Alpha Five Version 4.5

http://www.alphasoftware.com/

(Reviewed by Fred Sabin, President, NJCC)

Alpha Five is a fully relational database software that offers an alternative to MS Access and other database products. It comes with a simple “Getting Started” tutorial that guides you through the basics of using Alpha Five, and takes you step by step through creating a database. There is also an extensive “User’s Guide” that provides details on every aspect of the program. Finally, there is also an extensive “Xbasic Reference Manual” for those who want to create highly customized applications.

If you are new to databases, Alpha Five has wizards and templates to guide you through the process, while more experienced users can go directly to creating a database from scratch. The product features are comprehensive, including unique applications such as Field Rules that allow you to set up rules for a field without programming. You can therefore create anything from the most simple to the most complex database imaginable.

Alpha Five integrates directly with MS Word and Excel, but unfortunately there are no direct import or export functions between Alpha Five and MS Access. In this case you would need to export the files via ASCII or CSV or MS Excel.

Alpha Software plans to release Alpha Five Version 5 (currently in beta testing) this summer. This will be a major upgrade and release for them, and if I had known about it sooner I would have waited and asked them to review it rather than the current Version 4.5.

The system requirements for Alpha Five are a 486 or better processor with MS Windows 95 or later, 32 MB RAM, 32 MB Hard Drive space, and a VGA display.

The list price for Alpha Five Version 4.5 with a packaged CD is $149.00 (plus $8 shipping and handling), but they are offering it at a special price to members of the NJCC for $129 ($8 shipping and handling) and they will also include a free USA zip code database (which sells for $24). With this zip code database you can type in the zip code, and the city and state will automatically be filled in for you. To get the discount, you can call Alpha Software at 800-451-1018 and mention SPECIAL OFFER 77, or you can email Richard Rabins at richard@alphasoftware.com with your credit card info, expiration date, phone number and shipping information.

Alpha Software has been in business since 1982, and Alpha Five continues their tradition of making solid database products. If you need database software, I would strongly suggest that you evaluate this product as well as MS Access for your application needs.