syncronysed between the Mac desktop, iPhone, or iPad.
Dan

"What inventory, Pat?"

My roster of locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, layout vehicles, layout buildings, operating accessories, and railroad books. Each of these categories is in a separate "library".

FWIW, I found Bento extremely easy to set up and simple to use and keep up to date. Whenever I bring a new train or layout item into the house, it goes first to my office and is eneterd into the database before it gets to the basement. Changes in the database are easy to make and syncing with the iPhone and iPad require only one simple step during a regular sync.

LOL . . .

Oh . . . Pat

My memory, my memory !

I downloaded Bento on my iPhone. How do I download the RR template and acces it?

Google "Bento model railroad template"

Eliot

quote:

Originally posted by mkcaruso:
Always interested in more useful ways to keep track of trains. What are the advantages of using this software over, say, something like Excel?

- Mike

Mike,

I think we would be hard pressed to find anything better than Excel. I've been using Excel for my inventory for a while now. I am yet to find anything better. I would imagine Bento is good too, but I can't seem to get away from Excel. I can do anything with it.

Marc

I've been using MI Trains software for quite some time and I find it very easy to use. It has an Access data base and can be adapted for several different applications. It also has libraries for Lionel, MTH and K-Line products that I find very helpful and informative.

I have just published my own iPhone/iPad App, called ModelTrainDB, for model railroad collectors to help track their inventory.  I was tired of using Excel spreadsheets, and most of the other available options out there were older, outdated PC based programs.  I really liked the fact that I can have my inventory and purchase history with me as well when I am out at a train show or the local hobby shop.

 

I did consider the Bento option, which is a great little database app.  However, the default templates are pretty basic and would take a bit of work to customize to track everything that I wanted to.

 

Feel free to check it out on iTunes, or have a look at our website.

Chris,

 

I will check it out.

Thanks.

 

Eliot

Chris,

Is the subscription valid on multiple devices?

 

Ie my i phone and i pad?!

How long is the subscription last?

thx

Hi Brad,

 

Once you purchase the app, you can then install it onto an unlimited number of iPhone, iPad or iPod touch devices that you wish, as long as they are using the same iTunes account.  The app purchase is forever, you never have to pay anything ever again and can use it as long as you want.  Updates to the app are completely free as well.

 

Thanks,

Chris

very nice---may have to code my cost basis.....

Chris

 

Is the DB exportable so I can move it from my iPad to my iPhone and for backup?

Hi Chris,

 

Yes, you can access, backup and copy the actual database file from one device to another using iTunes.  I'll post details on how to do this on our website.  

 

We are also planning on adding easier to use methods for data import/export to an upcoming release, as well as automatic iCloud syncing between devices.

 

Thanks,

Chris

 Actually, Excel (or spreadsheet programs in general) was not designed for this sort of thing.  Excel is good at crunching numbers and setting up calculations and formulae.  Outside of the scope of its workbook, it's fairly limited.  What you really need is a relational database, like Access or Bento.  Databases enable users to organize data within tables and to establish semantic relationships between these sets of data.  And the true power of a database exploits that relationship: you can query the database and format the results without having to physically modify the stored data.   People do use Excel as though it's a database, and it might be suitable for small-scale applications, but really spreadsheets and databases are their own beasts.